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Cherries
A painfully accurate description of the life of a combat infantryman serving in the jungles of Vietnam.
For those who never served, it’s an eye-opener. For those who did, it serves as a reminder of that life long ago.
"Cherries" presents an unvarnished account, and upon completion, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the trials these young men faced throughout the year.
It's a narrative that grips the reader throughout.
In 1970, John Kowalski was among many young, inexperienced soldiers sent to Vietnam to fight in a war that was already controversial. Referred to as “Cherries” by their veteran counterparts, these recruits were thrown into a brutal reality. Most were unprepared to handle the intense mental, emotional, and physical challenges of combat. Facing enemy fire and witnessing death firsthand sparks a deep, irreversible change.
The author excels at storytelling. Readers will cringe, weep, laugh, shudder, and feel this whole story as if they were there, and not want to set it down.
Don’t miss this riveting war story by award-winning author John Podlaski.
The Third Edition now includes thirty-eight personal photos.
For those who never served, it’s an eye-opener. For those who did, it serves as a reminder of that life long ago.
"Cherries" presents an unvarnished account, and upon completion, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the trials these young men faced throughout the year.
It's a narrative that grips the reader throughout.
In 1970, John Kowalski was among many young, inexperienced soldiers sent to Vietnam to fight in a war that was already controversial. Referred to as “Cherries” by their veteran counterparts, these recruits were thrown into a brutal reality. Most were unprepared to handle the intense mental, emotional, and physical challenges of combat. Facing enemy fire and witnessing death firsthand sparks a deep, irreversible change.
The author excels at storytelling. Readers will cringe, weep, laugh, shudder, and feel this whole story as if they were there, and not want to set it down.
Don’t miss this riveting war story by award-winning author John Podlaski.
The Third Edition now includes thirty-eight personal photos.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2010
127 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
John Podlaski
7 books69 followersJohn Podlaski served in Vietnam during 1970 and 1971 as an infantryman with both the Wolfhounds of the 25th Division, and the 501st Infantry Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, two Air Medals, and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. "Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel" is his first book, published in 2010, it is faring well with over 300 combined reviews with an average of 4.6 stars. The story is a memoir of his time as as infantry soldier during the Vietnam War.
John spent the years since Vietnam working in various management positions within the automotive industry and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 2002. John is a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154 and lives with his wife of 51 years, Janice, in Sterling Heights, Michigan. They both retired in 2013 and enjoy riding their 1997 Harley-Davidson Heritage.
Mr. Podlaski published his second book, "When Can I Stop Running?" in 2016. It's a spinoff from his first novel, and follows two soldiers during a terrifying night - alone in the jungle - on a listening post. Some of the characters from Cherries are also included in this story.
John is currently busy managing a website featuring weekly articles/stories, movies, videos, and photos about the Vietnam War. The address can be found below.
John spent the years since Vietnam working in various management positions within the automotive industry and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 2002. John is a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154 and lives with his wife of 51 years, Janice, in Sterling Heights, Michigan. They both retired in 2013 and enjoy riding their 1997 Harley-Davidson Heritage.
Mr. Podlaski published his second book, "When Can I Stop Running?" in 2016. It's a spinoff from his first novel, and follows two soldiers during a terrifying night - alone in the jungle - on a listening post. Some of the characters from Cherries are also included in this story.
John is currently busy managing a website featuring weekly articles/stories, movies, videos, and photos about the Vietnam War. The address can be found below.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
September 26, 2022
An entertaining (in a horrible sense) historical fiction/fictionalized memoir.
Cherries by John Podlaski shows one year of deployment in Vietnam through the eyes of 19-year-old John 'Pollack' Kowalski.
For those who have already read memoirs by Vietnam vets, the events of the book will seem familiar. The plot line is simple: a young soldier is drafted to Vietnam and spends the year trying to survive. He goes through innumerable hardships, inflicted simultaneously by the enemy (VC and NVA) and by unforgiving nature. John loses friends and dreams of returning home to safety.
The book isn't historical fiction in its purest sense: it neither describes real or fictional characters in the middle of a life-changing experience nor possesses a thriller element. A close study of the plotline reveals a series of near-death encounters from the beginning to the end of John's deployment, similar to the 'real' memoir. The character and the author share the same first name. Therefore, the book is more a fictionalized memoir, amalgamating several cherries' histories, than a fiction novel. (It reminded me of another memoir/fiction: The Frog Hunter: A Story About the Vietnam War, an Inkblot Test and a Girl by T.B. Stamper)
The book is ideal in an audio version, with sounds in the background, the narrator trying to distinguish one character from another, and plenty of dialogues (compared to descriptions of actions). The writing style and/or the narrator's voice have some calming qualities. I'd say it's also suitable for a bedtime reading, with the adjustment that the topic is not a light one.
I loved the book, and I recommend it to lovers of military memoirs.
(I listened to an audiobook. Unfortunately, GR doesn't have that edition.)
Cherries by John Podlaski shows one year of deployment in Vietnam through the eyes of 19-year-old John 'Pollack' Kowalski.
For those who have already read memoirs by Vietnam vets, the events of the book will seem familiar. The plot line is simple: a young soldier is drafted to Vietnam and spends the year trying to survive. He goes through innumerable hardships, inflicted simultaneously by the enemy (VC and NVA) and by unforgiving nature. John loses friends and dreams of returning home to safety.
The book isn't historical fiction in its purest sense: it neither describes real or fictional characters in the middle of a life-changing experience nor possesses a thriller element. A close study of the plotline reveals a series of near-death encounters from the beginning to the end of John's deployment, similar to the 'real' memoir. The character and the author share the same first name. Therefore, the book is more a fictionalized memoir, amalgamating several cherries' histories, than a fiction novel. (It reminded me of another memoir/fiction: The Frog Hunter: A Story About the Vietnam War, an Inkblot Test and a Girl by T.B. Stamper)
The book is ideal in an audio version, with sounds in the background, the narrator trying to distinguish one character from another, and plenty of dialogues (compared to descriptions of actions). The writing style and/or the narrator's voice have some calming qualities. I'd say it's also suitable for a bedtime reading, with the adjustment that the topic is not a light one.
I loved the book, and I recommend it to lovers of military memoirs.
(I listened to an audiobook. Unfortunately, GR doesn't have that edition.)
November 23, 2014
I have read a lot of Vietnam War books and this one stands alone in that it seems to have been written for non-readers. I cannot quite figure out who the target audience might be. But the author impresses me as someone who remembers a lot about his Vietnam experience and wants to make it available to an audience who might not be attracted to a more highbrow class of books. I felt like the deferred college student reading about the regular guys who were drafted and were sent to Vietnam. The author says this is a book for the friends and relatives of the guys who never talk about their war experience. It is down to earth and basic and even a little trashy, presumably to give a real feel for the experience even to the mothers at home wondering about their boys. (If I was more politically correct, I might way “boys and girls” but Vietnam was really a boy’s war.) There weren’t many girls in war stories – except maybe young Vietnamese bar girls. They didn’t exactly shine, in the absence of good PR.
The new guys in Vietnam are called Cherries in the book. As I said, I have read a lot of Vietnam books, and this is the first time I have run into that term. Strange. The veterans and the cherries meet for the first time.
I struggled for a while with the reading level of the book. At the same time that the mundane details were fascinating, the writing level was so basic that it was embarrassing. I was the educated guy who was not sent off to die in that dirty little war. I had just been to my 50th high school reunion where those (guys) who had gone to Vietnam were asked to stand and given a belated thank you. It was a telling moment for me as I stayed rooted to my chair and acknowledged the baby killers among us. (I use the extreme here to make a point about the gulf between the viewpoints at that time.) I both understood and didn’t even vaguely comprehend that that is how they felt like they were treated when they came home from the war in the 1960s and 1970s.
So here I was reading a book that talks about how many times some young men – as young as I once was – put their duffle bags in a pile and later went to retrieve them as they were sent off for a defining experience in their lives. I remembered the duffle bag that was in the attic when I was growing up from my Dad’s WWII experience and the fact that he hardly ever talked about that experience. And all his experience was behind the front lines.
I listened to this book on Audible as I read along on Kindle. This is a relatively new experience for me. I found that the dialogue lost some of its intensity as a result of the addition of the many, many “John said” and “John exclaimed” in the midst of the actual dialogue. But the descriptions of the firefights and action scenes definitely got my adrenalin pumping. I was surprised at that since the reading itself was not done all that dramatically. It was just that constant awareness that I could have been there – but wasn’t. All the “what ifs” made for a lot of intensity in my mind.
The book definitely made the war-is-hell point by the story it told. It was most definitely from a support the boys over there point of view. There were a lot of references to men holding fear at bay as they killed and were killed. And a good deal of reference to the war zone bureaucracy and insanity. The willingness to follow orders in spite of any disagreement with them was palpable. I got used to the fairly pedestrian writing level as the intensity of the story overcame most of the monotony of words. There was not sterling writing but there was an atmosphere created about how it must have been for the men in that very real and outrageous circumstance. Sometimes fine writing has kept me out of the mud and muck of the battle. In this book I felt like I was humping along with the cherries and grunts (the author’s terminology) in Vietnam. Since I never was there, I can’t comment on the reality level but I did feel the ebb and flow of what the experience must have been like. I was glad to have missed it and, as usual, wondered what my later life would have been like if I had been drafted.
I have mixed feelings about only giving the book three stars. In a lot of ways the down to earth persona both attracted me and repelled me. I feel like I am taking a high and mighty, I’m better than you, attitude over the majority of the characters in the books. These were the guys working on the assembly line of war, the ones who had to deal with the Yuck factor daily and felt lucky to get out alive at the end of their year in the war. If I had a religious sensibility, I might say, “There but for the grace of God.” But I don’t. These regular guys had to deal with the stench of rotting bodies – friends and foes – and then go to sleep on the ground in horrible conditions. There but for the grace of god.
The new guys in Vietnam are called Cherries in the book. As I said, I have read a lot of Vietnam books, and this is the first time I have run into that term. Strange. The veterans and the cherries meet for the first time.
There was a distinct difference between the two groups. The Cherries, dressed in brand new fatigues with creases, looked particularly out of place. Their shirt sleeves were neatly rolled up above the elbow; all but the upper most button secured, tops of T-shirts peeking through from underneath . Hair was short, faces cleanly shaven, and the green canvas sides and black leather boots sparkled in the glaring sun.
The other group, however, was just the opposite and offered the Cherries a preview of how they would soon look. Shaggy-haired and browned from the sun, many were shirtless. Their uniforms were severely wrinkled, bleached by the sun and a thousand laundry washes. Some sleeves were cut off, and all fatigues appeared two sizes larger than needed. None wore belts, their boots were muddy brown and yellow, some not even laced.
