"I want to give something back, " the author insisted. His counselor at the Vet Center suggested, "You can give the guys in treatment hope. You know what PTSD looks like from both sides. You can tell these guys what it's like, and what's different when you get beyond it." Ron Zaczek had been a good crewchief. He was "Zack" then: Marine Observation Squadron Three, '66-'68; Phu Bai, Dong Ha, Khe Sanh; 393 missions in Huey medevacs and gunships; 19 Air Medals and a Bronze Star. He'd succeeded in college and in industry. Good marriage, two fine kids. Then things began to fall apart. Too much anger, depression. Thoughts of suicide. So many missions of mercy, and death, returning in nightmare and flashback, out of control: "You gotta get us out, Scarface. We're burning up!" Marine crewchiefs never lost control! Control was survival, and Zack was trained to survive. He entered the Vet Center Outreach Program as a last resort, not believing it could help. Farewell, Darkness is a probing, personal look at war's psychological toll. Told with a vision of healing and hope, Zaczek's story captures the passion and idealism he felt as a 19-year-old Marine new to war, his pride in doing a job well, his fear and perseverance in the face of enemy fire, his grief over the loss of friends, and the anger and sadness of his homecoming. The reader lives Zaczek's brutal, honest journey through war as well as his treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling, provocative, and educational. A must read!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Farewell, Darkness: A Veteran's Triumph Over Combat Trauma (Hardcover)
The author skillfully relates his combat experiences, the delayed onset of P.T.S.D., its effect on his family, his treatment, and eventual conquest of his condition. The suspense slowly builds until the ultimate cause of his trauma, "the darkness" is revealed to the reader. Schedule your reading of "Farewell Darkness" when you have a lot of spare time. You may not be able to put this one down.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Farewell, Darkness: A Veteran's Triumph Over Combat Trauma (Hardcover)
As the wife of a Khe Sanh Viet Nam veteran, I have watched my husband of 25 years deal with his own personal war - struggling through his memories of Viet Nam. In "Farewell Darkness", Ron Zaczek helped me to understand more clearly the phases my husband has gone through and the emotional hell he lives with every day. This book is a must-read for anyone whose loved one suffers from PTSD as a result of Viet Nam.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As close as you can get to try to understand combat trauma.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Farewell, Darkness: A Veteran's Triumph Over Combat Trauma (Hardcover)
This book is extremely moving to read. It is a most honest and courageous account of what effects the Vietnam War had and still has on the veterans who fought it. It is as close as one can possibly be to " attempt" to try to understand the effects of combat trauma and how the battle continues long after the war for the veterans who fought it. I feel the author took great care to convey this to the readers. You are "there" with the author throughout the book. You are "there" with the author while he puts himself through the necessary painful process of treating his PTSD. It is extremelyl helpful for the families of combat veterans with P.T.S.D (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). If you did not have any conception of PTSD or what a combat veteran has to endure to survive - you will after you read this book.
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