Homeward Bound: American Veterans Return from War

by Richard Taylor

The story of veterans coming home from wars has not been concisely recorded to highlight the major problems they've faced. Having gone to war and survived, they have expectations, hopes, and dreams of a better life. In Homeward Bound , Taylor chronicles their struggles to realize all of those expectations by tracing the experiences of American veterans from the Revolutionary War through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In doing so, he connects pieces of a longer, larger story that has traditionally been told only in individual parts. Homeward Bound delves into personal memoirs, dusty diaries, and teary interviews to link veterans' hopes for the future with the ways in which their dreams were fulfilled―or died. It shows how war changed these men and women, how they lived with their experiences despite the odds, and how alone they can be. Accompanying photographs relate still other stories―those written on our veterans' gallant faces.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Richard Taylor was a soldier for all his adult life, serving in Vietnam, Europe, Grenada, the Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous posts in the United States. His service led to an understanding and appreciation of the sacrifices made by soldiers and their loved ones.

He documented his experiences over two tours of duty in Vietnam in Prodigals: A Vietnam Story (2003). The manuscript was an award winner at the Pike’s Peak Writers Conference the previous year. He earned a nomination as a Georgia Writer of the Year and the book was a featured selection by the Military Book Club.

His history of veterans is documented in Homeward Bound: American Veterans Return from War (2007), republished by the Naval Institute Press in 2009 as a featured selection for the Association of the United States Army.

Taylor is retired from active service but is still involved with veterans’ organizations.