I struggled for a while with the reading level of the book. At the same time that the mundane details were fascinating, the writing level was so basic that it was embarrassing. I was the educated guy who was not sent off to die in that dirty little war. I had just been to my 50th high school reunion where those (guys) who had gone to Vietnam were asked to stand and given a belated thank you. It was a telling moment for me as I stayed rooted to my chair and acknowledged the baby killers among us. (I use the extreme here to make a point about the gulf between the viewpoints at that time.) I both understood and didn’t even vaguely comprehend that that is how they felt like they were treated when they came home from the war in the 1960s and 1970s.
So here I was reading a book that talks about how many times some young men – as young as I once was – put their duffle bags in a pile and later went to retrieve them as they were sent off for a defining experience in their lives. I remembered the duffle bag that was in the attic when I was growing up from my Dad’s WWII experience and the fact that he hardly ever talked about that experience. And all his experience was behind the front lines.
I listened to this book on Audible as I read along on Kindle. This is a relatively new experience for me. I found that the dialogue lost some of its intensity as a result of the addition of the many, many “John said” and “John exclaimed” in the midst of the actual dialogue. But the descriptions of the firefights and action scenes definitely got my adrenalin pumping. I was surprised at that since the reading itself was not done all that dramatically. It was just that constant awareness that I could have been there – but wasn’t. All the “what ifs” made for a lot of intensity in my mind.
The book definitely made the war-is-hell point by the story it told. It was most definitely from a support the boys over there point of view. There were a lot of references to men holding fear at bay as they killed and were killed. And a good deal of reference to the war zone bureaucracy and insanity. The willingness to follow orders in spite of any disagreement with them was palpable. I got used to the fairly pedestrian writing level as the intensity of the story overcame most of the monotony of words. There was not sterling writing but there was an atmosphere created about how it must have been for the men in that very real and outrageous circumstance. Sometimes fine writing has kept me out of the mud and muck of the battle. In this book I felt like I was humping along with the cherries and grunts (the author’s terminology) in Vietnam. Since I never was there, I can’t comment on the reality level but I did feel the ebb and flow of what the experience must have been like. I was glad to have missed it and, as usual, wondered what my later life would have been like if I had been drafted.
I have mixed feelings about only giving the book three stars. In a lot of ways the down to earth persona both attracted me and repelled me. I feel like I am taking a high and mighty, I’m better than you, attitude over the majority of the characters in the books. These were the guys working on the assembly line of war, the ones who had to deal with the Yuck factor daily and felt lucky to get out alive at the end of their year in the war. If I had a religious sensibility, I might say, “There but for the grace of God.” But I don’t. These regular guys had to deal with the stench of rotting bodies – friends and foes – and then go to sleep on the ground in horrible conditions. There but for the grace of god.
July 10, 2012
The following revew is from my blog, Cure My Writers Block:
Summary
Those first few days at a new school can always be tough. You don't know where to go, what to do, and you are dependant on the advice given to you by others. Now imagine that your school is in the jungles of Southeast Asia, your school bus is a Huey, and those that can't keep up with the learning curve are maimed or killed. That is the life of the cherries, or newcomers to Vietnam. John Kowalski, affectionately referred to as Polack, finds himself in this toughest of all learning situations when he is shipped off for his one year tour in Vietnam in 1970. Will he survive long enough to go from being a cherry to an old-timer? What a difference a year can make.
The Bad
This is not a traditional novel! Traditional novels follow the tradition of introduction, conflict, resolution, etc., etc. Cherries does not follow this pattern. Introductions, conflicts, and resolutions are occurring constantly throughout the book. Nearly three-fourths of the novel is spent describing the main character's experiences in the 25th Infantry Division, so his description of events in the 101st Airborne Division seems hurried. There were also numerous typos and errors in the Kindle version that I read. It is possible that these occurred when the manuscript was being adapted to Kindle, as I have seen similar problems in some "big name" books as well.
The Good
This is not a traditional novel! Yes, it seems odd to have that observation listed as both good and bad, but it falls under both categories. Cherries reads like a memoir, which makes it much more believable. Life does not follow a pattern of introduction, conflict, and resolutions, so neither does this novel. The author does a great job of describing both the good and the bad to be found in a nation that most American's still have trouble finding on a map. The reality of the characters is evident in both their strengths and their flaws. John Kowalski is not Rambo. The first time he sees combat, he wets his pants. The first time he sees one of his comrades killed, he vomits. However, his determination keeps him going. You find yourself missing characters as they come and go out of Kowalski's life. You even find yourself appreciating some of the simpler things more as you read, like the joy of tasting an ice cold soda.
Conclusion
If I were to rate this book simply as a novel, I would probably give it 3 out of 5 stars. Sure, if you have it, read it, but don't go out of your way to find it. However, knowing that this novel is actually a fictionalized account of the authors tour of Vietnam, I cannot rate it as a novel. This is truly a memoir with names changed, and that changes the expectations of the book. Cherries opens your eyes to what many faced in "the Nam," and reminds us that a true hero isn't flawless, but they are determined. Cherries will make you want to find all of the other "Kowalskis" out there just to give them a thumbs-up. From that point of view, I would have to give Cherries by John Podlaski a 4 out of 5 stars. If you see it, read it. If you don't see it, look for it!
Christopher Slater
author of Trapped in Shades of Grey
Summary
Those first few days at a new school can always be tough. You don't know where to go, what to do, and you are dependant on the advice given to you by others. Now imagine that your school is in the jungles of Southeast Asia, your school bus is a Huey, and those that can't keep up with the learning curve are maimed or killed. That is the life of the cherries, or newcomers to Vietnam. John Kowalski, affectionately referred to as Polack, finds himself in this toughest of all learning situations when he is shipped off for his one year tour in Vietnam in 1970. Will he survive long enough to go from being a cherry to an old-timer? What a difference a year can make.
The Bad
This is not a traditional novel! Traditional novels follow the tradition of introduction, conflict, resolution, etc., etc. Cherries does not follow this pattern. Introductions, conflicts, and resolutions are occurring constantly throughout the book. Nearly three-fourths of the novel is spent describing the main character's experiences in the 25th Infantry Division, so his description of events in the 101st Airborne Division seems hurried. There were also numerous typos and errors in the Kindle version that I read. It is possible that these occurred when the manuscript was being adapted to Kindle, as I have seen similar problems in some "big name" books as well.
The Good
This is not a traditional novel! Yes, it seems odd to have that observation listed as both good and bad, but it falls under both categories. Cherries reads like a memoir, which makes it much more believable. Life does not follow a pattern of introduction, conflict, and resolutions, so neither does this novel. The author does a great job of describing both the good and the bad to be found in a nation that most American's still have trouble finding on a map. The reality of the characters is evident in both their strengths and their flaws. John Kowalski is not Rambo. The first time he sees combat, he wets his pants. The first time he sees one of his comrades killed, he vomits. However, his determination keeps him going. You find yourself missing characters as they come and go out of Kowalski's life. You even find yourself appreciating some of the simpler things more as you read, like the joy of tasting an ice cold soda.
Conclusion
If I were to rate this book simply as a novel, I would probably give it 3 out of 5 stars. Sure, if you have it, read it, but don't go out of your way to find it. However, knowing that this novel is actually a fictionalized account of the authors tour of Vietnam, I cannot rate it as a novel. This is truly a memoir with names changed, and that changes the expectations of the book. Cherries opens your eyes to what many faced in "the Nam," and reminds us that a true hero isn't flawless, but they are determined. Cherries will make you want to find all of the other "Kowalskis" out there just to give them a thumbs-up. From that point of view, I would have to give Cherries by John Podlaski a 4 out of 5 stars. If you see it, read it. If you don't see it, look for it!
Christopher Slater
author of Trapped in Shades of Grey
October 12, 2021
This is the first book about Vietnam I've read. I have a fascination with war books and have read many, mainly about the first and second World Wars. Vietnam is not a war I knew much about as it was not covered as part of my school history syllabus. My sons have both studied it at school over the past few years and the information they have shared piqued my curiosity.
I selected this book because I wanted to read about this war from an every-day soldier, or "grunts" point of view. It is not that easy to find books that focus on how people live from day-to-day through war time periods and this is the information that I wanted to know - how did it feel to be a young man in your late teens conscripted and dropped into the bush in Vietnam to fight a guerrilla war? What did the soldiers eat? How did they dress? What did they do during rest periods? I like to be able to get under the skins of the characters and share their experience and this is what I got from this book.
Although it is partially fictionalised, many of the events shared are from the author's personal experience and that shines through in this book which is more of a fictionalised memoir of a grunt's experience in Vietnam that a traditional story. That being said, this book does have a plot, it is just more subtle than for a thriller or a murder-mystery. This is a book that focuses on the horror and brutality of war, the mind-numbing terror experienced by the young men compelled to fight in the front lines, and the resultant psychological damage that it brings about. I don't believe for one moment that it is possible to sanitise or erase the memory of friends and peers being blow to pieces or having their throats savagely cut. The plot of this book is the devastating impact of war on a soldier's humanity and his ability to reintegrate into society and play a meaningful role going forward.
Cherries is not a book about politics or about who was right or wrong in this war, this is a book about young men forced into situations over which they had no control and which subjected them to the worst life can offer in the form of insufficient food and sleep, wet and cold clothing, extreme heat and fatigue and the fear. Always, the crippling fear.
If you want to know about war and how it impacts on the soldiers on the ground, read this book. It will change you.
I selected this book because I wanted to read about this war from an every-day soldier, or "grunts" point of view. It is not that easy to find books that focus on how people live from day-to-day through war time periods and this is the information that I wanted to know - how did it feel to be a young man in your late teens conscripted and dropped into the bush in Vietnam to fight a guerrilla war? What did the soldiers eat? How did they dress? What did they do during rest periods? I like to be able to get under the skins of the characters and share their experience and this is what I got from this book.
Although it is partially fictionalised, many of the events shared are from the author's personal experience and that shines through in this book which is more of a fictionalised memoir of a grunt's experience in Vietnam that a traditional story. That being said, this book does have a plot, it is just more subtle than for a thriller or a murder-mystery. This is a book that focuses on the horror and brutality of war, the mind-numbing terror experienced by the young men compelled to fight in the front lines, and the resultant psychological damage that it brings about. I don't believe for one moment that it is possible to sanitise or erase the memory of friends and peers being blow to pieces or having their throats savagely cut. The plot of this book is the devastating impact of war on a soldier's humanity and his ability to reintegrate into society and play a meaningful role going forward.
Cherries is not a book about politics or about who was right or wrong in this war, this is a book about young men forced into situations over which they had no control and which subjected them to the worst life can offer in the form of insufficient food and sleep, wet and cold clothing, extreme heat and fatigue and the fear. Always, the crippling fear.
If you want to know about war and how it impacts on the soldiers on the ground, read this book. It will change you.
