Gerald Maclennon's Blog - Posts Tagged "vietnam"
D-Day the 6th of June - 75th Anniversary
Today, classrooms of school children are encouraged to thank active duty military and war veterans in letters, cards, art projects usually sent to VA Medical Centers and Clinics. It wasn't always that way especially for Vietnam Vets.
Up until 2005 there was virtually no gratitude... but then something changed for the better. Maybe the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center precipitated the change. I'd like to think it was the grandchildren, grandnieces, grandnephews (thanks in many ways to their teachers) who are at the vanguard of a new awareness of the Vietnam-era conflicts overseas and at home. Our country was in turmoil. I don't have to remind those who lived it.
For Veterans' Day 2008, out of the blue, I was treated to a 'card shower' from 35 junior high students. I tell you... there were a few of my tears shed. In response, I wrote the following letter.
VETERANS’ DAY 2008 RESPONSE
To the students of Mrs. Perez:
Thank you, my young friends, for the Veterans’ Day letters of appreciation. You have no idea how much these tokens of gratitude mean to any person who now serves or previously served as a member of the United States Armed Forces.
From the time I served in the Vietnam War in 1966-68 until now – 40 years later – only six people have taken the time to shake my hand and thank me for protecting and defending our United States of America. Sad but true.
If you take away nothing else from this message, here is one important point: real war is not a game... it is hell on earth.
Many of the warriors who were in the heat of combat, having to meet their so-called enemies face-to-face can never put that horror behind them. Keep in mind also that combat can be so confusing that soldiers often kill innocent people by mistake. I’m talking about victims such as the elderly, mothers, children and little babies. The military leadership calls those mistakes collateral damage. Call it what you will, those horrible mistakes create tremendous feelings of guilt in most of the soldiers... those that still have hearts and souls.
Many of those combat veterans who accidentally slaughtered innocents do everything possible to stop the bad memories: some turn to religious fervor but others lose themselves in illegal drugs, alcohol, self-destruction and abusive behavior. Many have ended up as patients in mental hospitals or in prison. Many have committed suicide.
In our own family, I remember we had 'the drunks'... Uncle Art, Uncle Wayne, Uncle Ed, Uncle Martin, Grandpa Joe, Grandpa Harry...veterans of World War II and Korea. As a kid, I didn't understand they were suffering what came to be known as PTSD. We just made fun of them. There were the butt of family jokes. Only many years later did I realize when they came home there was no psychiatric help for them... only 'self-medication' with alcohol and/or illicit drugs.
Remembering what I said about expressing gratitude to veterans, I would suggest that anytime you are in a public place and you see a man or woman wearing the uniform of our Armed Forces, take just 15 seconds and simply say to that person: “Thank you for serving our country.”
You will, most likely, receive a grateful smile and a “Thanks” in return – maybe even a small tear in his or her eye. They appreciate your kindness for acknowledging their service and sacrifice. The same goes for the old veterans of previous wars who also served when they were young – many of them fresh out of high school.
So, I reiterate, war is not a game – not virtual reality. It is not a computer, digital, X-box or Playstation game. Here in the real world, millions of Americans have answered the call to defend our nation from those who sought to destroy us. Hundreds of thousands have suffered permanent injury and early death since the birth of our great country in 1776. To honor them is only right and good.
Some dissidents criticize and ridicule those of us who have served in the military without realizing that they would not have the right to free speech if we had not preserved it for them – if we had not chosen to stand up and fight for the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Our Armed Forces have secured that which we call The American Way of Life and they did it with rivers of blood. Yes, I repeat. It is only right to honor them on November 11, their special day. Thank you, kids.
Gerald Edward Logan
Donna, Texas
11 November 2008
Up until 2005 there was virtually no gratitude... but then something changed for the better. Maybe the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center precipitated the change. I'd like to think it was the grandchildren, grandnieces, grandnephews (thanks in many ways to their teachers) who are at the vanguard of a new awareness of the Vietnam-era conflicts overseas and at home. Our country was in turmoil. I don't have to remind those who lived it.
For Veterans' Day 2008, out of the blue, I was treated to a 'card shower' from 35 junior high students. I tell you... there were a few of my tears shed. In response, I wrote the following letter.
