Monday, August 27, 2012

More Then A Memory: Reflections of Viet Nam edited by Victor R. Volkman



Just as many Americans, I am a big supporter of our troops, and I am in constant shock and sadness when I read and see the news each day. I grew up a little later then Viet Nam, but have always been fascinated about this time, our soldiers, and how many disturbing stories and problems our troops had to deal with. Especially when they came back home.
This book is filled with so many wonderful people, their personal stories, terrifying poems, horrific events and so many problems that still haunt them everyday. It is awful and unfortunate what they have gone through, and it makes it worse when there are still people out there who certainly don't give these men and women the respect they deserve so much.
They are living nightmares, it doesn't matter which war, which battle, which time period they served, they are all going through so much more then most of us could ever even begin to imagine.
I sat in absolute horror as I turned the pages and looked at some of the pictures inside, read about their losses, their lives that were ripped apart, and the agony they are still trying to cope with. One in particular, Marc Levy, really pulled and tugged at me, and not that I have been through anything near what he was, and is, but each day since I read this book, who's poems have been permanently branded inside my mind.
These heroes have tons of talent, and it definitely isn't hidden in their writings. Very creative, and exceptional work, and so much gut wrenching stories, this is a rare gem of a book.
I would never recommend this for anybody who can't stomach gore and horror. This is all very real, and colorful and could possibly make some very disturbed. I can usually handle quite a bit, and being a fan of war movies, I figured this would be an easy, simple book to read, and well it wasn't. You can't put it down, and you can't stop re reading certain stories and poems.
I hope for the sake of the author's, that writing provides some sort of therapy, and I hope the same for any vet who may want to read this book to become inspired or maybe see how many are out there who are going through the same pain.

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