Don’t Mean Nothing by Susan O’Neill

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MWSA Review

This Book Does Mean Something!  Author Susan O’ Neill offers us some sensitive and insightful glimpses of the Vietnam War from a women’s point of view in her book of short stories called, “Don’t Mean Nothing.”  Each story takes you to emotional places of the heart and the mind in some of the finest prose that any novelist has used since Hemmingway wrote his great books many decades ago.  Her female energy transcends all that macho testosterone of war and delivers story after story with both feeling and at times, some very profound thoughts.

These stories use the nurses and hospitals and the war as a background but it is the power of each story that is what this book is all about.  I was really touched after reading one particular one called “Prometheus Burned.”  Being a macho guy, I will not admit publicly that I might have gotten some moist eyes, but I will admit that I was certainly moved by how she creates a mood and a certain poetic rhythm through her choice of phrasing.  Her artistic use of some of the lyrics from that old spiritual song “Amazing Grace” really enhanced the emotional impact I was getting from this story.

This book showcases the writing talents of Susan O’Neil.  I am disappointed to learn that this is her only book in print to this date.  She obviously has a gift that needs to be shared.  This book will get inside your head and you may either become saddened, or inspired by her words of the spirit.  She holds the reader’s hand like a nurse might in triage just before you have a bullet removed from your heart–this book is not for emotional sissies.  It is mature, compassionate and at times boldly frank.  It feels real and suggests to me that some of these experiences might reflect what the author may have experienced or felt herself in Vietnam, as a nurse so many long years ago.

A must read!  Do not get turned off by some of the harsh language in the Introduction; but go deeper inside the book’s pages and discover some real literary gold under an emotional and spiritual rainbow of words!  Trust me on this—Susan O’Neill can write with any of the great ones!  You will find it a worth while reading experience, even if it may emotionally hold you hostage for a while after you finally finish the book.  It is a great book that may make you think, feel, and sense things about life, about war, and about people that may be new to you.  That is the sign of a well written story and she has many to share.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
In this debut fiction collection--the first by a nurse who served in Viet Nam--Susan O'Neill offers a glimpse into the war from a female perspective. These stories are about women, and men, who served in three combat hospitals in 1969 and 1970. They are interconnected, peopled by one-time "stars" and recurring characters, and they deal both with both the minutia of everyday life in wartime, and grander, more over-reaching themes--love and loss, faith and despair, morality, futility, military idiosyncrasy, magic, and the cost to the soul of a year in war's very particular hell. The stories are purely fictional, yet based loosely on the author's experiences, and they are laced as liberally with black humor as with pathos. 

Left for Dead by Jon Hovde & Maureen Anderson

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MWSA Review

“Left for Dead” will inspire you!  Vietnam veteran Jon Hovde teams up with Maureen Anderson to bring us a real life tale of heroes, redemption, sadness, suffering and joy! Jon’s life story “Left for Dead – A Second Life After Vietnam” will inspire you and it will also make you very aware of the sacrifices that many veterans have made on the personal level. This book tells it like it was and allows you to view a part of the veteran experience that mostly remains hidden from the public view.

We find that Jon is very much a human being with all that baggage that comes from being a baby boomer growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s. That includes his days spent driving fast cars and getting drunk. But his story takes us to new places of the heart and the spirit as we follow along on his personal journey through his life. We are there with him when his body is ravaged by war and his life is almost taken from him. Then we get an insider view of what it was like to recover and try to move on with his life. As a reader you will find yourself rooting for him as he begins his new life with a wife and family.

The thing that will impress you most when reading this story is the author’s lack out anger or outrage at what the war did to him. He accepts life as it is and moves onward as best he can. Of course, with all that happened to him it is matter of time when he discovers that his workaholic attitude is killing him and that he needs to focus on his family and personal needs. He deals with many issues from PTSD to excessive drinking to depression but it is all just a part of the healing process for Jon as he continues to move spiritual and emotionally forward with his life.

This book is riveting—once you read the first few pages you will not put it down until you have savored the final words on the last page. I know that is what happened to me. The book will inspire you as does his life to many people. Jon is a special person and is now doing much through his public speaking and now his book, to inspire and to help others.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
Jon Hovde's journey begins with despair and the struggle to stay alive and ends with hope and the inspiration to live. As a twenty-year-old soldier in Vietnam, Hovde lost an arm and a leg when the armored personnel carrier he was driving hit an antitank mine. He was nearly left for dead when the medic at the scene accidentally took his pulse in the arm that had been severed. For weeks, doctors gave Hovde very little chance of survival. When Hovde finally returned home, the transition was not easy. He used alcohol and fast cars to cope with both the physical pain of his injuries and the emotional pain caused by uneasy stares from his friends and neighbors. The straightforward words of a highway patrolman finally opened his eyes to his reckless behavior: "Why would a guy like you, who's survived all you survived, want to come back and kill yourself on our highway?" Hovde went on to marry his high school sweetheart, realize a successful business career, and become a leader of city and state school boards. In 1998, Hovde's war story found some closure when he successfully tracked down and was reunited with the nurse who had helped save his life. He was finally able to thank her. Left for Dead is a gripping memoir that not only recounts Hovde's remarkable recovery from his injuries, but recognizes the efforts of the people who aided him - including the courageous medic who rescued him, a caring army nurse, and army chaplains. Far more than just another tale of combat, Left for Dead will stir emotions in veterans, the families of veterans, and civilians alike. Hovde's lack of bitterness and abundance of hope is a source of inspiration to anyone overcoming obstacles.