VETERANS’ DAY 2008 RESPONSE
To the students of Mrs. Perez:
Thank you, my young friends, for the Veterans’ Day letters of appreciation. You have no idea how much these tokens of gratitude mean to any person who now serves or previously served as a member of the United States Armed Forces.
From the time I served in the Vietnam War in 1966-68 until now – 40 years later – only six people have taken the time to shake my hand and thank me for protecting and defending our United States of America. Sad but true.
If you take away nothing else from this message, here is one important point: real war is not a game... it is hell on earth.
Many of the warriors who were in the heat of combat, having to meet their so-called enemies face-to-face can never put that horror behind them. Keep in mind also that combat can be so confusing that soldiers often kill innocent people by mistake. I’m talking about victims such as the elderly, mothers, children and little babies. The military leadership calls those mistakes collateral damage. Call it what you will, those horrible mistakes create tremendous feelings of guilt in most of the soldiers... those that still have hearts and souls.
Many of those combat veterans who accidentally slaughtered innocents do everything possible to stop the bad memories: some turn to religious fervor but others lose themselves in illegal drugs, alcohol, self-destruction and abusive behavior. Many have ended up as patients in mental hospitals or in prison. Many have committed suicide.
In our own family, I remember we had 'the drunks'... Uncle Art, Uncle Wayne, Uncle Ed, Uncle Martin, Grandpa Joe, Grandpa Harry...veterans of World War II and Korea. As a kid, I didn't understand they were suffering what came to be known as PTSD. We just made fun of them. There were the butt of family jokes. Only many years later did I realize when they came home there was no psychiatric help for them... only 'self-medication' with alcohol and/or illicit drugs.
Remembering what I said about expressing gratitude to veterans, I would suggest that anytime you are in a public place and you see a man or woman wearing the uniform of our Armed Forces, take just 15 seconds and simply say to that person: “Thank you for serving our country.”
You will, most likely, receive a grateful smile and a “Thanks” in return – maybe even a small tear in his or her eye. They appreciate your kindness for acknowledging their service and sacrifice. The same goes for the old veterans of previous wars who also served when they were young – many of them fresh out of high school.
So, I reiterate, war is not a game – not virtual reality. It is not a computer, digital, X-box or Playstation game. Here in the real world, millions of Americans have answered the call to defend our nation from those who sought to destroy us. Hundreds of thousands have suffered permanent injury and early death since the birth of our great country in 1776. To honor them is only right and good.
Some dissidents criticize and ridicule those of us who have served in the military without realizing that they would not have the right to free speech if we had not preserved it for them – if we had not chosen to stand up and fight for the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Our Armed Forces have secured that which we call The American Way of Life and they did it with rivers of blood. Yes, I repeat. It is only right to honor them on November 11, their special day. Thank you, kids.
Gerald Edward Logan
Donna, Texas
11 November 2008
Troubled Water: Race, Mutiny & Bravery on the USS Kitty Hawk
Author Greg Freeman's account begins with, "...in 1972, the USS Kitty Hawk was going through the same social upheaval that was troubling the rest of America. The stresses were especially difficult for some of the young Black sailors, many of whom were recruited under a new Navy initiative called Project 100,000."
Men recruited through this initiative were called New Standards Men or simply NSM's. One retired Navy Commander and pilot during the Vietnam Air War said to me, "If there's anything RSM (Robert S McNamara) should rot in hell for, that's on top of my list."
Designed to increase the ranks and open up more positions, Project 100,000 eased requirements for test scores, intelligence, and criminal histories. Many coming onboard were inner city youths whose attitude and worldviews were formed by their experience on the streets of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.
Having enlisted October 1964 with release from active duty February 1968, I guess you could say I was "Old School Navy" because what happened in the five years between '68 and '72 absolutely blows me away. I suppose it makes sense that all the hippie and black power movements in civilian life were also infiltrating sailors of the Navy.
The pervasive illegal drug use should not surprise me. I think I was a very naïve 20-year-old Lutheran boy from Nebraska with absolutely no big city, inner city smarts. Still on my ship, USS Oriskany, CVA-34, 1967, I wasn't aware of anyone smoking pot onboard either. More of my naiveite?