April 4, 2012
All too often we read books where the authors write from their LACK of experience. John Podlaski writes and brings what only could be accomplished by someone with personal on the ground experience. In 1975 I joined the Army, went Infantry and was surrounded by Vietnam Combat Veterans who shared their experiences and stories with us Cherries. Reading John Podlaski’s Cherries quickly brought back the similarities of shared accounts and training provided by the Vietnam Veterans. Cherries immediately conveyed a story and message of firsthand experience, providing detail, heart, soul and experiences.
Cherries is what can be considered an authentic story that anyone who was or still is in the Infantry can quickly identify and relate with. John Podlaski has incorporated connections with characters, life in the bush, tactics and blended them into stories within stories. While there is plenty of action, it is the detail that draws the reader into a learning experience about life in the Vietnam jungle, about relationships, loss and surviving what was called the “Nam.”
If you’re a Vietnam Veteran you’ll understand and relate… If you want to learn and understand what it was like in the real Vietnam then this is the book. If you’re looking for the Hollywood war movie, this is not it…this is the real deal.
Cherries is what can be considered an authentic story that anyone who was or still is in the Infantry can quickly identify and relate with. John Podlaski has incorporated connections with characters, life in the bush, tactics and blended them into stories within stories. While there is plenty of action, it is the detail that draws the reader into a learning experience about life in the Vietnam jungle, about relationships, loss and surviving what was called the “Nam.”
If you’re a Vietnam Veteran you’ll understand and relate… If you want to learn and understand what it was like in the real Vietnam then this is the book. If you’re looking for the Hollywood war movie, this is not it…this is the real deal.
March 24, 2013
"Cherries" is getting excellent reviews on both Amazon and my personal blog. I'm hearing from spouses and children of Veterans who have read my book out of curiosity because their father/husband will not talk about his war experiences. They are using it as a conduit to help open doors, locked for decades. As a result, veterans are beginning to share memories - both good and bad - with family members, and thanking me for "putting into words a story that they've been unable to tell until now". Career soldiers and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are responding that they can relate to those experiences within "Cherries", saying that it's a different time, different country, different war, but not much has changed over the years.
May 19, 2021
Author John Podlaski delivers a detailed journal of his journey and horrific experiences in Vietnam. When viewed as a realistic memoir, you find a different type of character development. The characters are those John served with as a family. In relating events over his tour of duty, he reminds readers and listeners that no one was unchanged when they returned home.
Early on, John sets the tone for his story. Note, some conversational exchanges that seem sanitized though still highly realistic. I suspect the language at times was a bit more colorful.
“This is your captain speaking,” the voice announced on the public address system within the Pan American jet, “we will be landing in Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, in about forty minutes. They are reporting sunny skies, temperatures of 97degrees and 100% humidity.”
Whoops and cheers erupted from the military passengers. “Welcome to Hell,” someone called out.
The captain continued, “As you know, we’ve passed through several time zones since leaving California, so let me take this opportunity to get you all up to date. First, there is a time difference of thirty-one hours between Vietnam and the west coast of the United States. For example, in Oakland where many of you started your journey, it is 8:30 on Friday morning. And right now, in Vietnam, it’s Saturday, August seventh, and 4:30 in the afternoon.”
Again, some referring to a time machine and blasting into the future echoed from the rear seats.
Throughout the book, John relates his growth and resiliency in ways only those with this experience can understand. His details of the surrounding terrain, equipment, weapons, and fellow soldiers are vivid and realistic. My heart often caught in my throat listening to the story as told by narrator Michael Sutherland. The quality of the audible was good, with no issues in the production. The pace and intonation added to the memoir. There were a few places where the music behind the narration was slightly distracting.
I recommend this story for those who want to understand the individual’s perspective on fighting in this controversial war. I have so much respect for those who honor us by serving in the United States military. I lost friends and family to this war. It was a difficult listen for the sad memories awakened, but it reminded me that men and women will adapt and unite to face a situation and survive.
Early on, John sets the tone for his story. Note, some conversational exchanges that seem sanitized though still highly realistic. I suspect the language at times was a bit more colorful.
“This is your captain speaking,” the voice announced on the public address system within the Pan American jet, “we will be landing in Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, in about forty minutes. They are reporting sunny skies, temperatures of 97degrees and 100% humidity.”
Whoops and cheers erupted from the military passengers. “Welcome to Hell,” someone called out.
The captain continued, “As you know, we’ve passed through several time zones since leaving California, so let me take this opportunity to get you all up to date. First, there is a time difference of thirty-one hours between Vietnam and the west coast of the United States. For example, in Oakland where many of you started your journey, it is 8:30 on Friday morning. And right now, in Vietnam, it’s Saturday, August seventh, and 4:30 in the afternoon.”
Again, some referring to a time machine and blasting into the future echoed from the rear seats.
Throughout the book, John relates his growth and resiliency in ways only those with this experience can understand. His details of the surrounding terrain, equipment, weapons, and fellow soldiers are vivid and realistic. My heart often caught in my throat listening to the story as told by narrator Michael Sutherland. The quality of the audible was good, with no issues in the production. The pace and intonation added to the memoir. There were a few places where the music behind the narration was slightly distracting.
I recommend this story for those who want to understand the individual’s perspective on fighting in this controversial war. I have so much respect for those who honor us by serving in the United States military. I lost friends and family to this war. It was a difficult listen for the sad memories awakened, but it reminded me that men and women will adapt and unite to face a situation and survive.
May 9, 2014
“Cherries” is not just a novel. It is a year long ledger of what it is like to be an infantryman (grunt) during a soldier’s one year tour during the war in Vietnam.
The author takes the reader from the reception center in California through his entire tour and return to the “World” in Washington State a year later.
In that year, John gives us every view of the grunt from “Cherry” (new guy) to a seasoned veteran just trying to stay alive in his last few weeks of his tour. This story puts the reader in the author’s shoes. One feels the fear of the new guy going on his first patrol, the intensity of his first firefight, the constant repositioning of the platoon as they try to find the enemy. It also brings the realization that buddies are going to die and the experience of death is common to all who “humped” in this war.
The story has it all from camaraderie built by the dependence of your buddy in keeping you and him alive, the loss of a friend’s life or limb before your eyes and the disappointment of leaving your friends when your unit rotates home and you are to stay behind to finish your tour.
The reality of war, and especially the Vietnam War, is highlighted with the friction felt amongst the new guys and the short timers. Conflicts with new officers was commonplace in Vietnam and John expresses that as he has issues with the new, college trained Lieutenant who tries to use his “schooling” to show John how much more he knows about war.
This book is for all audiences, from the Vietnam Veteran to the common citizen. For Vietnam Vets who never humped the boonies, this story takes them through what it is like to be a grunt in a war where we never knew our enemy or their tactics until it was sometimes too late.
January 4, 2022
This book is a novel written by a Vietnam veteran. It held my interest. As a novel, it showed some of its bones: Zeke was presented a bit too strongly, so you knew the novelist was gonna kill him off. The losses of Junior and Sixpack were much more organic. Some of the dialogue seemed wooden, constructed to me; some was electric, for example the story about the rats. The conflict with the experienced John and the cherry-assed LT was gripping, and the choices presented by each party showed their strengths and weaknesses. The fate of the CP was a surprise, and a fine example of the utter randomness of the experience of war.
November 26, 2011
Written by Bernie Weisz/Historian-Vietnam War Pembroke Pines, Florida U.S.A. contact e mail: BernWei1@aol.com Title of Review: The Price of War: Wondering One Time Or Another If You Would Ever Make It Home Alive And In One Piece!
I am not quite sure where to start with John Podlaski's blockbuster book "Cherries", a fictionalized account of his 1970 to 1971 tour as a foot soldier in South Vietnam. As an avid reader of many historical memoirs, both fiction and autobiographical, rarely have I found one as in depth and revealing as Mr. Podlaski's work. Thirty years in the making, it was originally written in a first person format. "Cherries" was started in 1979 and ground to a frustrating halt ten years later. It sat dormant until 2009, where Mr. Podlaski, with renewed verve, finally took it to task to complete it. At the advice of his publisher to change the story to a third person fictional approach, and the technical computer dexterity of his daughter, Nicole, the writing was first converted from carbon paper to Atari floppy disks and finally to Microsoft Word. "Cherries" is now available to the public. Regardless of the format, Mr. Podlaski takes the reader, through the protagonist of John Kowalski, of his personal tour conveying his impressions of a war America currently prefers to forget. This historical gem will not let this happen. Through an incredible, larger than life manuscript, Mr. Podlaski reminds us that the jungle warfare against huge communist forces in Vietnam was a deadly and unique challenge to our U.S. forces. It is made clear in "Cherries" that limited American forces faced an unlimited number of Communist troops who had the incomparable advantage of a sanctuary for their replacements beyond the 18th parallel. With the memory of the 1950-1953 Korean War debacle, the U.S. government granted this sanctuary fearing that any military action beyond it would cause reprisals from Communist China.
In South Vietnam, our troops could not distinguish enemy from friendly Vietnamese. Within the storyline, the reader finds that a village could be friendly by day and enemy by night. It was a battlefield without boundaries. A secret supply route in Laos, known as the "Ho Chi Minh Trail," funneled a constant arms supply to the enemy. The jungle provided the perfect cover for the Communists, constantly posing ambushes from the rear and flanks of our troops. Bayonet and gun butt, hand to hand fighting were frequent. Capture by the enemy could mean torture and a communist prison camp. The constant unbearable heat, with high humidity, enervated our troops. John Podlaski's story started in 1970, where America was in the process of what President Nixon called "Vietnamization." This was the President's policy of gradually returning the primary responsibility for conducting the war to the South Vietnamese. As US troops withdrew, South Vietnamese forces were increased in size and received additional training and equipment, with the ultimate goal being complete U.S. departure of the war. The South Vietnamese would be left to stand alone in their civil war with the Communists. Podlaski's emphasis was on this period of the war. "Cherries" described the ordeal of recently arriving American soldiers who were tasked with fighting an elusive, well trained and hard core Communist enemy force in their own backyard: the sweltering, triple canopy jungles of South Vietnam. They were naive young recruits, just graduating from high school within the past year. Dubbed "F.N.G's or "Cherries" by the veterans, these men found themselves in the middle of a situation they never imagined in their wildest dreams.
As Podlaski emphatically stated in the book: "I guess you really had to be there to understand." As opposed to the ticker tape parades that U.S. servicemen were given upon their return from the W.W. II battlefields of the Far East and Europe, his terse remark in his epilogue spoke volumes upon his protagonist's return from the war; "There were no speeches or parades. One night you're getting shot at and looking at the bodies of your dead friends, and then two days later, you're sitting on your front porch, watching the kids play in the street and the cars drive by. There was no transition period." Throughout Podlaski's book, the general theme is for no U.S. grunt to be the last American to die in a war not sought for a victorious conclusion. Mr. Jack Stoddard wrote a book about a very common cliche Mr. Podlaski included in the nomenclature that was to arise out of this war. Aside from exposing racial conflict between blacks and whites in the beginning of Stoddard's book, there is a small anecdote whereupon there is almost a fight between blacks and whites in a pool room in the States just prior to deployment to S.E. Asia. A sergeant tells the combatants the following: "I'd be willing to forget this incident if everybody just walks away and returns to what they were doing earlier. What are you going to do if we don't ? "Send us to Vietnam?" someone called out from the crowd." No history book will ever contain this, but there were reasons that many returning veterans went back to Vietnam despite the anti war movement and the lack of resolve for America to win. To quote Podlaski, he uses an example of Sgt. Larry Holmes, nicknamed "Sixpack" who returns to Vietnam rather than finish his military obligation stateside as a drill instructor training new recruits. Here is a poignant and true example of "the times"; "He had his orders changed during leave and volunteered for a second tour. Why would he do a thing like that? He told me he was fed up with the civilians and all the hippies. He said that while on leave, he was spit on and people were getting on his case because he was training soldiers to be baby killers and then sending them off to Vietnam. He said there wasn't a day that went by without someone picking a fight with him. After the cops had jailed him for a second time for disorderly conduct, he went and signed the papers. The world is filled with jerks. Too bad he had to volunteer for Nam to get away from it all."
In regards to dealing with the death of a friend in combat, Podlaski wrote the following "There will be others so you have to learn how to block out the emotions and live with the hurt, otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy." Unlike the camaraderie of W. W. II Vets with their V.FW's and perpetual fellowship, Podlaski exposed this missing element of Vietnam Veterans. As one grunt went home for the last time and said goodbye to his fellow G.I's, Podlaski wrote the following: "In the morning, as the three of them readied themselves for their final chopper ride out of the jungle, the men hugged and shed some tears. Promises were made to be broken, and it was unfortunate, but this would be the last time any of them heard or saw one other again." Also not to be found in any history book besides the lack of camaraderie among Veterans after they came home was the fact some Veterans incredulously denied ever being in the service or talking about Viet Nam for 40 plus years afterwards! Another Wolfhound, who wrote an excellent memoir of what his tour in Vietnam was like as well as a larger than life description of the April, 1970 Cambodian Incursion that "Cherries" focuses on was Richie Watkins book entitled "Vietnam, No Regrets." Watkins chilling description validates Podlaski's account; "Snipers always sucked, because you couldn't see them by the time they saw you. I would experience this first hand later in my tour when I first became a sniper. The fact that if you were unlucky enough to be wounded in combat in Vietnam, a chopper would be available to take you out and have you on an operating table in less than 15 minutes was a miracle in itself."
Richie Watkins continued; "It was one of those things in combat we all depended upon and those pilots never let us down. Those medevac chopper pilots would fly right into an active firefight to take us out, at great risk to themselves and by doing so saved many a soldier's life." Watkins also explained his reason why 58, 209 Americans died in Viet Nam; Some of the men had shrapnel wounds from the grenades the enemy had thrown; but most had bullet wounds and bullets that made one hell of an ugly wound. The caliber of bullets that were used over there was basically the same for both sides. They were both very small in size, but when they hit human flesh and bone they would tear through the body with such force that the damage was to graphic to describe. Let me just say that it was a miracle in itself that anyone could survive getting hit by one of those bullets. As "Cherries" reveals, Watkins' view of combat was almost identical to Podlaski's; "We would always be looking for "payback." The more, the better. The feelings of the men that actually fought the "Vietnam War' was that the more of the enemy we could kill, the less of them there would be to kill. I know that thinking sounds kind of weird now, but at the time it made complete sense." How did Rich Watkins deal with the war in retrospect, the waste of lives, and death? He explained as follows: "As I look back on it now, my feelings aren't any different today then they were then. It wasn't worth it one bit, I thought it stunk then and I still do today. But once the fighting begins and the adrenaline starts to flow and the willingness to kill and the desire to live kicks in, all bets are off."
Watkins concluded; "We all took our chances for our country in one way or another and prayed for the best. That's all one could do once a combat situation developed. As my time "In Country" dragged on and I became more hardened and experienced, I would tune out the possibility that I too could be wounded or killed. I would just go with the flow of the situation. After a while one doesn't really believe he will be making it home anyway. We tried to survive day to day and not worry about what tomorrow may bring. Tomorrow was out of our control and was going to take care of itself one way or another. We were all at fate's mercy and there wasn't much we could do about it. For in Vietnam, tomorrow was promised to no one." The very essence of this thought pattern will surface repetitively in "Cherries." I have encountered many Vietnam Veterans as well as historians that emphatically declare: "I don't read fiction!" the Vietnam War ended in 1973, almost 40 years ago. Do you know how many Veterans wrote books in the past 10 years that refused to talk about their experiences for the previous three decades? A second question is how do you create a memoir from almost half a century ago with accuracy if you have no letters home or diary to work from? The answer to both is "historical fiction." The "fiction" label only applies because of the elapse of exact details due to faulty memory; no incidents nor occurrences are fabricated. Usually this Veteran will have a close veteran friend die, or he might have recently had a close brush with a near fatal illness himself. Some go see a war movie like "Platoon" or "Hamburger Hill," emerging from the theatre hall with a vow to tell "their side" of the story."
One example of this is Rich Vnuk. I am not going to give "Cherries" away, but Vnuk corroborates the dread of death Podlaski so perfectly expressed. After seeing the movie "We Were Soldiers" about his battalion in Vietnam, the "1/7th Cavalry, Vunk ended a 35 year drought and penned "Tested in the Fire of Hell." Vnunk did not know Podlaski nor Watkins, but there is a readily identifiable thread that runs through all three books. Vnuk described his tour as follows; "I felt a pain that would not leave as long as I was away from home and in Viet Nam. This thought was rooted in the back of my mind: I might never see my family again. This was very disheartening and would be on my mind until the day I safely left for home; the fear of dying so far away with complete strangers had an overpowering effect on me. I have met death face to face and experienced it in different ways. I could feel death and it was near us all the time. I wondered if death would make a personal call. It didn't seem fair I didn't understand why some should die and others live?" What was Vnuk's greatest fear? "The most fearful sound of all was the crack of an AK-47 round flying over our heads. I t seemed as if I was always thinking about the time when one round would tear through me. I just knew the odds were so great that it would happen. I had been pushed physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, learned to function without sleep, and go without food.
About his opponent Vnuk offered; "The enemy always knew our situation because we traveled like a heard of cattle and if there was any weakness they would know and use it to their advantage. After a battle, we became conscious of the fact that every ounce of energy emotional and physical had been zapped out of us. Only our minds registered that we had friends lying dead or wounded around us. We were grateful to be alive but began to be tortured by feelings of guilt because we survived. Could we have done more?" What about atrocities and death? Vnuk responded with; "There were a thousand "My Lai" incidents that took place that were never reported. In Viet Nam there was no time to bury or even mourn the dead. We could not fall back to the rear or secure area, there were none." In regard to the psychology of war, and the John Wayne and the macho Marine image, Vnuk wrote; "Most often the dead were used as booby traps and set up to draw more soldiers into another ambush. The Americans, the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese were all guilty of mutilation and degradation of the dead. The psychological war going on both sides struck fear into men's hearts. The American military regarded tears as dangerous, a sign of a weakling or a loser. An American soldier who had wept for a fallen friend would be warned not to "lose it" and "to get your mind straight." Vnuk came home alone on a plane packed with soldiers completing their one year tours. He elaborated: "I arrived spiritually drained and completely exhausted emotionally and physically. Not much was said about Vietnam after that day. I did not talk about Viet Nam for 35 years. Now, I am tirelessly in the process of searching for answers to what really happened."
John Podlaski's book is one important piece to a complicated puzzle. Another Viet Nam Veteran that wrote a tremendous memoir of the whole scene of going from a "Newbie" to a Veteran, then a three decade silence, and finally a mind numbing memoir that also validates everything in Podlaski's book is Clyde Hoch's "Tracks." Hoch was placed in a bad situation. Hoch was a Sergeant in command of an M-48 Tank unit who despondently described how he was placed in the unenviable situation in the war where a little boy's family was being held hostage by the Viet Cong. The boy was told by them to go into an American compound with explosives tied to his back to blow the compound up. If the boy refused, the VC would kill his family. Hoch was on guard when the boy came to the compound. What did he do? Hoch both answers and asks the reader; "Of course I shot him. Who was wrong? The VC? The little kid? Me?" These are situations Podlaski's men were to be faced with. Hoch also wrote his thoughts on survival; "There were so many times I went to sleep thinking that I would not last to see the morning sun come up. There were so many days where I woke up and said to myself, "This one will surely be my last day on earth." Somehow I made it through them all. There were so many close calls I don't remember them all. Someone once told me," You came back because God has a purpose for you!" Now I'm sure he was right." "Cherries," like Podlaski's tour, is broken up into two parts. Podlaski served as an infantryman in both the southern part of Vietnam as a member of the Wolfhounds, 25th Division and in the northern part of South Vietnam at the end of his tour. There he was attached to the 501st infantry Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. It was like two different wars entirely, with different uniforms and tactics used in the different tactical zones. This reality is translated into the story line. Podlaski summed up his frustration of the war with he following comment, thinking he was going home; "No more humping, ambushes, eating C-rations, and having to carry the weight of another person on my back. Goodbye Vietnam! Good Riddance! And good luck!" This comment he made when he incorrectly thought his tour with the Wolfhounds was over. Podlaski erroneously "thought" he would go with them in their redeployment to Hawaii. Instead, he was sent to the 101st Airborne Division in the northern part of South Vietnam to finish his tour. However, when Podlaski finally did arrive back home, and deplaned from the "Freedom Bird,"Podlaski had the following classic commentary about his protagonist, John Kowalski.
Podlaski concluded; "Pollack (Kowalski's nickname) had changed physically, rarely paying any attention to it in Vietnam. He remembered that upon leaving for war, he weighed 196 lbs. and had a 36" waist. That day, he weighed 155 pounds and had a 29" waist. Pollock did not regret anything he did during his time in Vietnam. He was the only person from his graduating class and group of friends that went to Vietnam, so nobody could share his experiences or even have the faintest idea of what he'd gone through. Friends and family tried to understand but they weren't quite able to comprehend what he told them. He was only able to get so far before they lost interest or rolled their eyes. In their minds it was just a bunch of war stories that he was blowing out of proportion. After all, it was impossible for somebody to go through that." How sad! This is a case of PTSD just waiting to happen, and undoubtedly this scene is occurring today with veterans returning from the Middle East. There are way to many more stories, examples and paradigms to mention, but you are just going to have to read this book for yourself to understand this! By reading "Cherries" you will get the knowledge and feel of what it was like in Vietnam that many non fictional memoirs of this war collectively failed to mention! Highly Recommended!