The Vietnam Worm by James E. Johnson, III

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MWSA Review

This is a great reading adventure for those who are seeking novels that deal with the Vietnam War in a slightly different fashion.  First time author James Johnson, gives us an inside look at the men of that famous unit “The Wolfhounds.”  He allows the reader to observe the mental and emotional states of these veterans through the eye of a fictional story and characters; however, it runs so close to the author’s and his former unit member’s actual experiences, that it gives the storyline a very high intensity impact.

This is the best novel about the men who fought the ground war in Vietnam that I have read in the last 5 years.  It captures the area, the sights, sounds, smells and feelings like an emotional digital camera.  I flew most of my helicopter missions in this same area and time period where this story unfolds, so I had little trouble visualizing where he was at and what it was like.  The descriptions and action come off as believable and real.  Readers will be taken on an emotional ride.  You will be changed in some way after reading this book.  It will be difficult to forget some of the people and stories.

Johnson uses great word and phrasing skills to capture the emotional and spiritual moments that his cast of characters goes through.  “The Worm” refers to that mental process that slowly eats away at these combat veterans—eventually becoming infected with a bad case of PTSD!

The book is given the MWSA highest rating. It is recommended reading for all mature age groups.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis

The Vietnam Worm” is a collection of stories based on the actual experiences of the author and the men he served with. The central character is Sergeant Tom Danville, a man fighting not only the Vietcong, but the combat sickness, ‘The Worm’, that is slowly and secretly invading his brain. From cobras and man-eating tigers, to dealing with incompetent officers and booby traps, the book tells of the daily life ofDanville and his men as they strive to survive not only the horrors of war, but the transition of returning home to a country that neither appreciated nor understood the suffering and sacrifices they had made.

The Vietnam War is all but forgotten now except by the thousands of men who were called and went, or volunteered because they truly believed it was the right thing to do. Many of these men still suffer now because they saw their duty and did it.

A Thousand Tears Falling by Yung Krall

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MWSA Review

A View Not Seen by Vietnam Veterans Before…. There are some books that are so important that they act as a kind of “rosette stone” for our understanding of historical events and the people who were caught up in them.  This book is going to become a touchstone importance for those trying to relate to the human element of the Vietnam War for non-combatants.  The author, Yung Krall, opens a new doorway to viewing what life was like for those families caught in up the cross fires of the Vietnam War.  In her book, “A Thousand Tears Falling,” she will change and alter the thought processes of any veteran reading of her personal experiences.  It will also enlighten those readers who were never a part of any war but often wondered what life was like for those who tried to live inside a war zone with their families.

She puts a face on that war and on the enemy and on the allies.  She, through her sometimes very sad story, will peel away some of the mystery of why certain members of a family, or a community in Vietnam, fought for which side.  It is not as simple as one thinks.  It has more to with personal loyalties, family and nationalism and less at times, to issues about communism or capitalism.  Her father however, was a powerful leader in the war against the French, the South Vietnamese and the Americans and believed in communism.  He left her loving home to go fight the war leaving behind his family to forge for them selves while he lived in the jungles and forests for 18 years.  He was a NLF Senator and when the war was over he was rewarded with an ambassadorship.

This book is all about family and loyalties and choices.  There were many hard choices to be made in the author’s young life.  She had to choose where her heart and loyalties really were at.  She eventually worked for the South Vietnamese and American armies and ends up falling in love with an American navy pilot, getting married and moving to the United States.  However, in order to get the rest of her family out of Vietnam to safety, she had to work with the CIA and became a spy.

There is so much more depth to this story and what she had  emotionally endured.  I do not think a movie could do justice to it; only a TV mini-series could fully capture the spiritual impact of what her life was like and choices she was forced to make.  This is one woman that you will want to meet in person and shake her hand.  She has been through more than most could emotionally bear and she is the stronger for it.  She will move you to tears at times when you read her book, but when you finish you will find that you have gained something valuable through that experience.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
In 1977, a woman called "Keyseat" arrived in Paris with 49 classified U.S. documents. Two days later, Hanoi representatives to the Paris Peace Talks possessed the documents, believing that Keyseat, whose father was a Viet Cong official, was their agent. In the United States in 1982, the Vietnam era's only convicted spies, antiwar activist David Truong and USIA officer Ronald Humphrey, were sentenced for document theft. The main U.S. witness was Keyseat, both a CIA and FBI agent. Yung (then Dung Krall) was Keyseat. Her memoir juxtaposes two phases of her unusual life: her early years in South Vietnam and her adult time as a U.S. Navy wife and career espionage agent. She also provides unique details of village and family customs, patiently describing her childhood, revealing the pain she suffered in a family split by ideology. Yung, anti-Communist from childhood, who shared her mother's views, was also a daughter of Dang Quang Minh, the Viet Cong's ambassador to the Soviet Union, whose life was threatened by his daughter's testimony. Yung led a fast-paced life that in its details rivals spy thriller fiction. A recommended first-person account for larger public collections.
Margaret W. Norton, J. Sterling Morton H.S., Berwyn, Ill.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Simple Survival: A Family Outdoors Guide by Gary L. Benton

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MWSA Review

A Straight-forward Must Have Survival Book! Retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant and survivor expert Gary Benton has written the best outdoor guide for families – bar none, that I have read! “Simple Survival – A Family Outdoors Guide” is more than a book – it is an outdoor resource bible that every family should have a copy of.  This is one of those books that you should have in your camping bag along with the tent and other equipment.  However, reading it at home before you go off on some outdoor adventure would be a great help when potential situations happen.