In Stephen Coont's Flight of the Intruder, I was surprised to know Officers/Pilots kept liquor in their state rooms for occasional sedation after especially harrowing missions over North Vietnam. We enlisted boys did not... as far as I know. For us, being caught with booze would have meant a Captain's Mast.
With Project 100,000 came relaxed discipline and liberalization of policy. Freeman tells of the sloppiness, beards, long hair, non-regulation clothing, berthing areas off-limits to officers, no inspections, racial segregation of berthing areas and then high-ranking officers relaxing the enlistment standards. Dumbing down the Navy. Just like civilian grade schools... dumbing down. I've heard about Admiral Zumwalt's Navy and changes he instituted after becoming Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in 1970... some for the better, some for the worse.
In my Standby Reserve, G.I. Bill years between '68 and '72, I was busy being educated, taking a wife, making a baby. Thus, I wasn't paying attention to all the racial strife within bases of all the Armed Forces. Yeah, I heard about inequitable percentage of the Army's Black Infantry on the front lines of combat down in-country in South Vietnam but not racial strife at Ft. Bragg, Camp Lejeune and other homeland installations.
After I finished reading Troubled Water, I found myself thinking, surely the Navy got its act together after the Vietnam War ended. It couldn't have remained screwed up forever. I asked Commander Peter Fey, USN-retired who got his commission in the early 1990's. He told me, "I'll admit that the military I knew was 100% different... thanks largely to the fact that its now voluntary. That got rid of most of the issues... and now its truly a professional service. Duty first, and frankly woe betide someone that isn't a good shipmate."
Troubled Water: Race, Mutiny, and Bravery on the USS Kitty Hawk
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
Flight of the Intruder
Men recruited through this initiative were called New Standards Men or simply NSM's. One retired Navy Commander and pilot during the Vietnam Air War said to me, "If there's anything RSM (Robert S McNamara) should rot in hell for, that's on top of my list."
Designed to increase the ranks and open up more positions, Project 100,000 eased requirements for test scores, intelligence, and criminal histories. Many coming onboard were inner city youths whose attitude and worldviews were formed by their experience on the streets of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.
Having enlisted October 1964 with release from active duty February 1968, I guess you could say I was "Old School Navy" because what happened in the five years between '68 and '72 absolutely blows me away. I suppose it makes sense that all the hippie and black power movements in civilian life were also infiltrating sailors of the Navy.
The pervasive illegal drug use should not surprise me. I think I was a very naïve 20-year-old Lutheran boy from Nebraska with absolutely no big city, inner city smarts. Still on my ship, USS Oriskany, CVA-34, 1967, I wasn't aware of anyone smoking pot onboard either. More of my naiveite?
In Stephen Coont's Flight of the Intruder, I was surprised to know Officers/Pilots kept liquor in their state rooms for occasional sedation after especially harrowing missions over North Vietnam. We enlisted boys did not... as far as I know. For us, being caught with booze would have meant a Captain's Mast.
With Project 100,000 came relaxed discipline and liberalization of policy. Freeman tells of the sloppiness, beards, long hair, non-regulation clothing, berthing areas off-limits to officers, no inspections, racial segregation of berthing areas and then high-ranking officers relaxing the enlistment standards. Dumbing down the Navy. Just like civilian grade schools... dumbing down. I've heard about Admiral Zumwalt's Navy and changes he instituted after becoming Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in 1970... some for the better, some for the worse.
In my Standby Reserve, G.I. Bill years between '68 and '72, I was busy being educated, taking a wife, making a baby. Thus, I wasn't paying attention to all the racial strife within bases of all the Armed Forces. Yeah, I heard about inequitable percentage of the Army's Black Infantry on the front lines of combat down in-country in South Vietnam but not racial strife at Ft. Bragg, Camp Lejeune and other homeland installations.
After I finished reading Troubled Water, I found myself thinking, surely the Navy got its act together after the Vietnam War ended. It couldn't have remained screwed up forever. I asked Commander Peter Fey, USN-retired who got his commission in the early 1990's. He told me, "I'll admit that the military I knew was 100% different... thanks largely to the fact that its now voluntary. That got rid of most of the issues... and now its truly a professional service. Duty first, and frankly woe betide someone that isn't a good shipmate."
Troubled Water: Race, Mutiny, and Bravery on the USS Kitty Hawk
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
Flight of the Intruder
A second look at Stephen Coonts' "Flight of the Intruder"
The book, "Bloody Sixteen" written by CDR Peter Fey, USN-retired, inspired me to buy and read "Flight of the Intruder," written by his friend and fellow Navy Pilot, Stephen Coonts. The purchase was something I should have done 33 years ago when Coonts first published it. I don't recall why I did not. Perhaps it was because the movie, "Flight of the Intruder," was so bad, I figured the book would be, also. Negative! The book is a great study on the emotions and attitudes of the pilots. I didn't realize they were as pissed off as I was regarding the s**t targets of North Vietnam... risking their lives, for example, by taking out a grove of trees where military trucks might be hiding... but usually weren't.
I looked at the Wikipedia page regarding this great book and the not-so-great film -- both entitled "Flight of the Intruder." I had to chuckle when I read about Stephen Coonts' effort to get published, because I've 'been there, done that' as well. Back in the 80's, he sent manuscripts and letters of inquiry to 36 publishers... 30 refused to look at it, 4 rejected it, and today, he's still waiting to hear back from 2 of them. Ha, as if he really cares. Ultimately the book was published by United States Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. And as follow-up, Coonts received a valuable endorsement of his book by bestselling author, Tom Clancy, and then, unexpectedly, favorable comments by then sitting president, Ronald Reagan, which sent sales skyrocketing. Clancy endorsed Coonts. Coonts endorsed Fey.
I've often said... I wonder where the pilots went when in port at Subic & Cubi Point. Author Fey touched on it briefly... of course, the Cubi Officers Club. They were equal to us enlisted grunts... Hell, more so in drunken antics. Author Coonts goes into that in detail. Funny thing is... even though I lived at Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Philippines, for a year, I had no idea (still don't) where the Cubi Point Officers Club was located -- probably up on a distant hilltop surrounded by jungle... far out of earshot.
In the book, "Flight of the Intruder," Coonts expressed the guilt he feels/felt for killing people who are not the real enemy, such as poor rice farmers. He talks about how easy, how sanitary it is, to release his bombs and fly away, noticing only a puff of smoke in the distance... and how he intentionally blocked thoughts of little girls' bodies being ripped apart by the force of the bomb explosions. It does my heart good to know the pilots had these very human emotions. Once, during our 1967 deployment, our photo recon squadron mis-targeted a building. The photo interpreters said it was for ammunition storage. On our recommendation, the attack birds took it out. BDA revealed it could very well have been a schoolhouse full of kids. Not sure. That still bugs me... brings tears to my eyes. And I was not the pilot but I was one cog in the gears of the killing machine. Maybe if it really was a just war (by political science definition) I would have felt okay about the killing and destruction. But probably not.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I can understand why Jake Grafton (read: Coonts) wanted to disobey orders by flying directly into downtown Hanoi, dropping his bombs on Communist Party Headquarters instead of dropping them on peasants who were just as horrified by the senselessness of the Vietnam Air War as Jake was... as I was. You see, because president LBJ and his henchmen were micromanaging the war from the White House VIP dining room, the majority of strategic targets were declared off-limits. The general attitude among those fighting the damn war was, "Let's either fight to win or get the hell out of here."
1975, after losing 58,000 Americans, Presidents Nixon and then Ford finally threw in the towel. What an embarrassment
Flight of the Intruder.
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
I looked at the Wikipedia page regarding this great book and the not-so-great film -- both entitled "Flight of the Intruder." I had to chuckle when I read about Stephen Coonts' effort to get published, because I've 'been there, done that' as well. Back in the 80's, he sent manuscripts and letters of inquiry to 36 publishers... 30 refused to look at it, 4 rejected it, and today, he's still waiting to hear back from 2 of them. Ha, as if he really cares. Ultimately the book was published by United States Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. And as follow-up, Coonts received a valuable endorsement of his book by bestselling author, Tom Clancy, and then, unexpectedly, favorable comments by then sitting president, Ronald Reagan, which sent sales skyrocketing. Clancy endorsed Coonts. Coonts endorsed Fey.
