In 1968, when the U.S. had a half million troops in Vietnam, the Army and Marines were drafting large numbers of men. Neal Duke registered for the draft when he was 18 and was later drafted out of college a few credits before graduation. Duke elected not to extend his two-year-commitment to three or more years in exchange for a military occupational specialty of his choice. As promised throughout basic training, he and each of his fellow draftees who did not extend, were assigned to infantry. Duke recounts how, in spite of his concerns about the stated reasons for U.S. involvement in Vietnam, he adhered to his sense of duty and served honorably. He describes his experiences in a year of training followed by a year of hardship and dangers in a combat role. He was promoted quickly and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-6 in just over a year, serving a year as a Platoon Sergeant in an infantry company. Duke was deployed to the Mekong Delta with the 9th Infantry Division, and tells how in his first weeks in his unit, the Platoon Sergeant he was supposed to understudy was critically wounded by AK47 fire and sent stateside, leaving him as the obvious replacement. He describes in detail, search and destroy missions, night ambushes, daytime helicopter combat assaults, the heat, humidity, monsoons and harsh living conditions. He recalls the shock and pain of losing fellow soldiers after having a beer and enjoying life with them days before. Finally, he tells of the difficulties of re-entering society in a world he no longer recognized. Duke relies on his memory, many letters home and many conversations with his veteran friends for this story. The book is a historical novel with facts, dates and places based on his own experience.
In 1968, when the U.S. had a half million troops in Vietnam, the Army and Marines were drafting large numbers of men. Neal Duke registered for the draft when he was 18 and was later drafted out of college a few credits before graduation. Duke elected not to extend his two-year-commitment to three or more years in exchange for a military occupational specialty of his choice. As promised throughout basic training, he and each of his fellow draftees who did not extend, were assigned to infantry. Duke recounts how, in spite of his concerns about the stated reasons for U.S. involvement in Vietnam, he adhered to his sense of duty and served honorably. He describes his experiences in a year of training followed by a year of hardship and dangers in a combat role. He was promoted quickly and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-6 in just over a year, serving a year as a Platoon Sergeant in an infantry company. Duke was deployed to the Mekong Delta with the 9th Infantry Division, and tells how in his first weeks in his unit, the Platoon Sergeant he was supposed to understudy was critically wounded by AK47 fire and sent stateside, leaving him as the obvious replacement. He describes in detail, search and destroy missions, night ambushes, daytime helicopter combat assaults, the heat, humidity, monsoons and harsh living conditions. He recalls the shock and pain of losing fellow soldiers after having a beer and enjoying life with them days before. Finally, he tells of the difficulties of re-entering society in a world he no longer recognized. Duke relies on his memory, many letters home and many conversations with his veteran friends for this story. The book is a historical novel with facts, dates and places based on his own experience.