This book is more than just a camper’s manual as it deals with surviving terrorism as well as how to handle bears, snakes and a host of other events and situations.  One chapter which I found to be good sound (and yet simple) advice is called “Ten Rules You Can Survive By!”

Benton has written many articles on survive that have appeared in magazines and on web pages across the globe – in this book he has taken all of his best advice that he has gathered over the years and put it altogether in one handy format.

There is one chapter that deals with the greatest fears that all parents have – having your child get lost in the woods.  This is a must read for parents.  This information needs to be shared with all their children so they know what to do in the event of getting lost or separated from their parents or the campsite.  This is the kind of information that you hope you never need to put into use – but if the situation does happen you will have increased the chances of a more positive outcome if everyone follows the suggestions for survival as outlined in that chapter.

It is evident that Gary Benton knows what he is talking about. When you check on his training records you will find that he has graduated from some of the military’s best classes that included surviving in the Artic, water (Sea and Ocean), mountain, and jungle environments.  He is the expert and you can trust your life on that!

The MWSA book review committee found that this was the best book on survival skills and advice that they have reviewed.  It is in a league of its own! 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
Gary Benton has previously authored twelve books of fiction, non-fiction, and Southern humor. Such notable authors as, Matt Braun, Stephen Lodge, Don Bendell, actor James Drury and many others have endorsed his work. This survival book, "Simple Survival, a Family Outdoors Guide," is a Silver Award Winner from the Military Writers Society of America. Gary spent over 23 years on active duty in the United States Air Force and retired as a Senior Master Sergeant. Years of wilderness outdoor skills are in this book, along with survival tips. Learn survival so during the next natural disaster or terrorist attack you and your family can survive! Learn to survive with just a survival knife and a little survival gear, or with a survival kit. Survival is simple, using Gary's skills, and anyone can become a survivor! Take this book along during your next camping trip or use it when facing a real emergency and learn survival of the fittest! Survive the simple way, the Simple Survival way. Become a survivor!

Remembering Willie, and all the others by Dennis Maulsby

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MWSA Review

You will never read another book of poetry again like the one that Vietnam veteran poet, Dennis Maulsby has written.  It is a work that defines the emotional essence of what the war felt like to those of us who served there.  It reaches inside your skull and your heart and rips them apart with such visual imagery that it leaves you breathless at times, with your heart beating faster than it should be.  But as you put down the written words, the inner verbiage still continues rolling around inside your head seeking comfort from wars and despair.

But his poetry is much more than just war as it embraces the dreams of young soldiers who still have memories of good times at Myrtle Beach of 1968.  Then he hits you with his poem, “Aging Warrior,” which takes you full circle emotionally and spiritually.

These poems will create different reactions in the readers based on their own view of life and death and war — that is the magic of Maulsby’s poetry.  It is much like a modern art painting subject to inner and very personal views of what is on the canvas; in this case, what he has on the printed page.

Dennis Maulsby is no doubt one of the top 10 poets to come out of the Vietnam War era.  His book is on the "MWSA Recommended Poetry Books List" to read for a good reason — it is a literary voyage that should be taken and experienced.

Sample of one of his poems:

MEMORY OF A EURASIAN WORKING GIRL

I hope she knew why I was so quiet, when
we held hands that night in her strange land,
uninvited and lost.

It must have made her uneasy, watching for cues
from this twice her size round-eyed male creature,
so large pored and hairy.

Blood-warm breeze felt so comfortable.

Her perfume riffing the air,
set time for the music

That night she even pierced my blind stare,
and helped me lay down my mountain of stored up death,
so weary with the weight.

Whether she was aware or not,
she did what women have done for soldiers these
thousands of futile years.

Fingers entwined our primal spirits touched
and I remembered
what my soul should look like

Copyright 2001 by Dennis Maulsby

This poem was recently printed in Lyrical Iowa, the annual anthology of the Iowa Poets Association

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
 

A Muslim, the Quran and Jesus the Son of Mary – A Palestinians Journey from the Crescent to the Cross by Akef Tayem

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MWSA Review

A Muslim’s Conversion to Christianity - His Reasons Why Some people will find author Akef Tayem’s outlook on the differences and historic foundations of the three great religions (Christianity, Islam and the Jewish faiths) rather unique and thought provoking. His book “A Muslim The Quran And Jesus The Son of Mary” (Subtitled : A Palestinians Journey from the Crescent to the Cross) is like nothing else out there in religious books. His comments and thoughts are the kind of thing that could put his own life at risk with certain groups in many places around the globe. He shows some courage in exploring the questions that he does in his book.
His thinking and explorations of the holy texts from all three religions have caused him to rethink some of the fundamental things about his own historic spiritual roots. The book is full of references and notes to explain his thought process as he takes you along on an educational tour of his former Muslim beliefs and how he has evolved and became a Christian.
This book is very scholarly written and the author does a good job of educating the reader and presenting his views. He is full of passion and energy as he tackles what he sees as fabricated stories and mistaken beliefs about the missing Gospel that Jesus was given.
This book will give the reader a better understanding of not only the differences between the religions but also an awareness that they are all from the same basic foundation. This is not a book that would be considered light reading but if you had the time and were looking for more understanding about what is going on in the world today based on what people are being taught and what they are lead to believe.

Reviewer: W. H. McDonald, Jr.

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Author's Synopsis
 

Women At Risk – We Also Served by Noonie Fortin

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MWSA Review

Most of us old veterans already know of Noonie Fortin, or at least have heard of her, from her website writings and her best selling book about Martha Raye. I know that is how I discovered her many years ago. Well, there is about to be a whole new generation of veterans and civilians who will discover her writings anew when they read her book, “Women At Risk - We Also Served.”

This book captures the historic lives of many wonderful women who served this country in various roles including some in combat zones. Her bios of women, who’s service spans a time from WWII through the present time, highlights stories and events that have not been told in this public way before. Her book breaks new ground as it shares personal memories that normally are only communicated between immediate family members. Although the majority of the stories focus on those women in military uniform, it also deals with volunteers who served their country in other ways. Every story is a gem in a treasure chest of pure history.

There is so much love in this book for the women profiled. You can see and feel the care that the author gives to each woman’s story. The author does not try to paint all these women as heroes, although many really are in the truest sense of that word, but as real people who made personal sacrifices for their country. Some of these women have also paid a physical and psychological price for their service. This book attempts to recognize their efforts and their many achievements.

This book is well written and lays to rest that old rumor that the author was actually born in a military footlocker! Noonie has a way with her words; making every story feel like you are sitting down with each women in her home to listen to their personal tales in person. The book breaks into many short little chapters that make it a delight to read for people who have small blocks of time – like lunch time or between other life events. It is a book that will become a classic on women’s history.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
Women At Risk: We Also Served is about women who served our country since before World War II to present day. All branches of the military are included, officers and enlisted personnel, as well as women who volunteered as civilians going to a war zone, those that stayed stateside, and other loved ones. Included are clerks, drivers, heavy equipment operators, nurses, USO and ARC volunteers, and more. These women explain some of the things they did or do in the military or as civilians. They tell us why they volunteered, how their lives were changed, and answer the question, Would I do it again? More than sixty women are profiled in this book. Their stories are finally being shared many for the first time.This book is for readers of all ages including students. It will encourage patriotism as you read each chapter. They encourage both the reader and listener to talk more and ask questions about their own family military background.  Noonie Fortin realized there was a need for this type of book each time she entered a bookstore and couldn't find very many books about women who served their country.

Fire From The Sky by Ron Greer and Mike Wicks

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MWSA Review

A B-29 Aircraft Crewmember’s Eye Witness View of History. I picked up “Fire From The Sky” and was just going to look take a casual stroll through the first few pages to see what it was about—but I got hooked on the reading of the air battles over Japan and of the men who flew these missions.  The authors make great use of Herbert Greer’s personal diary that he kept during those dangerous and historic flights.  You get some wonderful insights and not just facts and data about what happened.  You read about the fears and feelings of the real men and what it was like to be a member of a B-29 Bomber crew.

The diary they use to set up the storyline of the book deals with more than just the 28 air combat missions that Greer flew over Japan as a radio operator.  We get a little glimpse about his early life before his service; as a youth on the farm and to being involved with the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.  However, it is the riveting stories of those fire bombing missions of Japan’s largest cities that becomes spell binding.

The authors make great use of the actual diary entries along with comments and thoughts from the now much older Greer to make you feel like you are a part of the flight crew.  The reader will begin to feel and almost experience their emotions, as the stories of their missions unfold.  These men took great risks and put their own personal lives on the line for their country; this book captures this piece of history, preserving it for future generations.  Even though these men were all heroes; they were not supermen of any kind but regular flesh and blood men who did some very astonishing things in their young lives.  They really did help to end the war with Japan.

This is a book you will not be able to put down until you are done.  It is a well told memoir of the men whose missions will live forever in history!  Meeting them in this book is a cherished privilege for the reader.  It was my honor to have read the book; it felt almost sacred to be allowed to look inside a crew member’s personal diary—truly a treasured artifact of historic and sentimental value.  This is a book worth reading several times.  Great black and white photos as well.  I fully recommend buying and reading this wonderful book about aviation and the men who crewed B-29s.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis

"May 26, 1945 target Tokyo; the target was the eastern part of the industrial section of Tokyo. It was hot as hell too, because the Japanese were waiting for us. We went into the target individually and as we made our sweep, one Jap twin-engine fighter was waiting about 20 miles off the coast and followed us over the target. Flak was very heavy and searchlights were estimated at about 400 in number in the Tokyo area. We were in the searchlights all the way through the target. Losses were estimated to be about 18 B-29's. One crew came back with the tail almost shot off and the tail gunner had been killed instantly. On both raids the industrial centers we hit had an estimated civilian population of 50,000 to 75,000 people per square mile area. Fires started by the incendiary bombs covered 10 square miles and could be seen 200 miles out to sea."

If this dialog sounds like a plot from a war movie it well could be, however the account consists of the bombing mission quotes taken directly from the diary of S/Sgt Herb Greer, Radio operator on a B-29 Superfortress named the "City of Monroe" during the war with Japan. The diary takes each of the 28 missions flown by the B-29 "City of Monroe" one by one and details those events as they happened over Japan. The accounts are filled with such phrases as "Great Fires, clouds of thick black smoke, horrific smells meaning flesh burning, which permeated the aircraft over the target area and lingered until they landed some 8 to 10 hours later on Guam. Bombing missions were repeated until most of the industrial areas of Japans major cities were nothing but ashes. The final days were approaching when Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be devastated with the two atomic bombs. The gentleman that I speak of is my father, Herbert L. Greer and this is a book of his diary, supplemental comments and pictures that reflect on a period of time that the United States freedom and liberty were highly at risk.

The Ghosts of Vietnam by Jim Stewart

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MWSA Review

In The Ghosts of Vietnam, author Jim Stewart reminisces back on his life, which included 4 years in-country.  It is not your normal combat action story but actually a warm and at times tender loving story of a young man seeking to find himself during the war and the years afterwards.  It is about a journey and not just a diary of where he has been and what he has done.  You get inside his heart, as well as his head.

There is a touching scene from his experience as an MP in the Saigon area when he witnesses a little girl on a bike get killed by a truck.  He never forgot that little girl, nor the image of her lying on the ground with half her skull missing.  It haunts him in the background of his heart; and in a strange twist of fate, that tragic scene gets played out again later in life when he seeks to find his own daughter whom he left behind in Vietnam.

This book is both funny and sad.  It is at times, spiritual as well as being very worldly but it is always entertaining.  It reads very easily and for people who do not like typical war books, this is the one to read.  This is not one of those blatant “I am a hero” with blood and gore stories.  This book shows a different side of the war—the kind where crime, black markets and life behind the battle lines in Saigon and the cities are the focus.  It is also about love and the loss of love.

This is a story of a man who never really got to enjoy being a father to his daughter; a man who lost his youth many years ago in a far-a-way place that still dreams inside him at night.  Yes, there are still ghosts of Vietnam within him but he is finally at peace.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
In 1970, after four years in Vietnam, Jim Stewart left behind his daughter, Phuong. It is estimated that fifty thousand Amerasians were left behind when America pulled out of the country for good in 1973. Jim carried this with him for years after the war. Join him on his journey through personal tragedy as a young boy in Maryland, his often humorous adventures in the Army, and the serious events that took place during his years in Vietnam and afterwards. Often humorous, with a wide array of memorable characters in his life, this is a story that will bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, and leave you with a sense of spiritual healing. All from The Angel from Vietnam.

Thunder in the Night – A Sailor’s Perceptive on Vietnam by Raymond S. Kopp

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MWSA Review

A Sailor’s experiences in the Vietnam War on a heavy Cruiser. Author Raymond Kopp shares the story of his combat experiences as a crew member of the USS Newport News during the Vietnam War. In his wonderfully written and sensitive book “Thunder in the Night – A Sailor’s Perspective on Vietnam” he tells us about the little known Naval operations in 1972 when the over-all war was supposed to be winding down.

I had to laugh at the truth of what Kopp points out in the Preface of the book about how most veterans and the public seem to discount the combat experiences of those who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Most non-Naval Vietnam veterans have assumed that sitting off the coast with clean sheets, hot showers and no VC sneaking up on you, meant that the duty was carefree and safe. It was never really thought of as being “combat duty”; how wrong most of us were about that. Reading his story about his ship’s war operations off the coast of North Vietnam, it also becomes evident that these battles took a toll on sailors both emotionally and physically as well.

Raymond writes in the third person and tells his story as if it were a novel. It makes for very entertaining reading as the author uses a full pallet of colorful expressions and wording to paint his story. His emotions are not hidden nor are his many flaws and fears; he gives the reader a full uncensored vision of what is going on within him.

This book is a very honest attempt by the author to examine his life at time of the war and why he is who he is today. Although he does not expound away at it, this story is all about redemption and reflection as a way to find self-healing within. Although Raymond was not physically injured that night when an explosion killed a couple of dozen of his shipmates and wounded many more—that night still haunts the soul of this man! He survived physically but he is still dealing with the emotional and spiritual wounds from the experience.

I have read many books from Navy veterans but most have been about SEALS and the “Brown Water Navy” operations or about fighter pilots—this is the first book out there that gives an insider view on what life was like for the sailors who were on heavy cruisers. It is an eye-opener and a real education for veterans like me. This book is about history and people and about dying for your country but it is also about fear and courage and guilt and friendship. Years from now people will realize that this book is an important link to a piece of our history.

Reviewer Unknown

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Author's Synopsis
A personal account of one sailor's experiences in the last days of America's most unpopular war

A Long Hard Ride by Richard R. Simmons

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MWSA Review

Author Richard R. Simmons has exposed his life through his easy to read but emotional autobiography, “A Long Hard Ride.”  This book examines the transformation of a horse jockey turned Air Force career man, turned postal manager and drunk, into a man in search of himself and the meaning of life.  It is all about redemption and spiritual rebirth.