I've often said... I wonder where the pilots went when in port at Subic & Cubi Point. Author Fey touched on it briefly... of course, the Cubi Officers Club. They were equal to us enlisted grunts... Hell, more so in drunken antics. Author Coonts goes into that in detail. Funny thing is... even though I lived at Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Philippines, for a year, I had no idea (still don't) where the Cubi Point Officers Club was located -- probably up on a distant hilltop surrounded by jungle... far out of earshot.
In the book, "Flight of the Intruder," Coonts expressed the guilt he feels/felt for killing people who are not the real enemy, such as poor rice farmers. He talks about how easy, how sanitary it is, to release his bombs and fly away, noticing only a puff of smoke in the distance... and how he intentionally blocked thoughts of little girls' bodies being ripped apart by the force of the bomb explosions. It does my heart good to know the pilots had these very human emotions. Once, during our 1967 deployment, our photo recon squadron mis-targeted a building. The photo interpreters said it was for ammunition storage. On our recommendation, the attack birds took it out. BDA revealed it could very well have been a schoolhouse full of kids. Not sure. That still bugs me... brings tears to my eyes. And I was not the pilot but I was one cog in the gears of the killing machine. Maybe if it really was a just war (by political science definition) I would have felt okay about the killing and destruction. But probably not.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I can understand why Jake Grafton (read: Coonts) wanted to disobey orders by flying directly into downtown Hanoi, dropping his bombs on Communist Party Headquarters instead of dropping them on peasants who were just as horrified by the senselessness of the Vietnam Air War as Jake was... as I was. You see, because president LBJ and his henchmen were micromanaging the war from the White House VIP dining room, the majority of strategic targets were declared off-limits. The general attitude among those fighting the damn war was, "Let's either fight to win or get the hell out of here."
1975, after losing 58,000 Americans, Presidents Nixon and then Ford finally threw in the towel. What an embarrassment
Flight of the Intruder.
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
The Hà Nội Reconciliation Banquet of Vietnam war pilots
Depending on which source you reference, about 2/3rd of Vietnam's American Veterans are still living in 2019... self included (though the grim reaper is standing behind my right shoulder). And even though 50 years have passed, the images of the war, and the losses suffered, are still vivid in my mind. And... communism is still the enemy.
It's just peachy that some American participants can now kiss and make up, as those at the Hà Nội reconciliation banquet did. Bless their hearts. Seriously. Don't get me wrong... I don't hate the North Vietnamese... I never did. I hate war and the political and philosophical differences that drive humans into such bloody conflicts.
At this juncture, I would suggest pilot hero Col. Nguyễn Văn Bảy was only alive until 2019 because LBJ & McNamara made all North Vietnamese MiG airfields and barracks off limits to USN & USAF bombers. The White House was afraid Russia might enter the war directly if we killed Russian pilots and trainers and aircraft. That particular fear (of China, too) cost the lives of many American aviators... and caused the torture of our POWs*, some unto death.**
In "Dragon's Jaw" by Stephan Coonts & Barrett Tillman, in the final chapter (page 266) the authors state: "Fifty eight thousand Americans lost their lives in Southeast Asia during that war. Their deaths in a cause the nation ultimately abandoned still rankles. Veterans came home to a nation that blamed them for the whole mess."
The word 'rankles', in this context, means 'continues to be painful.' In today's geopolitical scenario, rules and attitudes have changed. I know. But, I'm 72 and - as you can probably tell - for me that war, and everything I've learned about it through memoirs and histories (such as Bloody Sixteen by CDR Peter Fey USN-ret) continues to perplex and rankle me.
*Yes, I am aware that Nixon gave the "go ahead" for bombing MiG airfields during Operation Linebacker.
