Customer Reviews

Accidental Warrior: The Forging Of An American Soldier

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This is a look into the mind of a successful soldier and leader. It's plainly, forcefully and honestly told. This is the story silenced by the media. If you get your news from Dan Rather, it may shock you. But the truth is evident in every word of it.

Behind the posturing and political facades, ignored by media and entertainers, and neither praised nor appreciated are the men and women warriors who chose the harder course to wear the uniform of our country's military and serve honorably and successfully through the cold war and Vietnam. One of these, Andy O'Meara has courageously told his story in this moving, informative, and historically appropriate book. His story needs to be read so that our people can understand the brave men and women who did their duty faithfully and honorably, then were treated so badly. Here in stark detail is the other side of the story.

This is the story of Andy O'Meara, who never intended to be a soldier. His plans were quashed by an overbearing father, who had his own notions of a career for his son. As a result of parental pressure, he went through West Point, but admits he didn't have his heart in it, and didn't do as well academically as he should have done.

Once in the Army, he managed to get a bad reputation at the outset, one that dogged him (literally -- read the book) throughout the rest of his career. Nevertheless, he "soldiered on." The book describes his Vietnam tour up to his being evacuated as wounded, his tour of duty in Germany and then the U.S., both with an armored division and later the Army Staff.

Much of his story deals with the way the Army was mismanaged throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and how this affected the troops. The reader gets to see the peronsal effects of the mismanagement on the troops themselves, through the author's eyes. In particular, he condemns Defense Secretary Robert McNamara for robbing forces elsewhere to fund the war in Vietnam. (I spent much of my 25-year military career as an operations analyst. I share his opinion of McNamara.)

He doesn't spare himself either in the telling. He describes the breakup of his marriage, placing much of the blame on himself. No harsh words about his "ex," just straightforward description.

Overall it's the story of a man who went through some trials that would have broken a lesser man. He's honest about how much of his problems were his own fault.

For those who were in Vietnam or who served in a Cold War assignment, it will ring true. For those who want to understand what those years did to the men who lived through them, it will give the unvarnished story. I highly recommend it.

One thing should be kept in mind. We read only Andy's side of the story. His father might have some different views.

This is the story of a man that is so rightoeusly correct - and almost everybody else is wrong. Despite his sensitive nature and his traumatic childhood trying to live up to his father's expectations - he still gets through his father's rigorous alma mater. But he makes a go of it in the Army - despite experiencing searing pain through two combat tours in Vietnam. On top of all this the author is angry that the 'liberal media' were traitors to the country by reporting the war inaccurately. It seems the media were antagonistic to the war because LBJ lied to them - and so the media had to get back at the country by radicalizing itself.

pray that the author will find peace and learn that when one thinks his country is making a terrible mistake that it is important that people make their concerns known. I thank the author for serving his country as he though it was right. He like so many of us were seduced by Kennedy's "Ask not...". I am sorry that the author saw so very few competent and honorable officers in the US Army in the 60's and the 70's.