The story takes you from Richard's early childhood when his father’s death changes the direction of his life and sets him off on a collision course with self-destructive behaviors including his life long battle with alcoholism.

His time spent at the race track and not in school makes for very unique experiences to read about.  He raced against some of the best jockey and horses of his day but never found the kind of satisfaction or success that he needed.  His quest for understanding and love follow him throughout the pages of his book from one life adventure to the next seeking to find that inner peace that eludes him for so long.

This is an exceptionally well told story and makes for some interesting, yet at times emotional, reading.  This book will force you to look and reflect on your own life experiences.  In the end, this book will be an enjoyable adventure but keep a box of Kleenex handy.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
This is an inspirational story that shows how the author overcame poverty, the lack of education, low self-esteem and alcoholism. These stories come from the life experiences of a man fighting the demons within as he rode the racetracks of America in search of his soul. The book follows his life as he gives up his career as a jockey and joins the U.S. Air Force, eventually taking up a third career in management at the USPS. Hope and inspirations come from many unexpected places as the miracle of recovery and rediscovery of love - for himself and life - change him in ways he never thought possible. He knows that he was fortunate to survive

Full Circle - Escape From Baghdad and the Return by Saul Silas Fathi

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MWSA Review

One of a Kind Autobiography! You will never in your life read another book quite like this one, by Jewish author and US Army veteran, Saul Silas Fathi.  His autobiography, “Full Circle – Escape from Baghdad and the Return” takes the reader to places and events that one may only get to know about from small glimpses on The History Channel or in some old National Geographic Magazines.  This guy has lived a life that would make a great movie.

He was born into a well to do Jewish family in Baghdad in 1938, which in that part of the world presented some very real dangers.  The book shares with us his early years and how he was smuggled out of Iraq at 10 years of age and eventually ended up in Israel.  He studied at the Israel Air Force Academy of Aeronautics and then worked his way to South America.  This long out of the way journey eventually takes the author to New York to study where he ends up joining the US Army and was shipped off to Korea to join up with the First Cavalry Division.  The book goes on to chronicle his exploits and personal adventures including becoming a top level executive for several large high-tech companies.

His book deals with having his family being falsely accused of treason against the Iraqi government and of being labeled a Zionist and Communist.  Those labels alone were more than enough to cause them to be concerned for their safety, in addition to just being a Jew in a Muslim country.

This book deals with the hardships and persecution that this Jewish man faced in his lifetime.  In the face of all that the author lived through and what he learned about life, his personal outlook and drive to succeed are a real tribute to his inner strength and character.  Reading this book will inspire you and entertain you as well.  The author has lived a full life and his book allows you to experience it through his memories.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
Full Circle... Chronicles a prominent Iraqi Jewish family's escape from persecution through the journey of one family member: A 10-years old boy who witnesses public hangings and the 1941 Krystalnacht (Farhood) in Baghdad. After a harrowing escape from Iraq through Iran, this boy begins a life-long search for meaning and his place in the world. His journey takes him to the newly-formed State of Israel, then to Brazil and finally to the United States. He joins the U.S. Army and serves in Korea and returns to a fascinating career in three Fortune-500 companies. Following September 11, 2001, he volunteers to work for the F.B.I. Genre: Youth and adult, anyone interested in the history of the Middle-East, the Jewish people, and Sephardic life under Islam.

China With Love - Letters from An American GI in World War II China and India by Lou Glist

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MWSA Review

Karl Boyd has done it again.  He has written a fiction that takes the reader on a journey down many roads, introducing many characters and opening many doors. The story unveils a plot that is world-wide, patient, and unique.  His characters are like all of us--both good and bad. The central figures grow and teach us a life lesson, but we have to wait until the very end to learn what it is.  From China with Love is a war of cultures fought with technology, but it is not bloodless. I recommend it, but it is not for the faint of heart.

Reviewed by: Mike Mullins (2009)

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Author's Synopsis
If China is to survive, it must have more land for its millions of citizens. The Chairmen of the Chinese Republic tasks his ministers to formulate a ten-year plan to conquer all of Mexico, the U. S. A., and Canada, thereby turning the territory into "New China" while avoiding a horrific third world war.

Within twelve months, the strategy is finalized and the multi-pronged invasion of North America begins quietly. The devilishly clever operation is totally unobserved by the American public, their military and/or politicians, and their neighbors to the north and south.

The diversified main characters are two new mothers from Los Angeles, and their babies attempting to reach safety inland; a college student from Utah whose family has been wiped out; a police lieutenant from Sulfur Springs, Colorado, the only survivor on his shift and tasked with trying to save as many citizens as possible while awaiting the conquering forces; plus a young FBI agent whose father was killed in the attack.

As the few lucky survivors struggle with their new situations in life and deal with the invaders, along the way there is mystery, suspense, danger and romance, together with a terrible realization that perhaps the United States is soon to be a thing of the past.

As with all of Karl Boyd's novels, the ending is unexpected and decidedly disarming. You'll be tempted to turn to that last page, but please don't until you arrive there naturally. Why spoil a wonderful novel?

CID – Army Detectives in Peace and War by Hubert Herb Marlow

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MWSA Review

Most people knew little or nothing about the law enforcement teams that the military has until the popular TV series NCIS (about Navy and USMC law enforcement) was aired.  The book “CID: Army Detectives In Peace And War” by Hubert Marlow captures that essence of the Army’s own investigative organization better than any TV show could.

The book deals with everything from petty crimes to the murder of the author’s fellow agents in Vietnam.  This is an insider view on an organization that has little or no public profile.  People in the military still do not fully understand the role of the CID or what it is; however, it has a reputation as an organization that you do not want to be investigated by.  They continue to be some of the top detectives and investigators in the world.

The author covers cases from the modern history of the CID, but it is some of his own personal reflections back on his childhood in Hamburg, Germany (the author was born in 1935) that I found to be as interesting as the rest of the book.  He saw the horrors of war first hand as a youth in war ravaged, Germany.  Perhaps, this is what shaped his outlook on the rest of his adult life.  In any case, the book is well written and flows along with story after story about the cases that the CID worked on.

For readers who enjoy a good who-done-it genre of book – this will offer up something of interest.  It is well worth reading and it will give a greater insight into what the CID is; until this book, it was always a mystery to me what the CID was all about.  I found this book to both educational as well as entertaining.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
CID: Army Detectives in Peace and War focuses on criminal investigations, both funny and serious, conducted by the author and his fellow special agents. The cases range from thefts to murder, including the murders of two special agents in Vietnam, one of whom was a member of the author’s CID detachment. The book contains cases from WWII through Vietnam.

Bacalao by J. T. McDaniel

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MWSA Review

A Fictional WWII Submarine Techno-thriller! There have been many excellent books written about WWII submarine warfare over the decades. One would think that this genre was over done and that nothing new or better could done with this theme—and you would be wrong! J. T. McDaniel has a great tale to tell through a fictional sub and its crew in his novel called “Bacalao.” This one will eventually join the ranks of old naval classic submarine stories like “Run Silent, Run Deep” and a very short list of others that are considered classic war stories.

McDaniel has captured the emotions of the sub crews and what seems to me, as a technically accurate portrayal of what these subs were really like. He paints with his words visual images that are mixed into real historic back drops of time and place to create a feeling that this all could have happened. I believed in the story line and the people and the sub itself.

The writing is brilliant and the reader will have little trouble following the plot. The book takes you from the construction of the submarine in Connecticut, through Pearl Harbor and onto patrol in the Pacific. The author allows the story to unfold from the view point of Laurence Miller who rose from junior officer to the commanding officer of the Bacalao. This works very well for telling this story.

The book is a good read and will keep you interested from the first couple of pages to the ending. 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
When Lieutenant Lawrence Miller first sees U.S.S. Bacalao in the builder's yard in late 1940, the submarine is little more than a pile of curved steel plates. During the next few months Miller watches the boat take shape, and the crew gather from throughout the fleet. By late 1941 Bacalao is in commission and assigned to the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Then, on a Sunday morning, everything changes as the Japanese sneak attack plunges the United States into World War II. The new submarine and her untried crew are immediately thrown into action against the Japanese. And Miller is there through it all, from the disastrous first patrol, when the boat is nearly lost and a pair of surprising heroes emerge, to the deployment to Australia, where a chance encounter ashore will change his life forever. Then, after spending a year in command of an antiquated S-boat in the frozen hell of the Aleutians, Miller returns to Bacalao as her last wartime commander. Written in a simple, straightforward style, Bacalao is destined to become an instant classic of submarine fiction.

Code of Conduct by Karen Black

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MWSA Review

MORE THAN A NOVEL ABOUT A POW’S Karen Black has done her homework and research on the POW experience and it shows.  Reading her book, Code of Conduct, leaves you feeling that you just got a realistic view of American POW’s life in captivity during the Vietnam War.  She has spent years listening to former POWS and her husband, talk and express themselves about their personal experiences; it is obvious that she was listening.  She not only heard the small details of their life experiences but she listened to their feelings and emotions.  She used all of that emotional and psychological energy to create a historical novel about the Vietnam War.

Karen adds a special touch that perhaps only a woman writer could—mixing relationship issues and sex tastefully into the story line and making it more sensitive and compassionate in the process.  The story line deals with not only the POW captivity experiences but hits directly or indirectly, on issues related to family, friends, marriage, love, fellowship, honor, fate, hate, anger, sex, forgiveness, separation and loneliness, healing, truth, justice and the American dream!

Code of Conduct raises many sensitive issues as it captures the essence of feelings that these POW’s and their families had upon their return home.  This is a comprehensive and compelling look through fiction at the whole scope of the POW experience.  You will not be able to put down the book once you start.  It is well written, well organized and has depth in its characters and it uses great word imagery to convey the action to the reader.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis

Matt Tillet, an F-8 Crusader pilot, is shot down over North Vietnam in 1966, just one week before his ship would be heading home after his second back-to-back six-month tour. Escaping from his spiraling out-of-control jet with only seconds to spare, and evading for all of three minutes, he becomes a Prisoner of War. Surviving torture, months of solitary confinement and the infamous Hanoi March, the dream of returning home to his wife and two children keeps him going. Repatriated in 1973, he returns to find his dream shattered.

Code of Conduct takes place in the middle of a war; however, it is not so much a blood and guts war novel as it is the emotional tale of a family torn apart by war, more than seven years of separation, and the long journey to reconstruct their lives.

