Ghosts of Thua Thien: An American Soldier's Memoir of Vietnam [Paperback]

John A. Nesser (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786433248 | ISBN-13: 978-0786433247 | Publication Date: February 4, 2008

Drafted in October 1968, John A. Nesser left behind his wife and young son to fight in the controversial Vietnam War. Like many in his generation, he was deeply at odds with himself over the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, instilled with a strong sense of duty to his country but uncertain about its mission and his role in it.

Nesser was deployed to the Ashau Valley, site of some of the war's heaviest fighting, and served eight months as an infantry rifleman before transferring to become a door gunner for a Chinook helicopter. In this stirring memoir, he recalls in detail the exhausting missions in the mountainous jungle, the terror of walking into an ambush, the dull-edged anxiety that filled quiet days, and the steady fear of being shot out of the sky. The accounts are richly illustrated with Nesser's own photographs of the military firebases and aircraft, the landscapes, and the people he encountered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I knew John Nesser for years, and never knew him. I read his book. Now I will never forget. He wrote many years after his Vietnam experience and he has forgotten much. But his heart has not. John's story of adventure (for adventure it was) is as poignant now (in the days of the Iraq debacle and its aftermath) as it was the day he returned to the world. John was a soldier once. Part of him will never be anything else. --Henry Shovic, author of When There's Only You: Safe Living for Women.

About the Author

John A. Nesser is a retired United States Forest Service soil scientist. He lives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (February 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786433248
• ISBN-13: 978-0786433247
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,426,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Memoir, August 17, 2008

By 

J. Stewart "Author, The Angel From Vietnam" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghosts of Thua Thien: An American Soldier's Memoir of Vietnam (Paperback)

I am a Board Member of the Military Writers Society of America, and author of The Angel From Vietnam.

I spent four years in Vietnam and hope I know more about the war, the troops, the Vietnamese, than the average person who was there for a one year tour of duty and just wanted out. I've read many books on the war and must truthfully say that I was not really looking forward to reviewing another "war book". Too many of them, to me, have been repetitive, predictable, and full of clichés.

The cover of the book features a photo of a combat assault somewhere near the DMZ (demilitarized zone). I thought to myself, `here we go again'.

I was blown away by this book. Finally something noticeably different. John Nesser was no hero in his eyes, but did heroic things. He was absolutely able to capture the truth about this most understood of wars. John had reservations about the war, but conducted himself as a true patriot and soldier of the highest commendation; and he did so humbly, and with compassion. Too many books portray endless day-to-day combat, and that was just not what happened. The author skillfully details the boredom, the day-to-day drudgery, the missteps and the Peter Principle that, if we could reach a certain level of incompetence, Vietnam was no different.

The American soldier is portrayed as he was, the good, bad, and the ugly, but certainly soldiers who redeemed themselves when they needed to be counted on. Certainly far more commendable soldiers who were so much different than portrayed in today's movies and stereotypes.

There are personal photos and a few maps, but the glory of this read is in the author's wonderful writing. I will be submitting this wonderful book for top honors in its category for 2008.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A grunt's eye view of the war, July 1, 2008

By 

J. Lutz (Toronto,Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghosts of Thua Thien: An American Soldier's Memoir of Vietnam (Paperback)

I served in another battalion of the 101st Airborne at the same time and area as John Nesser, and I can testify to the realistic picture he describes of the daily life of a grunt. The A Shau Valley and DMZ were particularly rough and dangerous areas, and John captures the feeling of these places. His description of the day-to-day details of a grunt's life is one of the best I've read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ghosts of Thua Thien, March 5, 2008

By 

Terry Rivard "tjrods" (Sheridan,Wyoming) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ghosts of Thua Thien: An American Soldier's Memoir of Vietnam (Paperback)

I have known John for over 30 years, as a good friend and neighbor. After reading this excellent book i realized that i didn't really know John and what he went through in Vietnam. Once i started reading The Ghosts of Thua Thien i found it hard to put down. It is one of the best written books about a soldier's experience from growing up in Central Wisconsin,college,a new family man and being drafted in the Army. His experiences in basic training,to combat in Vietnam and his returning home to live a normal life. John is a very quiet person I know it must have been difficult to relive these good and bad experiences. He brings them to life in this book for you to relive with him. Thanks John for writing this book! Terry