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My Senior Trip: Memories of Vietnam
Vietnam, 1968. There are recounts of the Vietnam War that span lifetimes. There are countless stories of battle plans and strategies and how one battle was won, and another lost. My Senior Trip is less about the physical and more about the emotional aspects that come with going to serve your country. This story is based on actual accounts of a young kid who quickly became a man as a member of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and six months later was deployed to Vietnam.
Howard Carson grew up in a small Indiana town. It was 1968, and after graduating from high school, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He wasn't interested in college, not then. His job for the past year had been selling shoes. He had no skills to speak of, so he decided to join the Armed Forces as a Marine.
My Senior Trip takes readers through the day-to-day experiences of a living hell. Howard would have never expected to see his newly made friends shot or blown to pieces, with their blood splattered across his own body. But he had to grow up pretty fast when he found himself carrying a wounded Marine to the helicopter while under heavy fire, being on patrol during the monsoons, being in the company of leeches, tigers, mosquitoes, and snakes, and stumbling across booby traps and guerilla warfare set up by a relentless and determined enemy. This is a story about what Howard and others had to do and how they dealt with the fear, the anger, and the pain.
When the early 70s rolled around, Howard had finished his military service and started college, which had an entirely new set of struggles. Anti-war advocates screamed at, spit on, pushed, and hit him for being in the military and serving his country.
This story is about a different time and a different America—a different story of war.
Howard Carson grew up in a small Indiana town. It was 1968, and after graduating from high school, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He wasn't interested in college, not then. His job for the past year had been selling shoes. He had no skills to speak of, so he decided to join the Armed Forces as a Marine.
My Senior Trip takes readers through the day-to-day experiences of a living hell. Howard would have never expected to see his newly made friends shot or blown to pieces, with their blood splattered across his own body. But he had to grow up pretty fast when he found himself carrying a wounded Marine to the helicopter while under heavy fire, being on patrol during the monsoons, being in the company of leeches, tigers, mosquitoes, and snakes, and stumbling across booby traps and guerilla warfare set up by a relentless and determined enemy. This is a story about what Howard and others had to do and how they dealt with the fear, the anger, and the pain.
When the early 70s rolled around, Howard had finished his military service and started college, which had an entirely new set of struggles. Anti-war advocates screamed at, spit on, pushed, and hit him for being in the military and serving his country.
This story is about a different time and a different America—a different story of war.
460 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2022
40 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 5, 2024
Worthwhile reading
The title for my interest in this book as a lot of people my age spent their senior trip in southeast Asia. As I read chapter after chapter I found it hard to put down. Too many young men sent to take part in a civil war we had no business in for a people that didn't appreciate what we did.
A book worth reading
The title for my interest in this book as a lot of people my age spent their senior trip in southeast Asia. As I read chapter after chapter I found it hard to put down. Too many young men sent to take part in a civil war we had no business in for a people that didn't appreciate what we did.
A book worth reading
April 7, 2025
It took me right back to the war years.
If you lived during this time you will like the book. My fiance was in Nam during this same time period. The stories reminded me of the letters I received from him. I don't want to comment on the ending, other than to say it was unexpected.
If you lived during this time you will like the book. My fiance was in Nam during this same time period. The stories reminded me of the letters I received from him. I don't want to comment on the ending, other than to say it was unexpected.
February 2, 2024
Fellow jarhead
Excellent read. As a 79 year old, Marine Vietnam veteran, I am thankful I did not have the nightmares and have a lone life despite Agent Orange cancers. What an honest, straightforward story.
Excellent read. As a 79 year old, Marine Vietnam veteran, I am thankful I did not have the nightmares and have a lone life despite Agent Orange cancers. What an honest, straightforward story.
March 12, 2024
Good book.
I’ve ready many books on the Vietnam war and this was one of the best. So sorry for the way his life ended and I’m sure there were a lot of others like him. We can’t thank them enough. God bless.
A 2/C Gray.
I’ve ready many books on the Vietnam war and this was one of the best. So sorry for the way his life ended and I’m sure there were a lot of others like him. We can’t thank them enough. God bless.
A 2/C Gray.
January 3, 2025
Surprised
This book had an ending that I didn’t see coming. Sad and regrettable. I felt as if I was right there with the writer all through his experience. This made the ending tougher. Very preventable.
This book had an ending that I didn’t see coming. Sad and regrettable. I felt as if I was right there with the writer all through his experience. This made the ending tougher. Very preventable.
September 11, 2023
Very good read
I really enjoyed this book. It seemed so real. The author did a good job describing the Marine Recon Groups' missions in Vietnam.
I really enjoyed this book. It seemed so real. The author did a good job describing the Marine Recon Groups' missions in Vietnam.
February 14, 2024
a well written tale of the time. a sad time in American history. surprise and unexpected ending. worth the read regardless how many books you read of 'Nam.
September 29, 2025
Great book on the Vietnam war. Mostly true and very well written and a true page turner. Written by a gym acquaintance. I’d highly recommend. Parts will definitely freak you out..
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews