When I Was a Young Man: A Memoir

by Bob Kerrey, J. Robert Kerrey

A former Nebraska governor and senator traces his experiences as a Navy SEAL in Vietnam, which led to his being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, describing his sheltered childhood, his war-wound disability, and his search for the truth about his uncle's death in World War II. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Memoir, War, Military Fiction, Politics

272 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2002

Reviews

[Arnold Baruch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers herein, but then, it's not a mystery novel. I stumbled on this in a used book store in Japan. For $2, a good read. It captures the growing ambivalence of a young man who evolved, not like me in Berkeley, California, but in the political innocence of white Nebraska, within a family with a military heritage. Me, I remember emerging from a daytime showing of "Platoon" around 1980 in tears, looking around at my spiritual hometown and appreciating what it had saved me from - a shitshow of stupid mortality and slaughter. Kerrey was not so lucky, though luckier than my brilliant high school friend Henry Wright, who turned down a scholarship to M.I.T. to attend the Naval Academy, then train as a paratrooper, only to get whacked out his first month in Nam. Kerry just sustained a terrible leg injury (he lost it), but the downside of his heroism leading his men also involved, apparently, collaterally blowing some village children away. He woke up to the wrongheadedness of the war, but accepted his Medal of Honor from Nixon so as not to disrespect his brothers-in-arms. The self-discipline that made him a Navy Seal also led him to the governorship of his home state.

Men go to war, always have and will again. They come home if they're lucky, fend off the nightmares that assail them in the dark, pray to their male gods and send their sons off to the next war. Homo sapiens. Go figure.

[Deep Frey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed the memoirs of soldiers as a was to gain greater understanding into the toll of war. I found this book to be just ok. I was very intrigued by the opening chapter, but the questions raised in that chapter were not addressed until the final 10 pages. I am sympathetic to what the author endured in Viet Nam, but I often found myself confused or frustrated by the actions he chose. I would have hoped for greater insight as he reflected on the events of his life

[Stephen Schmelz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could relate to a lot of what Mr. Kerrey experienced except for his horrible injuries. We grew up in roughly the same time period and how he dealt with the war in Vietnam. His remarkable description of his injuries and how they bonded him with others that endured similar wounds. How he made it thru recovery was remarkable. It was an excellent autobiography.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dramatic story. dully written. Even if the writing is not gripping, it reads very honest and authentic.  Bob Kerrey may not have ever achieved the level of national influence I might have hoped for, but I still believe his is a voice we should listen to.

[Todd McQueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bob Kerry’s life story up through the Vietnam war. Some interesting insights.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was boring but not horrible

[Mike]

What happened to this guy ?

[Finn Hartnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bet this guy’s son would be cool

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book left me wanting to know more. It covers mostly his pre and post war experiences. Chalk it up maybe to his humility. I wanted to read more about his CMOH action.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be an easy short book to read. I noted that reviews were all over the place for and against. I decided to read it to see what all the controversy was about. I always like to read books about recipients of the Medal of Honor.

This is a short memoir of a young man from Nebraska. It covers his early life in his home state. He graduated from the University of Nebraska as a pharmacist. He joined the Navy went to Officers Candidate School and then joined the Navy SEALs. He was shipped to Vietnam. The part of the book covering the War is short and not too detailed. He tells of several actions he took part in. He tells of a midnight commando raid on a remote village called Thanh Phong in the eastern Mekong Delta on February 25 1969. He says they were caught in a deadly crossfire and unfortunately some Vietnam civilians were killed. He received the Bronze Star for this action. In his last action he describes very little. His platoon was sent to an island in the Mekong River to wipe out a group of sappers. They were caught unexpectedly and a fire fight started. Kerrey said he was caught in the leg by a grenade, and remembered very little of the action. For this action he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The majority of the book describes his convalesce after having a below the knee amputation. He also briefly recounts some problems with flash backs after returning to Nebraska. The book ends here telling nothing after his convalesces.

I discovered he went on to be a small businessman, governor and then senator from Nebraska. I also learned that after this book was released the government of Vietnam has charged Kerrey with war atrocities.

Overall I found it an easy fast read that was written in a matter of fact way. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. The author was the narrator of the book.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

“When I Was a Young Man: A Memoir” is a look into the life of Bob Kerrey. He was a man who went from searching in his dad’s war items from world war two, to a soldier fighting in the Vietnam war.Eventually getting injured during the war. This led him to get the Congressional Medal Of Honor. The book shows the effects of the war and the toll it takes on the people fighting in it. Kerrey talks of a Vietcong soldier who was in a hospital, after being shot many times in the stomach. “ His orders were to fight until the war ended or he was killed. His war was ending.” Kerrey realized that men will do what they can to protect their families, even if that means death in the war. The effect on Kerrey was tremendous. The war effort in Vietnam was getting tiring for the soldiers, and they weren’t sure if they could win the war against the Vietcong. Kerrey states “ drug use and racial tension became more common, and soldiers were more likely to believe that the south Vietnamese could not and would not win the war.” In all, I thought this book was interesting from the beginning to end, showing detail in each part of his life throughout.

[Gerry Durisin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing this was likely cathartic for the author, helping him come to terms with his actions in Vietnam, and he certainly comes across far more sympathetically than he’s been portrayed in the press. But while the book was interesting, his message to his readers, if there was one beyond self-defense, seems to have been lost in a muddle of memories.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5, but I'll round up because of the tremendous respect I have always had for former Governor and Senator Kerrey. This book details his childhood and Viet Nam experiences--I would love to see a book that describes how those events segued into his political career.

[Cws]

959.704osbwar

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of his life and how his way of thinking changed based on his experience with his military training and then with his experience in Vietnam.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book about finding your way in life, about duty, and about the dangers of blind faith.

[John Raine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this story could have been good, but the writing was quite poor and disjointed. It also got a little bit preachy

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was well written and a very interesting read.

[Toesnorth's mom]

good

[Vickey Kall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hate to say this, but it is so poorly written I couldn't take it.

[Naomi Inman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully told autobiography. Gritty, real, emotional and impacting.

[Carlos Alfaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally think it was a very classic American novel in both the way of writing and the story The basic outline of the story of a young man form Nebraska that came from a military family, his pass through war, and the struggles after including PTSD and a leg amputation. If I am honest I think the story had a lot more potential to how it was written. This a classic American War novel and it won't be a life-changer but it is a good story tio read on your free time.