I am not quite sure where to start with John Podlaski's blockbuster book "Cherries", a fictionalized account of his 1970 to 1971 tour as a foot soldier in South Vietnam. As an avid reader of many historical memoirs, both fiction and autobiographical, rarely have I found one as in depth and revealing as Mr. Podlaski's work. Thirty years in the making, it was originally written in a first person format. "Cherries" was started in 1979 and ground to a frustrating halt ten years later. It sat dormant until 2009, where Mr. Podlaski, with renewed verve, finally took it to task to complete it. At the advice of his publisher to change the story to a third person fictional approach, and the technical computer dexterity of his daughter, Nicole, the writing was first converted from carbon paper to Atari floppy disks and finally to Microsoft Word. "Cherries" is now available to the public. Regardless of the format, Mr. Podlaski takes the reader, through the protagonist of John Kowalski, of his personal tour conveying his impressions of a war America currently prefers to forget. This historical gem will not let this happen. Through an incredible, larger than life manuscript, Mr. Podlaski reminds us that the jungle warfare against huge communist forces in Vietnam was a deadly and unique challenge to our U.S. forces. It is made clear in "Cherries" that limited American forces faced an unlimited number of Communist troops who had the incomparable advantage of a sanctuary for their replacements beyond the 18th parallel. With the memory of the 1950-1953 Korean War debacle, the U.S. government granted this sanctuary fearing that any military action beyond it would cause reprisals from Communist China.
In South Vietnam, our troops could not distinguish enemy from friendly Vietnamese. Within the storyline, the reader finds that a village could be friendly by day and enemy by night. It was a battlefield without boundaries. A secret supply route in Laos, known as the "Ho Chi Minh Trail," funneled a constant arms supply to the enemy. The jungle provided the perfect cover for the Communists, constantly posing ambushes from the rear and flanks of our troops. Bayonet and gun butt, hand to hand fighting were frequent. Capture by the enemy could mean torture and a communist prison camp. The constant unbearable heat, with high humidity, enervated our troops. John Podlaski's story started in 1970, where America was in the process of what President Nixon called "Vietnamization." This was the President's policy of gradually returning the primary responsibility for conducting the war to the South Vietnamese. As US troops withdrew, South Vietnamese forces were increased in size and received additional training and equipment, with the ultimate goal being complete U.S. departure of the war. The South Vietnamese would be left to stand alone in their civil war with the Communists. Podlaski's emphasis was on this period of the war. "Cherries" described the ordeal of recently arriving American soldiers who were tasked with fighting an elusive, well trained and hard core Communist enemy force in their own backyard: the sweltering, triple canopy jungles of South Vietnam. They were naive young recruits, just graduating from high school within the past year. Dubbed "F.N.G's or "Cherries" by the veterans, these men found themselves in the middle of a situation they never imagined in their wildest dreams.
As Podlaski emphatically stated in the book: "I guess you really had to be there to understand." As opposed to the ticker tape parades that U.S. servicemen were given upon their return from the W.W. II battlefields of the Far East and Europe, his terse remark in his epilogue spoke volumes upon his protagonist's return from the war; "There were no speeches or parades. One night you're getting shot at and looking at the bodies of your dead friends, and then two days later, you're sitting on your front porch, watching the kids play in the street and the cars drive by. There was no transition period." Throughout Podlaski's book, the general theme is for no U.S. grunt to be the last American to die in a war not sought for a victorious conclusion. Mr. Jack Stoddard wrote a book about a very common cliche Mr. Podlaski included in the nomenclature that was to arise out of this war. Aside from exposing racial conflict between blacks and whites in the beginning of Stoddard's book, there is a small anecdote whereupon there is almost a fight between blacks and whites in a pool room in the States just prior to deployment to S.E. Asia. A sergeant tells the combatants the following: "I'd be willing to forget this incident if everybody just walks away and returns to what they were doing earlier. What are you going to do if we don't ? "Send us to Vietnam?" someone called out from the crowd." No history book will ever contain this, but there were reasons that many returning veterans went back to Vietnam despite the anti war movement and the lack of resolve for America to win. To quote Podlaski, he uses an example of Sgt. Larry Holmes, nicknamed "Sixpack" who returns to Vietnam rather than finish his military obligation stateside as a drill instructor training new recruits. Here is a poignant and true example of "the times"; "He had his orders changed during leave and volunteered for a second tour. Why would he do a thing like that? He told me he was fed up with the civilians and all the hippies. He said that while on leave, he was spit on and people were getting on his case because he was training soldiers to be baby killers and then sending them off to Vietnam. He said there wasn't a day that went by without someone picking a fight with him. After the cops had jailed him for a second time for disorderly conduct, he went and signed the papers. The world is filled with jerks. Too bad he had to volunteer for Nam to get away from it all."
In regards to dealing with the death of a friend in combat, Podlaski wrote the following "There will be others so you have to learn how to block out the emotions and live with the hurt, otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy." Unlike the camaraderie of W. W. II Vets with their V.FW's and perpetual fellowship, Podlaski exposed this missing element of Vietnam Veterans. As one grunt went home for the last time and said goodbye to his fellow G.I's, Podlaski wrote the following: "In the morning, as the three of them readied themselves for their final chopper ride out of the jungle, the men hugged and shed some tears. Promises were made to be broken, and it was unfortunate, but this would be the last time any of them heard or saw one other again." Also not to be found in any history book besides the lack of camaraderie among Veterans after they came home was the fact some Veterans incredulously denied ever being in the service or talking about Viet Nam for 40 plus years afterwards! Another Wolfhound, who wrote an excellent memoir of what his tour in Vietnam was like as well as a larger than life description of the April, 1970 Cambodian Incursion that "Cherries" focuses on was Richie Watkins book entitled "Vietnam, No Regrets." Watkins chilling description validates Podlaski's account; "Snipers always sucked, because you couldn't see them by the time they saw you. I would experience this first hand later in my tour when I first became a sniper. The fact that if you were unlucky enough to be wounded in combat in Vietnam, a chopper would be available to take you out and have you on an operating table in less than 15 minutes was a miracle in itself."
Richie Watkins continued; "It was one of those things in combat we all depended upon and those pilots never let us down. Those medevac chopper pilots would fly right into an active firefight to take us out, at great risk to themselves and by doing so saved many a soldier's life." Watkins also explained his reason why 58, 209 Americans died in Viet Nam; Some of the men had shrapnel wounds from the grenades the enemy had thrown; but most had bullet wounds and bullets that made one hell of an ugly wound. The caliber of bullets that were used over there was basically the same for both sides. They were both very small in size, but when they hit human flesh and bone they would tear through the body with such force that the damage was to graphic to describe. Let me just say that it was a miracle in itself that anyone could survive getting hit by one of those bullets. As "Cherries" reveals, Watkins' view of combat was almost identical to Podlaski's; "We would always be looking for "payback." The more, the better. The feelings of the men that actually fought the "Vietnam War' was that the more of the enemy we could kill, the less of them there would be to kill. I know that thinking sounds kind of weird now, but at the time it made complete sense." How did Rich Watkins deal with the war in retrospect, the waste of lives, and death? He explained as follows: "As I look back on it now, my feelings aren't any different today then they were then. It wasn't worth it one bit, I thought it stunk then and I still do today. But once the fighting begins and the adrenaline starts to flow and the willingness to kill and the desire to live kicks in, all bets are off."
Watkins concluded; "We all took our chances for our country in one way or another and prayed for the best. That's all one could do once a combat situation developed. As my time "In Country" dragged on and I became more hardened and experienced, I would tune out the possibility that I too could be wounded or killed. I would just go with the flow of the situation. After a while one doesn't really believe he will be making it home anyway. We tried to survive day to day and not worry about what tomorrow may bring. Tomorrow was out of our control and was going to take care of itself one way or another. We were all at fate's mercy and there wasn't much we could do about it. For in Vietnam, tomorrow was promised to no one." The very essence of this thought pattern will surface repetitively in "Cherries." I have encountered many Vietnam Veterans as well as historians that emphatically declare: "I don't read fiction!" the Vietnam War ended in 1973, almost 40 years ago. Do you know how many Veterans wrote books in the past 10 years that refused to talk about their experiences for the previous three decades? A second question is how do you create a memoir from almost half a century ago with accuracy if you have no letters home or diary to work from? The answer to both is "historical fiction." The "fiction" label only applies because of the elapse of exact details due to faulty memory; no incidents nor occurrences are fabricated. Usually this Veteran will have a close veteran friend die, or he might have recently had a close brush with a near fatal illness himself. Some go see a war movie like "Platoon" or "Hamburger Hill," emerging from the theatre hall with a vow to tell "their side" of the story."
One example of this is Rich Vnuk. I am not going to give "Cherries" away, but Vnuk corroborates the dread of death Podlaski so perfectly expressed. After seeing the movie "We Were Soldiers" about his battalion in Vietnam, the "1/7th Cavalry, Vunk ended a 35 year drought and penned "Tested in the Fire of Hell." Vnunk did not know Podlaski nor Watkins, but there is a readily identifiable thread that runs through all three books. Vnuk described his tour as follows; "I felt a pain that would not leave as long as I was away from home and in Viet Nam. This thought was rooted in the back of my mind: I might never see my family again. This was very disheartening and would be on my mind until the day I safely left for home; the fear of dying so far away with complete strangers had an overpowering effect on me. I have met death face to face and experienced it in different ways. I could feel death and it was near us all the time. I wondered if death would make a personal call. It didn't seem fair I didn't understand why some should die and others live?" What was Vnuk's greatest fear? "The most fearful sound of all was the crack of an AK-47 round flying over our heads. I t seemed as if I was always thinking about the time when one round would tear through me. I just knew the odds were so great that it would happen. I had been pushed physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, learned to function without sleep, and go without food.
About his opponent Vnuk offered; "The enemy always knew our situation because we traveled like a heard of cattle and if there was any weakness they would know and use it to their advantage. After a battle, we became conscious of the fact that every ounce of energy emotional and physical had been zapped out of us. Only our minds registered that we had friends lying dead or wounded around us. We were grateful to be alive but began to be tortured by feelings of guilt because we survived. Could we have done more?" What about atrocities and death? Vnuk responded with; "There were a thousand "My Lai" incidents that took place that were never reported. In Viet Nam there was no time to bury or even mourn the dead. We could not fall back to the rear or secure area, there were none." In regard to the psychology of war, and the John Wayne and the macho Marine image, Vnuk wrote; "Most often the dead were used as booby traps and set up to draw more soldiers into another ambush. The Americans, the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese were all guilty of mutilation and degradation of the dead. The psychological war going on both sides struck fear into men's hearts. The American military regarded tears as dangerous, a sign of a weakling or a loser. An American soldier who had wept for a fallen friend would be warned not to "lose it" and "to get your mind straight." Vnuk came home alone on a plane packed with soldiers completing their one year tours. He elaborated: "I arrived spiritually drained and completely exhausted emotionally and physically. Not much was said about Vietnam after that day. I did not talk about Viet Nam for 35 years. Now, I am tirelessly in the process of searching for answers to what really happened."
