4 out of 4 stars
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Life After Vietnam by David R. Harris and Paul L. Harris is a collection of fifteen stories about the people who fought in the Vietnam War. It was a tumultuous time in the history of America. The very war that had called its soldiers to fight in another country was being protested by America’s civilians. It was and is a very sensitive issue. The question of “what could have been done” doesn’t matter anymore. What does matter is how we treat the men, and the women, who served there. The stories of these fifteen war veterans give us a picture of their experiences in the jungles of Vietnam and how their lives changed when they came back home.
The war is a horrible place to be at and no one comes out of it unscathed, not if they have been in deep enough. Most stories about wars focus on the war itself- what happened there, and how the soldiers bravely fought off every threat that came their way. However, these stories rarely talk about life after these events. They don’t tell us how our heroes turned out to be when they came back home. Life After Vietnam focuses exactly on that. Starting from what prompted these people to join the Armed Forces, it gives us a glimpse of the most important events in Vietnam that impacted them, and then, it tells us how they coped, or have been coping, with all that.
We often read, or watch in movies, how soldiers came so close to death that they could almost touch it but were saved by something that can only be called a divine intervention. Some of the times, they don’t even know how close they came! And while these things can be awe-inspiring for us, looking into the eyes of Death doesn’t come without its consequences. PTSD, survivor’s guilt and paranoia are some of the things that gripped these people, something they have tried hard to let go of. In addition to the toll on their mental health, the War also had an impact on their physical health. What made it even harder to handle was the horrible, or at best apathetic, treatment that they received from everyone.
I think that everyone should read this book. For civilians, it will act as an eye-opener. It’ll help them understand the plight of the soldiers and make them realise that “warriors cannot be blamed for the war”. If you are a pacifist (as I am), if you don’t believe in war, you might want to pass on the opportunity to read it. I would advise against that. Being anti-war and treating people horribly are two different things and, I think, some people need to learn this lesson. If you are a veteran or are currently serving, this book might help you understand your own situation, and maybe even show you a direction as to how you can solve your problems.
This is an excellently written book. The tone of the stories changes from character to character. Not all parts are grim and horrible, and the authors have made a point to focus on the happy endings of the stories. The stories are concise and sharp and don’t go into too many details. The writing is smooth and effective and makes a strong impact even with a handful of words. If there is something that needs to be told additionally, it is mentioned at the bottom of the pages in the form of small footnotes.
Don’t make the mistake of considering these as sob stories. These are the stories of courage, perseverance, and strong-will- something needed in the times of both, during and after, the war. This book is a tribute to all the soldiers who have earnestly served their country and an acknowledgement of their struggles. My rating for Life After Vietnam is 4 out of 4 stars. Even though I found some grammatical errors, they were too menial in front of the splendidness of this book. They were few and far and did not hinder the reading flow in any way. This is a great book and I consider it quite essential for everyone to read.
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Life After Vietnam
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