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MWSA Review
The Dog Soldier is a novel set in the closing years of the Vietnam War, during the chaotic period of “Vietnamization,” as seen through the eyes of Canadian volunteer “Nucky” Benson, and to a lesser extent, his Native American friend Jimmy Whitebull. Dog Soldiers are a warrior tradition from Jimmy’s Northern Cheyenne nation, who when forced to make a stand in battle pin themselves to a spot with a ceremonial “dog rope” and fight till their death.
Benson enlists in the U.S. Army after blowing a hockey scholarship, seemingly his only ticket out of his hardscrabble Alberta mining town. He becomes buddies with Whitebull when their basic training Drill Instructor christens Benson “Canucklehead” during a drill field formation. Unable to restrain himself, Whitebull laughs out loud. Turning his attention to the Native American, the DI assigns Jimmy, much to his chagrin, the nom de guerre of “Whitey,” and group punishment for all courtesy of Benson and Whitebull.
The two continue their training through Airborne and Ranger schools and are assigned to Vietnam, ironically into the 7th Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division, the unit commanded by George Armstrong Custer at the Little Bighorn and wiped out by Jimmy’s ancestors, many of whom he is happy to name. Nucky and Whitey become the mainstay of an infantry squad faced with declining U.S. military resources in country and communist forces going over on to the offense. This leads to a date with destiny for the two in the elephant grass of a hot, improvised helicopter landing zone.
The book, at over 400 pages, is long, but the action is fast-paced. The combat action is intense and realistic, no doubt assisted by a bevy of veterans the author acknowledges, including Vietnam veteran and author of The Thirteenth Valley, John Del Vecchio. The book avoids most of the cringy cliches often associated with the genre and turns several of them on their head. Some of the scenes in the book can be quite emotional, even to a seasoned reader of military history and lore. The perspective of the Canadian author is insightful and serves to highlight both the valor of the 30,000 Canadians who volunteered for the U.S. military and served in Vietnam and the ambivalence of many Canadians and the hostility, at the time, of the neutral Canadian government.
Readers with an interest in the Vietnam War, especially the closing years of that war, the history of southeast Asia during that time, and Native American culture will enjoy this book.
Review by Terry Lloyd (February 2024)
Author's Synopsis
In bestselling author Kim Kinrade’s ninth book, The Dog Soldier, Jackie Benson, a seventeen-year-old runaway from Southern Alberta, leaves behind a shattered life to join the American army during the last throes of its involvement in the Vietnam War.
Impressed with Jackie’s heroism, his best friend, Jimmie Whitebull, teaches him the philosophy of the Dog Soldier clan of the Northern Cheyenne and tells Jackie of his forefather’s involvement in fighting Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. On a trip home, Jackie visits his friend’s family in Montana and, because of his heroism in staying behind to fight the enemy so that a helicopter of wounded comrades can escape, Jackie is given honorary status in the Dog Soldier clan.
After returning to Vietnam, Jackie uncovers a Chinese and Soviet connection to help the North Vietnamese army capture Saigon and end the war in North Vietnam’s favor. After capturing a Soviet colonel, he becomes embroiled in a political tug-of-war that goes directly to the White House.
Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 450
Word Count: 175,000