John Podlaski's book is one important piece to a complicated puzzle. Another Viet Nam Veteran that wrote a tremendous memoir of the whole scene of going from a "Newbie" to a Veteran, then a three decade silence, and finally a mind numbing memoir that also validates everything in Podlaski's book is Clyde Hoch's "Tracks." Hoch was placed in a bad situation. Hoch was a Sergeant in command of an M-48 Tank unit who despondently described how he was placed in the unenviable situation in the war where a little boy's family was being held hostage by the Viet Cong. The boy was told by them to go into an American compound with explosives tied to his back to blow the compound up. If the boy refused, the VC would kill his family. Hoch was on guard when the boy came to the compound. What did he do? Hoch both answers and asks the reader; "Of course I shot him. Who was wrong? The VC? The little kid? Me?" These are situations Podlaski's men were to be faced with. Hoch also wrote his thoughts on survival; "There were so many times I went to sleep thinking that I would not last to see the morning sun come up. There were so many days where I woke up and said to myself, "This one will surely be my last day on earth." Somehow I made it through them all. There were so many close calls I don't remember them all. Someone once told me," You came back because God has a purpose for you!" Now I'm sure he was right." "Cherries," like Podlaski's tour, is broken up into two parts. Podlaski served as an infantryman in both the southern part of Vietnam as a member of the Wolfhounds, 25th Division and in the northern part of South Vietnam at the end of his tour. There he was attached to the 501st infantry Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. It was like two different wars entirely, with different uniforms and tactics used in the different tactical zones. This reality is translated into the story line. Podlaski summed up his frustration of the war with he following comment, thinking he was going home; "No more humping, ambushes, eating C-rations, and having to carry the weight of another person on my back. Goodbye Vietnam! Good Riddance! And good luck!" This comment he made when he incorrectly thought his tour with the Wolfhounds was over. Podlaski erroneously "thought" he would go with them in their redeployment to Hawaii. Instead, he was sent to the 101st Airborne Division in the northern part of South Vietnam to finish his tour. However, when Podlaski finally did arrive back home, and deplaned from the "Freedom Bird,"Podlaski had the following classic commentary about his protagonist, John Kowalski.
Podlaski concluded; "Pollack (Kowalski's nickname) had changed physically, rarely paying any attention to it in Vietnam. He remembered that upon leaving for war, he weighed 196 lbs. and had a 36" waist. That day, he weighed 155 pounds and had a 29" waist. Pollock did not regret anything he did during his time in Vietnam. He was the only person from his graduating class and group of friends that went to Vietnam, so nobody could share his experiences or even have the faintest idea of what he'd gone through. Friends and family tried to understand but they weren't quite able to comprehend what he told them. He was only able to get so far before they lost interest or rolled their eyes. In their minds it was just a bunch of war stories that he was blowing out of proportion. After all, it was impossible for somebody to go through that." How sad! This is a case of PTSD just waiting to happen, and undoubtedly this scene is occurring today with veterans returning from the Middle East. There are way to many more stories, examples and paradigms to mention, but you are just going to have to read this book for yourself to understand this! By reading "Cherries" you will get the knowledge and feel of what it was like in Vietnam that many non fictional memoirs of this war collectively failed to mention! Highly Recommended!
October 5, 2014
If you have not fought in combat in Vietnam, you have no idea what it was like. Even a combat veteran who fought has no idea what it was like for the other guy. The author makes this very clear in the scene where his main character John cannot keep his stomach in check after seeing his friend’s face blown away. Despite direct orders to do so, he hasn’t the guts to help care for the wounded and carry away the dead. This might seem odd to some Vietnam veterans who experienced heavy combat, since the action was often so intense and demanding, the last thing on one’s mind was an upset stomach. Same with peeing ones pants, which is another expression of fear used by the author. Personally, I didn’t see anything of this sort in Vietnam, and I’ve been in several heavy firefights. I’m not sure if this was a narrative used to convey the gruesomeness of combat, or the actual thing. Suffice to say, there are as many stories about the war as there are soldiers who fought in it.
Other reviewers have raised the issue about whether this book is in fact a novel. It doesn’t read like one. It doesn’t have a plot other than being a story of survival and brotherhood. There is no espionage, revenge, deception, love triangle, war crime, injustice, religious or philosophical angst to make this a bestseller fit to be a Hollywood movie. In a sense this is good, since the war itself for most grunts in the field was fought without plot or motive other than survival. The common soldier is often neglected and forgotten, like Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front. And letters engraved in a black granite wall cannot repay those who gave up their lives in the War.
Author Podlaski wrote this story forty years after the fact. He writes as a retired manager, someone who wants to control the action and dialogue, not as a young soldier who has to live it. The mark of a great novelist is the ability to create characters that act and speak relative to their age and milieu. Characters have emotions, beliefs, and motives that contrast or conflict with other characters they are forced to live with. Despite its being 425 pages long, the story is mostly controlled by the soldiers’ actions and movements, not by their fears, dreams, and hopes.
The great novelist Andre Gide once said that “fiction is history which might have taken place, and history fiction which has taken place. The novelist’s art often compels belief, just as reality sometimes defies it.” I often struggled with this as a writer, especially in writing a “novel” about the Vietnam War. I was in the same brigade as John Podlaski, but two years earlier, 1968-69. My book was based on my personal experiences in combat, and I stated clearly that all the operations involving my company, Delta, 2nd Wolfhounds, were fact. I couldn’t embellish the firefights and battles that I experienced with fiction. It didn’t seem honest to those with whom I fought, especially those soldiers who died in my place. I employed fictional subplots only between the times when all hell broke loose. Oddly, the only fictional operation in the book, which involves the 25th ID CRIP platoon, was hailed by its erstwhile first sergeant as very realistic. Veterans of the Civil War also said the same of Red Badge of Courage, although Stephen Crane did not fight in the war.
Cherries is a term that wasn’t used when I was there. We called new guys simply new guys. Personally, I don’t like the term cherries. It’s demoralizing and a carryover from basic training. Maybe it’s an indication of the decline in morale in 70 and 71.
I think the author would have been better served with a more creative title, but it’s obviously not hurting sales any. Not a made-up term, but not indicative of the Vietnam War by any means. Rather brash, I must say, and far away from the Tet and the many enemy offensives of 1968 and 69.
The reader is not going to find insights into the causes of the Vietnam War or the reasons why the United States failed. He or she will find, however, the effects of the gradual breakdown of strategy on the soldiers who risked their lives to fight this war.
I take issue with the author’s implication that “heads” did not make good soldiers while “boozers” did. When I was reaching the end of my tour, a new platoon sergeant (E7) came from the States and took my place as weapons platoon leader. He was a boozer and did nothing but stay inside the CP bunker and drink whiskey—45--the brand that coke girls sold at the wire. At times he got so plastered that he couldn’t even walk.
The so-called heads in my company would not get high before a mission. Combat was shocking enough without having to go into it with heightened senses. The boozers also stayed away from alcohol when a mission was ahead, but I sensed they often took a drink or two to calm their nerves before a mission. As for which was a better soldier, all I can say is that a machine gunner I knew, whose quick reflexes saved the company ambush patrol from being overrun one night by a brigade of NVA soldiers, was a head.
So, who are the cherries? The readers of this book? There are a few reviews from Vietnam veterans, but I wonder about those who were in the author’s company. Have they read it? Maybe they have but don’t want to tell their own stories or criticize one of their brothers. The author does state that he lost contact with his fellow soldiers after he returned home.
As for the reviewers who say that the book is too wordy, lacks literary style, and contains grammatical errors, I say hooey. To be sure, author Podlaski had plenty of help as shown in his Acknowledgements, but the critics must understand that the book’s strength does not come from some mainstream editor’s desk, but from the man himself who put a lot of hard work into it. Writing is not an easy task. It is very demanding and time consuming. If you have not written a book, don’t criticize him for this work. It deserves an A+ for effort and the courage to write about something very personal. The book is a tour de force of independent publishing that resists the temptation to mold itself into something exploitable by the media and publishing industry.
For historians and readers who like the matter-of-fact style of an after-action report, this is an advisable read. For those who watch the Survivorman series on TV, you’ll find this book similar in style. However, for those who like literary and historical fiction, with moments of comic relief and/or deep-thinking, this is not for you.
For a realistic view of the Vietnam experience in the 25th Infantry Division, I recommend Eric Bergerud’s Red Thunder, Tropic Lightning. Also, Roger Hayes’ On Point, an autobiography that is as detailed as Cherries but is very much on point without fictional narrative.
Other reviewers have raised the issue about whether this book is in fact a novel. It doesn’t read like one. It doesn’t have a plot other than being a story of survival and brotherhood. There is no espionage, revenge, deception, love triangle, war crime, injustice, religious or philosophical angst to make this a bestseller fit to be a Hollywood movie. In a sense this is good, since the war itself for most grunts in the field was fought without plot or motive other than survival. The common soldier is often neglected and forgotten, like Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front. And letters engraved in a black granite wall cannot repay those who gave up their lives in the War.
Author Podlaski wrote this story forty years after the fact. He writes as a retired manager, someone who wants to control the action and dialogue, not as a young soldier who has to live it. The mark of a great novelist is the ability to create characters that act and speak relative to their age and milieu. Characters have emotions, beliefs, and motives that contrast or conflict with other characters they are forced to live with. Despite its being 425 pages long, the story is mostly controlled by the soldiers’ actions and movements, not by their fears, dreams, and hopes.
The great novelist Andre Gide once said that “fiction is history which might have taken place, and history fiction which has taken place. The novelist’s art often compels belief, just as reality sometimes defies it.” I often struggled with this as a writer, especially in writing a “novel” about the Vietnam War. I was in the same brigade as John Podlaski, but two years earlier, 1968-69. My book was based on my personal experiences in combat, and I stated clearly that all the operations involving my company, Delta, 2nd Wolfhounds, were fact. I couldn’t embellish the firefights and battles that I experienced with fiction. It didn’t seem honest to those with whom I fought, especially those soldiers who died in my place. I employed fictional subplots only between the times when all hell broke loose. Oddly, the only fictional operation in the book, which involves the 25th ID CRIP platoon, was hailed by its erstwhile first sergeant as very realistic. Veterans of the Civil War also said the same of Red Badge of Courage, although Stephen Crane did not fight in the war.