While many POWs came home to broken marriages, the personal relationship portion of the book is purely fictional. The prison scenes are based on actual events that happened to the POWs in Vietnam. The story was inspired by many years of listening to the recollections of the author's husband and several of his Vietnam ex-POW buddies. Time does not seem to have faded their memories of what they went through (although they can now joke about it) and each reunion or get together provided a new tidbit.

The author's goal is to present the horrendous prisoner-of-war experience and the resulting shattered personal lives in the format of a novel.

Sniper Shot by Barry Ozeroff

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MWSA Review

A Police and Robber Story With A Major Twist! Author Barry Ozeroff in his debut novel Sniper Shot takes the reader for a real thrill ride filled with intrigue and a series of unexpected twists. His book has all the markings of becoming a best seller. It has an intelligent plot and great characters that the author has done a good job fleshing out for the reader. This book is not filled with lots of moral messages but it is full of pure exciting entertainment adventure. This is a man’s kind of book that can be read and enjoyed equally by a woman.

My son is a police officer, so I had some idea of what that job is like. However, I did not have a clue as to what it might be like for officers on a special response team such as a sniper. The author writes with much authority and seems to understand the emotional liabilities that occupation might have on men under stress. The dialog is done well and does not feel contrived. This is a good old fashion adventure thriller to read and kill an afternoon or a night. Great suspense novel! A must read book!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
Sniper Shot is the dramatic, suspense-filled debut novel about the ongoing and potentially deadly conflict between Ben Geller, primary sniper on the Stratton, Oregon Special Response Team and Bob Slater, the team's secondary sniper. Despite Slater's superior marksmanship, Geller is the primary sniper because Slater, a world-class long distance, high-powered rifle competitive shooter, lacks the patience and discipline needed to assume the position of primary sniper. Sniper Shot takes readers deep into the world of this special elite team, moving toward the kind of showdown nobody expects between Geller and Slater—one of them is a robber and murderer, and the game of cat and mouse between the two, sets up a taut, dramatic finale.

Enemy Within by Gregory A. Helle

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MWSA Review

Review Missing

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
Why would you want to read this book? There are several reasons. First of all, it is my hope that victims of all types of traumas, whether war-related or not, can find some comfort in these pages. If you are a victim of PTSD, you need to know that there is hope for a better quality of life. That is one of the core messages in this book. There is no cure for PTSD, but through medications and counseling, it is possible to exercise more control over the illness. But you must take the first step and be your own best advocate. You will hear me say this more than once. If you do not advocate for your own needs, it is unlikely that you will achieve your goals. I hope that some of the information in these pages will guide PTSD victims to seek the help they need. I feel this book also has much to offer those who don't suffer from PTSD. It is the story of how a normal eighteen-year-old farm boy from a small town in Iowa went to war and, over thirty years later - at the age of fifty-two - became totally disabled with PTSD. It is my hope that this will help the public understand not only Vietnam vets, but also vets from all wars, as well as victims of other traumas such as I mentioned above. There are so many fears that hold PTSD victims back from seeking help or even admitting to themselves that they need help. Even though all those around them can see the changes in the victim, it is hard for the victim to admit a problem. They see themselves as having some kind of mental illness. Victims are often paranoid and worry about what others are thinking or saying about them, even those people who have no inkling that there is a problem. Sometimes, it can seem to the victim that everyone knows there is something wrong, and that everyone is talking about him or her. The public must become aware of the disease and offer compassion rather than rebuke. Vietnam vets in particular have been a source of fear in the general public. The media has exacerbated this situation by its frequent portrayal of the vet as an imbalanced, rage-filled time bomb, just waiting for the circumstances that will set him off. Perhaps this has made for some "entertaining" movies, but it has also kept many veterans from seeking the help they needed, lest they find themselves branded with this ugliest of clichés. Even if the victim knows there is a problem, it is so difficult to ask for help, especially from a government that loaths to acknowledge the existence - much less, the debilitating nature - of this disorder. It should come as no surprise, then, that many victims do not want anyone to know about their "weakness." Very simply, it is time to end the silence and the shame. I realize that parts of this book will be difficult for the public to read. Reading a true account is not at all the same as watching violence on TV or at the movies. In these situations, the dead are not really dead and the cast is not really experiencing the events being portrayed. It is much more difficult when the dead stay dead, bodies are permanently mutilated, and the effects of the war will stay forever with those who experienced them. . The violence presented in modern entertainment should be taken as it is intended (though sometimes the level of violence in our "entertainment" is disturbing). True violence should be taken very seriously because it can happen to any one of us - at war or at home. Where a particularly violent movie can leave one unsettled for a day or so, actually living through a violent situation can produce a nightmare that lasts a lifetime. I do not intend for this book to be political, nor do I want it to be an attack on the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). However, I do believe that the policies enacted by the government have played a significant part in weaving the intricate web of my life. Nor do I intend this to be a self-help book.

Ghost of the Nam by Charlie Fortner

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MWSA Review

Great new age style prose - you could feel the emotional and spiritual energy in those pages. There are also some wonderful art work on each page that corresponds with the prose. This book rages out and gives you an emotional ride from a Vietnam veteran's own personal experiences in Nam. A must read! I enjoyed the book and highly recomend it to others. It would make a nice gift.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
Pictures and stories from the Nam.