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MWSA Review
Thomas J. Bragg’s memoir, Keeping It Lively: The Hunt for Eddie Lama is the story of two men and the unbreakable bond they formed during combat, resulting in a legacy left for future generations. They were as different as they could be: a white man from suburban Chicago and a black man from rural Virginia. Together in D Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry in South Vietnam, these two decided to make the most of their situation, vowing to always “keep it lively.” They shared a love of photography and optimism within the ranks. Morale was high for the men serving with Eddie and Thomas. While serving together in the jungles of Vietnam, Eddie Lama once saved Thomas Bragg’s life. Then one day, Eddie, with only a short time to go before the end of his tour, volunteered for a mission.
Thomas’s and Eddie’s platoon leader was seriously injured in the fighting in which Eddie died. John Hodge, Lt. Retired, remembers the mission and when he was shot in a firefight by a sniper and had to be lifted out of the jungle to a field hospital. As the chopper left, the platoon provided cover fire. During that time, Eddie Lama was struck by a single rifle shot. Back at camp, Thomas heard about his friend’s death over the radio minutes later, but didn’t know the details until 2015.
Forty-six years after being discharged, Thomas sought to somehow commemorate Edward Bartholomew Lama, KIA, 31 March 1969. Thomas participated in a free writer’s workshop for military vets and their family members at the Blackstone Conference and Retreat Center. The professor, Michael Lund, was willing to help Thomas write about Eddie and how they and others stayed strong in combat. In 2015, Military Experience and the Arts and Thomas were able to contact alumni association officers for Eddie’s high school in Mundelein, Illinois, learning that Eddie had younger siblings.
Thomas contacted Eddie’s surviving relatives and carried the book, The Hunt for Eddie Lama, to a reunion of their company at the grave of their fallen comrade. The story was featured in local newspapers and on television, promoting the writing program for veterans and their families.
Author Thomas Bragg died on September 13, 2020, at his home in Blackstone, Virginia. His story is only part of his legacy. While The Hunt for Eddie Lama: Keeping it Lively may never win a Pulitzer Prize, the story behind it will warm your heart.
Review by Nancy Panko (May 2025)
Author's Synopsis
In 2015 Vietnam Army veteran Thomas Bragg wrote in his memoirs about the death of his friend and fellow platoon member, Eddie Lama, in South Vietnam. This was a project he’d always hoped to complete; but he had to wait for retirement to find the time. And the story didn’t stop there: two and a half years after he completed his memoir, his platoon leader from 50 years earlier sought him out, saying that he had visited the grave of their fallen comrade. That led to connections with the Lama family in Mundelein, Illinois, a moving unit reunion, and this revised edition of Keeping it Lively: The Hunt for Eddie Lama.
Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 55
Word Count: 8263