Cherries is a term that wasn’t used when I was there. We called new guys simply new guys. Personally, I don’t like the term cherries. It’s demoralizing and a carryover from basic training. Maybe it’s an indication of the decline in morale in 70 and 71.
I think the author would have been better served with a more creative title, but it’s obviously not hurting sales any. Not a made-up term, but not indicative of the Vietnam War by any means. Rather brash, I must say, and far away from the Tet and the many enemy offensives of 1968 and 69.
The reader is not going to find insights into the causes of the Vietnam War or the reasons why the United States failed. He or she will find, however, the effects of the gradual breakdown of strategy on the soldiers who risked their lives to fight this war.
I take issue with the author’s implication that “heads” did not make good soldiers while “boozers” did. When I was reaching the end of my tour, a new platoon sergeant (E7) came from the States and took my place as weapons platoon leader. He was a boozer and did nothing but stay inside the CP bunker and drink whiskey—45--the brand that coke girls sold at the wire. At times he got so plastered that he couldn’t even walk.
The so-called heads in my company would not get high before a mission. Combat was shocking enough without having to go into it with heightened senses. The boozers also stayed away from alcohol when a mission was ahead, but I sensed they often took a drink or two to calm their nerves before a mission. As for which was a better soldier, all I can say is that a machine gunner I knew, whose quick reflexes saved the company ambush patrol from being overrun one night by a brigade of NVA soldiers, was a head.
So, who are the cherries? The readers of this book? There are a few reviews from Vietnam veterans, but I wonder about those who were in the author’s company. Have they read it? Maybe they have but don’t want to tell their own stories or criticize one of their brothers. The author does state that he lost contact with his fellow soldiers after he returned home.
As for the reviewers who say that the book is too wordy, lacks literary style, and contains grammatical errors, I say hooey. To be sure, author Podlaski had plenty of help as shown in his Acknowledgements, but the critics must understand that the book’s strength does not come from some mainstream editor’s desk, but from the man himself who put a lot of hard work into it. Writing is not an easy task. It is very demanding and time consuming. If you have not written a book, don’t criticize him for this work. It deserves an A+ for effort and the courage to write about something very personal. The book is a tour de force of independent publishing that resists the temptation to mold itself into something exploitable by the media and publishing industry.
For historians and readers who like the matter-of-fact style of an after-action report, this is an advisable read. For those who watch the Survivorman series on TV, you’ll find this book similar in style. However, for those who like literary and historical fiction, with moments of comic relief and/or deep-thinking, this is not for you.
For a realistic view of the Vietnam experience in the 25th Infantry Division, I recommend Eric Bergerud’s Red Thunder, Tropic Lightning. Also, Roger Hayes’ On Point, an autobiography that is as detailed as Cherries but is very much on point without fictional narrative.
December 10, 2024
I have never really been into war stories or biographies, but this novel captivated me from the very beginning until long after I finished it. Although the author is telling about his experiences in the Vietnam War, it does not read like a biography or autobiography. It reads like a novel, and I couldn't put it down.
The author doesn't sugarcoat the events he endured nor does he curb the language used. This is a raw account of the terrors and tragedies that took place during his time in Vietnam. Though each war has its own unique qualities, this book helps the common person to understand the trauma our soldiers go through during war. Truly, our soldiers deserve more compassion, respect, and support when they return.
I could not help but care for each of the soldiers in this book. My heart hurt every time one of them sustained an injury or lost their lives. I cannot even begin to fathom living in the conditions that these soldiers had to deal with on a daily basis, including riding out a hurricane while in the jungle! The author shows the humane side of the soldiers and how they relied on one another and their good luck charms (I'm still angry at the person who stole the six-pack of beer!). You cannot help but see these soldiers as young men who simply want to do their duty and get back home in one piece. Sadly, many of them did not. :'(
This author is a hero. Not only did he save the lives of many of his fellow soldiers (while also having luck on his side on many occasions), he also courageously relived the entire experience to create this novel so readers can learn about the realities of this war.
Although there were a few typos, I still gave this book five stars because the storyline was so powerful. I highly recommend that you read this book. You will walk away with a better understanding of what war is really like, and you will appreciate the sacrifices others make for your freedoms.
The author doesn't sugarcoat the events he endured nor does he curb the language used. This is a raw account of the terrors and tragedies that took place during his time in Vietnam. Though each war has its own unique qualities, this book helps the common person to understand the trauma our soldiers go through during war. Truly, our soldiers deserve more compassion, respect, and support when they return.
I could not help but care for each of the soldiers in this book. My heart hurt every time one of them sustained an injury or lost their lives. I cannot even begin to fathom living in the conditions that these soldiers had to deal with on a daily basis, including riding out a hurricane while in the jungle! The author shows the humane side of the soldiers and how they relied on one another and their good luck charms (I'm still angry at the person who stole the six-pack of beer!). You cannot help but see these soldiers as young men who simply want to do their duty and get back home in one piece. Sadly, many of them did not. :'(
This author is a hero. Not only did he save the lives of many of his fellow soldiers (while also having luck on his side on many occasions), he also courageously relived the entire experience to create this novel so readers can learn about the realities of this war.
Although there were a few typos, I still gave this book five stars because the storyline was so powerful. I highly recommend that you read this book. You will walk away with a better understanding of what war is really like, and you will appreciate the sacrifices others make for your freedoms.
September 28, 2010
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Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel
John Podlaski
ISBN: 9781604817362
Wordclay
Reviewed By Karynda Lewis
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 5 Stars
Over the past 30 years, many accounts have been written of the brutal realities of the Vietnam War. Chronicling everything from the harsh conditions in which the soldiers were forced to live to the widespread death that surrounded them, said accounts have often spared no detail in highlighting the grim circumstances of the monumental conflict.
Throughout the pages of Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel, though, author John Podlaski treats the reader to an up-close-and-personal look at a specific subset of the Vietnam War: its effects on the naïve young recruits who fought in it. Dubbed “Cherries” by their more seasoned peers, these newbies suddenly found themselves thrust in the middle of a nightmarish scenario for which not even their worst dreams could prepare them; as such, they were hardly ready to absorb the harsh mental, emotional, and physical toll that the conflict would eventually take on them. Literally forced to become men overnight, the Cherries had to learn quick to make life-or-death decisions, the consequences of which not only impacted their own lives – but also those of their fellow soldiers.
With striking detail and brutal honesty, Cherries is nothing if not compelling. Largely compiled from Podlaski’s real life experiences, his eye-opening account offers the readers an in depth look into the everyday struggles with which the young recruits were forced to contend. The reader may find it surprising though, to learn that – despite the death, terror, and mayhem that surrounded them – the soldiers were often able to find humor in their situations, even to the extent of adopting quite self-deprecating ways of looking at their own fates. One can only assume that the tremendous psychological toll of war gives rise to this unexpected phenomenon, as being confronted with the glaring prospect of your own mortality every day surely fosters a profound, unique appreciation of the frailties of the human psyche.
Every bit as gritty and shocking as can be imagined, Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel is a refreshingly honest account of a life few of us would ever choose to live – and, thus, should feel fortunate that we don’t have to. A highly recommended read.
info@apexreviews.net
Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel
John Podlaski
ISBN: 9781604817362
Wordclay
Reviewed By Karynda Lewis
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 5 Stars
Over the past 30 years, many accounts have been written of the brutal realities of the Vietnam War. Chronicling everything from the harsh conditions in which the soldiers were forced to live to the widespread death that surrounded them, said accounts have often spared no detail in highlighting the grim circumstances of the monumental conflict.
Throughout the pages of Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel, though, author John Podlaski treats the reader to an up-close-and-personal look at a specific subset of the Vietnam War: its effects on the naïve young recruits who fought in it. Dubbed “Cherries” by their more seasoned peers, these newbies suddenly found themselves thrust in the middle of a nightmarish scenario for which not even their worst dreams could prepare them; as such, they were hardly ready to absorb the harsh mental, emotional, and physical toll that the conflict would eventually take on them. Literally forced to become men overnight, the Cherries had to learn quick to make life-or-death decisions, the consequences of which not only impacted their own lives – but also those of their fellow soldiers.
With striking detail and brutal honesty, Cherries is nothing if not compelling. Largely compiled from Podlaski’s real life experiences, his eye-opening account offers the readers an in depth look into the everyday struggles with which the young recruits were forced to contend. The reader may find it surprising though, to learn that – despite the death, terror, and mayhem that surrounded them – the soldiers were often able to find humor in their situations, even to the extent of adopting quite self-deprecating ways of looking at their own fates. One can only assume that the tremendous psychological toll of war gives rise to this unexpected phenomenon, as being confronted with the glaring prospect of your own mortality every day surely fosters a profound, unique appreciation of the frailties of the human psyche.
Every bit as gritty and shocking as can be imagined, Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel is a refreshingly honest account of a life few of us would ever choose to live – and, thus, should feel fortunate that we don’t have to. A highly recommended read.
July 17, 2024
I landed a year earlier Feb 1969 and was surprised he didn't mention the smell along with the oppressive heat. During 25th ID indoctrination we sat on wooden bleachers.
Getting farther in to the novel some of these places have stirred up memories for me. When I was in Dau Tieng the Michelin rubber plantation was right in front of our bunkers. I vaguely recall it not a free fire zone and the book pretty much explained why. I was very sad about Zeke dying so close to his tour being over. Finding Junior was also a heartbreaker.
So sad to see so many of John’s friends died and crippled. I was a supply clerk for the 65th Engineers 25th Infantry Division, did about a month and a half on a tank mostly pulling security for the mine sweeps and some other roadside security. I liked driving demolition to some nearby firebases in the deuce and a half. There is no way I would have survived as an infantryman. I recall one day a squad of us walked behind 2 tanks that had a maybe 50 yard tow chain behind them to hopefully set off booby traps. I was totally unaware of the tunnel complexes around Cu Chi and feel lucky I didn’t get into the shit. I thought it strange that the wolfhounds used a mechanical ambush whereas when he was in the 101st they weren’t even aware of that tactic. This late into the war should have had all the units familiar with tactics that worked. I’ll be looking for more books by John Podlaski.
Getting farther in to the novel some of these places have stirred up memories for me. When I was in Dau Tieng the Michelin rubber plantation was right in front of our bunkers. I vaguely recall it not a free fire zone and the book pretty much explained why. I was very sad about Zeke dying so close to his tour being over. Finding Junior was also a heartbreaker.
So sad to see so many of John’s friends died and crippled. I was a supply clerk for the 65th Engineers 25th Infantry Division, did about a month and a half on a tank mostly pulling security for the mine sweeps and some other roadside security. I liked driving demolition to some nearby firebases in the deuce and a half. There is no way I would have survived as an infantryman. I recall one day a squad of us walked behind 2 tanks that had a maybe 50 yard tow chain behind them to hopefully set off booby traps. I was totally unaware of the tunnel complexes around Cu Chi and feel lucky I didn’t get into the shit. I thought it strange that the wolfhounds used a mechanical ambush whereas when he was in the 101st they weren’t even aware of that tactic. This late into the war should have had all the units familiar with tactics that worked. I’ll be looking for more books by John Podlaski.
September 8, 2013
I picked up this novel out of curiosity, not knowing much of the Vietnam war. It really pulled at my heartstrings to read of these kids being sent into such horrendous situations. The emotional ties between them were strongly felt, especially when one of the team was injured or killed. Every time the platoons were caught in an ambush I really felt for them and worried I would lose a character I loved. Great writing.
The entire novel was gripping as the soldiers moved around different territories and you saw the different kind of ambushes they could face. I id feel later on though, when the team was split up to fill holes in other platoons, that less effort was put into getting to know the team. You could almost tell who would die first as you knew little more than their name and position. I think this was down to the heavy attacks and losing lots of members fast though, there wasn't time to do bonding without slowing the pace
A fantastic novel. I would recommend it.
Having read the author's biography in the back I can't help wondering how much of it was is own experiences
The entire novel was gripping as the soldiers moved around different territories and you saw the different kind of ambushes they could face. I id feel later on though, when the team was split up to fill holes in other platoons, that less effort was put into getting to know the team. You could almost tell who would die first as you knew little more than their name and position. I think this was down to the heavy attacks and losing lots of members fast though, there wasn't time to do bonding without slowing the pace
A fantastic novel. I would recommend it.
Having read the author's biography in the back I can't help wondering how much of it was is own experiences
November 27, 2023
I'm in Hell
The real side of Vietnam. As it stands in 2023, most guys are dead now. As my husband and my brothers rest in peace. They no longer have the terrors of bullets or traps invading their dreams.
This book is as realistic as it gets. The idea of war is described and the people that lived and survived Vietnam can't describe the horror of watching fellow brothers being torn to pieces to a civilian.
If you went to Vietnam today, there are modern buildings and highways instead and the "conflict" has been forgotten.
If you let the images that is being described to you, you can picture the hell that is Vietnam.
Extremely well written and I saw each conflict as bright as be. The ham story released some of the tension in my shoulders as I read.
My husband and my brothers couldn't made me feel what they went through. The only thing a wife or sister can do is listen and support them.
The real side of Vietnam. As it stands in 2023, most guys are dead now. As my husband and my brothers rest in peace. They no longer have the terrors of bullets or traps invading their dreams.
This book is as realistic as it gets. The idea of war is described and the people that lived and survived Vietnam can't describe the horror of watching fellow brothers being torn to pieces to a civilian.
If you went to Vietnam today, there are modern buildings and highways instead and the "conflict" has been forgotten.
If you let the images that is being described to you, you can picture the hell that is Vietnam.
Extremely well written and I saw each conflict as bright as be. The ham story released some of the tension in my shoulders as I read.
My husband and my brothers couldn't made me feel what they went through. The only thing a wife or sister can do is listen and support them.
December 15, 2014
Torn from his civilian life, teenager John Kolowski is thrown into a terrifying war in Vietnam. He must learn fast if he is to survive.
A unique point of view.
An interesting insight into the reality of life in Vietnam for an American soldier in 1970 and the effect it has on those who were there.
John Podlaski draws on his own personal experience to paint a picture that tells it as it really was. After reading it I had a much better understanding and my hat comes off to those who went through the experience.
He takes you from his first inception as a green recruit (Cherry) to the completion of his tour. There are times of laughter, friendship, sadness, suffering and grief. The man who came back was not the boy who left.
Though the book suffers with the writing and needs editing, John writes a compelling story that is well worth a read.
A unique point of view.
An interesting insight into the reality of life in Vietnam for an American soldier in 1970 and the effect it has on those who were there.
John Podlaski draws on his own personal experience to paint a picture that tells it as it really was. After reading it I had a much better understanding and my hat comes off to those who went through the experience.
He takes you from his first inception as a green recruit (Cherry) to the completion of his tour. There are times of laughter, friendship, sadness, suffering and grief. The man who came back was not the boy who left.
Though the book suffers with the writing and needs editing, John writes a compelling story that is well worth a read.
January 25, 2018
Realistic Page Turner
The author's experience in Vietnam permeates every page of this hard-to-put-down account. Mr. Podlaski's lucid command of the English language let me devour a relatively long novel in short order. The story deserved five stars, but I reserve those for giants of literature, such as Conrad or Dickens, writing on their best days.
The author's experience in Vietnam permeates every page of this hard-to-put-down account. Mr. Podlaski's lucid command of the English language let me devour a relatively long novel in short order. The story deserved five stars, but I reserve those for giants of literature, such as Conrad or Dickens, writing on their best days.
April 7, 2019
Good novel. Easy, interesting,informative read. Based on a simple story of one soldier's tour towards the end of the conflict in Vietnam. If you hadn't served in Vietnam this story will certainly give you a truthful insight into what a infantryman's day to day life was like there. As I read this book, I felt I was once again on the ground with all the characters. Been there, done that!
September 13, 2020
Being a Vietnam Veteran 1966/67, I very much enjoyed this book.
I was in the 9th Bn. Signal Corps and always in camp, tho my team was the first Radio/Relay Rig to arrive in Dong Tam in its very early stages. So I did under-go many of the trials that John did, I was well aware of them.
Great Book!
I was in the 9th Bn. Signal Corps and always in camp, tho my team was the first Radio/Relay Rig to arrive in Dong Tam in its very early stages. So I did under-go many of the trials that John did, I was well aware of them.
Great Book!
June 26, 2019
I served in the Navy during the Viet Nam war. We saw a little action but nothing like the grunts on the ground. I admire their bravery and what they did for the country and want to say "Welcome Home."
February 24, 2023
Excellent
Very detailed.
Very precise in portraying and developing characters and situations.
Very good description of those times...extreme violence ending in a mere exhaling of exhaustion.
Very detailed.
Very precise in portraying and developing characters and situations.
Very good description of those times...extreme violence ending in a mere exhaling of exhaustion.
August 12, 2023
Educational...
John gave a great experience rendition of his year in Vietnam. I know many men who were in the conflict but refused to speak of their experiences. His story enlightened me to the point where I can ask questions to understand better.
John gave a great experience rendition of his year in Vietnam. I know many men who were in the conflict but refused to speak of their experiences. His story enlightened me to the point where I can ask questions to understand better.
October 18, 2012
It made me laugh, it made me cry..I really think it should be mandatory reading. I will never forget, Vietnam! This should definately not being a first and only book by this author!
November 29, 2013
Outstanding read, humbling to a non-combat reader.
October 14, 2016
Great Vietnam novel
Obviously written by someone who was there. A great read that I enjoyed. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks!
Obviously written by someone who was there. A great read that I enjoyed. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks!
December 10, 2017
Without being verbose, this is one book that people who wonder what it was like in Nam must read.
July 6, 2022
An excellent book. Loved every page of it. A must read for every Vietnam veteran.
November 4, 2022
my thoughts
This is the first book about the Vietnam war that I read. I think it’s one of the best to describe what it was like to be in the war.
This is the first book about the Vietnam war that I read. I think it’s one of the best to describe what it was like to be in the war.
July 21, 2024
While I've been on a bit of a Vietnam War nonfiction bent lately, I decided to switch things up and go for what I'm assuming to be an almost autobiographical novel of one mans experience in the later part of the war.
As a soldier, the main character joins the Wolfhounds of the 25th ID not long after the Cambodian Incursion, and past some of the worst of the 68/69 battles. His experiences takes him over familiar territories such as the Iron Triangle, Ho Bo Woods, Michelin Rubber Plantation, and more where he and his unit uncover base camps, tunnels, and see quite a bit of action. For the latter part of his tour, as Vietnamization takes hold, the 25th is sent home and he is transfered to the 101st and the infamous A Shau valley.
That is the real strength of this book. You get a really good juxtaposition of the two units and how different the war was for both. From tactics like digging in at their night defensive positions and how they deploy mechanical ambushes, to wearing helmets vs boonie hats when out on patrol. From flat land and orderly tree plantations to hiking up mountains and walking along ridge lines. You also get a real feel for the different jobs in the unit. The main character arrives as an FNG who can barely tie his own laces, to eventually walking point, being the M-60 gunner, and being the radioman.
As far as the writing goes, while it is a little formulaic and the characters are a little cardboard, his strength is in the stories he tells, the way the people give color and flavor to the situations, and both pacing and narrative. The spelling errors are minimal (sometimes it's boonie hat, sometimes it's boony) and sometimes it can be hard to tell who is talking during some of the dialog, but none of that is really distracting as it can be in other books. My one main gripe is that this is not a book about Cherries, but about a single Cherry... this is the Polack's story and his alone. This is about his experiences and growth, and it is singularly focused even as he becomes an experienced veteran and helps new cherries.
Honestly, this book really hits all of its marks, and it's really an enjoyable read from start to finish as long as you understand that this is really a well crafted and excellent novelization of what is basically a memoir.
As a soldier, the main character joins the Wolfhounds of the 25th ID not long after the Cambodian Incursion, and past some of the worst of the 68/69 battles. His experiences takes him over familiar territories such as the Iron Triangle, Ho Bo Woods, Michelin Rubber Plantation, and more where he and his unit uncover base camps, tunnels, and see quite a bit of action. For the latter part of his tour, as Vietnamization takes hold, the 25th is sent home and he is transfered to the 101st and the infamous A Shau valley.
That is the real strength of this book. You get a really good juxtaposition of the two units and how different the war was for both. From tactics like digging in at their night defensive positions and how they deploy mechanical ambushes, to wearing helmets vs boonie hats when out on patrol. From flat land and orderly tree plantations to hiking up mountains and walking along ridge lines. You also get a real feel for the different jobs in the unit. The main character arrives as an FNG who can barely tie his own laces, to eventually walking point, being the M-60 gunner, and being the radioman.
As far as the writing goes, while it is a little formulaic and the characters are a little cardboard, his strength is in the stories he tells, the way the people give color and flavor to the situations, and both pacing and narrative. The spelling errors are minimal (sometimes it's boonie hat, sometimes it's boony) and sometimes it can be hard to tell who is talking during some of the dialog, but none of that is really distracting as it can be in other books. My one main gripe is that this is not a book about Cherries, but about a single Cherry... this is the Polack's story and his alone. This is about his experiences and growth, and it is singularly focused even as he becomes an experienced veteran and helps new cherries.
Honestly, this book really hits all of its marks, and it's really an enjoyable read from start to finish as long as you understand that this is really a well crafted and excellent novelization of what is basically a memoir.
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