Vietnam A Soldier's Journal

by Jack Durish

Vietnam: A Soldier's Journal by Jack Durish is a personal memoir of the author's tour of duty in Vietnam during the war that tore America's heart in half. It is a tale of his adventures and misadventures while serving in the rear echelons of the 9th Infantry Division. This telling of the Vietnam story is not politically correct, just true.

ebook

First published October 12, 2012

About the author

A nephew once asked me to help compose his resume when he graduated from UC Santa Barbara. "What do you want to do?" I asked. "Write," was his response. I pushed my pad and pen towards him and said, "Well, write. You won't be able to do it when you have responsibilities."
I wish someone had given me that advice when I was his age. I had to wait until I retired from my "responsibilities" before I could start, and now, more than 20 years later, I'm just getting the hang of it.
My first three stories were good, but poorly told. They deserved better, and I needed those 20 years to learn better. To develop an author's voice.
They're now written, published, and available through most booksellers in a 2nd Edition, Revised & Updated, Rewritten & Reloaded. I will begin writing the fourth in the series as soon as I figure out the marketing.

Reviews

[Aaron W · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is 64 chapters long. Finally in the last 8 chapters did the author really talk about the Vietnam War. The rest felt like fluff to me. I was expecting more on why the Vietnam War was controversial, the players in the war, the background that led up to the war etc. The first 56 chapters had little of this, mainly focusing on less interesting aspects, for example Bobby the Weather Girl and the cuisine of Vietnam. However, chapters on war decorations and aircraft flown in the war were relevant and interesting. If the content of this book only included the last eight chapters and snippets from the rest, Id have given 4+ stars. I think it is worth reading with proper expectations.

[Glen Chern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Durish expertly presents a perspective of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a rear echelon junior officer. He covers a great deal of territory, including topics such as sex, drugs, and mismanagement. While I don't agree with some of his current political positions, I find myself agreeing with hiss criticisms of the anti-war movement and its tactics. Durish courageously calls out Vietnam War critics who vilified any veteran who returned from the war, regardless of their role in the conflict. He points out valid reasons why America should have opposed the North Vietnamese communist encroachment into South Vietnam. My one criticism of Durish is that he placed much of the blame for the failure of South Vietnam's leader Diem on his religious beliefs. Diem's corrupt government was as much to blame for his failure as his Catholic faith.

[Steve Cripwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unusual take on the Vietnam war. It's from the prospective of a non combatant soldier. An officer in charge of various office functions behind the scenes. It was not what I expected, thinking that A Soldiers Journal would be about the war and not, as one chapter explains, how to ensure a typewriter keeps working in very high humidity. If you want a war story then this is certainly not for you but it is different and quite easy to read

[Errol Mortland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. Not great, not shitty. What's with all the politics at the end?

[David Phillips · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. Like an overlong retirement speech where the guy tells of some interesting things that almost could have happened.