**causing the torture of our POWs, including pilot from my aircraft carrier, LCDR John S. McCain III for five and a half years
Dragon's Jaw: An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
It's just peachy that some American participants can now kiss and make up, as those at the Hà Nội reconciliation banquet did. Bless their hearts. Seriously. Don't get me wrong... I don't hate the North Vietnamese... I never did. I hate war and the political and philosophical differences that drive humans into such bloody conflicts.
At this juncture, I would suggest pilot hero Col. Nguyễn Văn Bảy was only alive until 2019 because LBJ & McNamara made all North Vietnamese MiG airfields and barracks off limits to USN & USAF bombers. The White House was afraid Russia might enter the war directly if we killed Russian pilots and trainers and aircraft. That particular fear (of China, too) cost the lives of many American aviators... and caused the torture of our POWs*, some unto death.**
In "Dragon's Jaw" by Stephan Coonts & Barrett Tillman, in the final chapter (page 266) the authors state: "Fifty eight thousand Americans lost their lives in Southeast Asia during that war. Their deaths in a cause the nation ultimately abandoned still rankles. Veterans came home to a nation that blamed them for the whole mess."
The word 'rankles', in this context, means 'continues to be painful.' In today's geopolitical scenario, rules and attitudes have changed. I know. But, I'm 72 and - as you can probably tell - for me that war, and everything I've learned about it through memoirs and histories (such as Bloody Sixteen by CDR Peter Fey USN-ret) continues to perplex and rankle me.
*Yes, I am aware that Nixon gave the "go ahead" for bombing MiG airfields during Operation Linebacker.
**causing the torture of our POWs, including pilot from my aircraft carrier, LCDR John S. McCain III for five and a half years
Dragon's Jaw: An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
Burial of the USS Oriskany
SUE: Amazing! I had to look up the ship - quite a history and now an artificial reef for divers. What a trip that would be! Glad they kept her intact (for the most part)
MAC: The USS Oriskany (CVA-34) now lies under 200 feet of the Gulf of Mexico. She was scuttled on purpose to create an artificial reef. She's open for business for SCUBA adventurers. Joe Dietrich, a photo interpreter shipmate, did a SCUBA dive on her... said it was eerie to see the compartments where we lived and worked submerged.
The Oriskany had a stellar history especially in Vietnam. One of my new friends, CDR Peter Fey, USN-retired pilot and Top Gun instructor, has written a book about the Oriskany and my airwing in particular during our Vietnam "cruise" of 1967. It's well worth the money to read if you're interested in naval aviation during war. The book is "BLOODY SIXTEEN" referring to our Carrier Air Wing-16 (CVW-16). His book is true military history and was approved for publishing by the DOD (Dept of Defense).
My book is a surly & gritty account of that particular cruise as seen from a grunt's point of view (a photo reconnaissance tech's POV). I call it "God, Bombs & Vietnam" using my pen name, Gerald MacLennon.
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
God, Bombs & Viet Nam: Based on the Diary of a 20-Year-Old Navy Enlisted Man in the Vietnam Air War - 1967
MAC: The USS Oriskany (CVA-34) now lies under 200 feet of the Gulf of Mexico. She was scuttled on purpose to create an artificial reef. She's open for business for SCUBA adventurers. Joe Dietrich, a photo interpreter shipmate, did a SCUBA dive on her... said it was eerie to see the compartments where we lived and worked submerged.
The Oriskany had a stellar history especially in Vietnam. One of my new friends, CDR Peter Fey, USN-retired pilot and Top Gun instructor, has written a book about the Oriskany and my airwing in particular during our Vietnam "cruise" of 1967. It's well worth the money to read if you're interested in naval aviation during war. The book is "BLOODY SIXTEEN" referring to our Carrier Air Wing-16 (CVW-16). His book is true military history and was approved for publishing by the DOD (Dept of Defense).
My book is a surly & gritty account of that particular cruise as seen from a grunt's point of view (a photo reconnaissance tech's POV). I call it "God, Bombs & Vietnam" using my pen name, Gerald MacLennon.
Bloody Sixteen: The USS Oriskany and Air Wing 16 during the Vietnam War
God, Bombs & Viet Nam: Based on the Diary of a 20-Year-Old Navy Enlisted Man in the Vietnam Air War - 1967
