Ketwig's personally subjective account of a non combatant in Vietnam at the age of nineteen is brutally raw and emotionally insightful. It chronicles his experience, during which he confronted death and disillusionment not only with his country but with humanity and most importantly, with himself especially upon his return to American soil. Sadly, the same many faced during this horrific time in our Nation's history and to date, emotional detachment is a continued battle as P.T.S.D. is prevalent in many of the lives of our Vietnam Veterans.

In my opinion, it wasn't a spellbinding read but it does offer a good recollection of war whose insights are as applicable today as the time period it describes.

My dad is one of the guys in this book. He never talks about the war. It was a good read. I know him better.

Lengthy and boring. Read if you wish to understand the Vietnam War from an American soldier perspective. Will be reading The Vietnam Sympathizer next for a comparison.

When I started reading this book I was looking forward to the first hand experiences of an American soldier in Vietnam. At times I did enjoy the book and the stories, but I think it was too political, and also a large portion of the book is written about His deployment in Thailand. Definitely not gripping

Brought back into print for its 20th anniversary, this is a gut-wrenching account of one GI's experience in Viet Nam. Unable to face the idea of returning to the U.S. after his first tour in Nam, Ketwig was walking the streets of Cambodia on the evening of July 21, 1969, as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. He was hailed as a hero, simply for being an American. He nevertheless returned to Nam for a second tour. Highly recommended but not for the faint of heart.

I picked up this book from the bookshelf of my deceased uncle-in-law, a Vietnam vet. My uncle-in-law was a jerk. He was always making terrible comments “to stir things up a little,” and his political choices were very far from mine. At the memorial service people talked about sides of him that I never got to see, though, like his love for learning and his close relationship with neighbors.
Reading this book gave me insight into his experiences as a combat medic in Vietnam. The book, and I’m sure his experiences, was gruesome and terrible. I wish I’d read it earlier.

Awesome story!!

It was very interesting to read how it was like living as a GI in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Very powerful... No words. Just an amazing read...

Probably one of the hardest books for me to get through to date. The subject matter just destroyed your soul.

I can't even begin to describe what Ketwig wrote, I could understand his thoughts and feeling. Heck, I agreed with him a lot of the time.

It's been a long time since I've almost cried over the ending of the book. When Ketwig made reference to Lynda Van Devanter, I let out a gasp. Since I knew the women he was referencing.

There are really no words to describe this book, other than pick it up and read it for yourself.

This was actually assigned for one of my history classes and I dreaded reading it so much that I was finishing the book as I walked into my final for the class. But it was so worth it and is one of my many all time favorites.

This book caught my eye in a 2nd hand bookstore I read a few pages while standing in the store and I bought it. I got home and I never put it down. I think it would be a great read for anyone...but especially great if you are connected to The Vietnam War in any way. This book might help you understand someone a little better. Certainly will give you a different perspective.