I never thought writing a book, ever, until Mr. Babcock implored us veterans to start writing about our experiences in Vietnam. At the 2019, Fourth Infantry Division reunion in Springfield, Missouri, Mr. Babcock told us that if we didn't do this our experiences would be lost to future generations. I didn't care about myself, but I didn't want the service and sacrifices of those I was so honored to have served with to be forgotten.
After much arguing with myself, I started to document what it was like being an infantryman in the jungles of the Central Highlands, Corps II, of South Vietnam.
The pages of this manuscript describe the effects combat had on us, such as: the jungle itself, not bathing for weeks (and often months on end), losing buddies in combat, and others in the company that I barely knew, but who were still family - comrades in arms.
These pages are about all this and more, much more. These memories as a combat infantryman are written from experiences that affected me deeply. While they are war experiences, they are not totally about the war.
I have "almost" come full circle after fifty years, and with the help of PTSD therapy I can now talk about these memories. They are things that don't leave you, they change you.