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Issues of the Heart: Memoirs of an Artilleryman in Vietnam

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Howard Olsen, an artilleryman in Vietnam during 1968, explores the impact of the Vietnam experience upon his moral belief system in "Issues of the Heart."

Olsen begins his memoir by describing himself as a tough, trouble-prone teenage loser. Although his lack of respect for authority lands him in trouble during boot camp and later, it is his ability to think for himself that leads to the fascinating development of his moral character.

In his early weeks in Vietnam, Olsen clings to the patriotic attitudes that the military has ingrained within him regarding the threat of communism and the need to kill gooks. But gradually, as he observes the behavior of those he encounters, he becomes aware of an inner dignity to the men he works and fights with, a dignity that is too often discounted by military regulations and those in leadership. As time progresses, he discovers this dignity--the sacred nature of humankind--within a broader group, encompassing black American and homosexual soldiers, women who prostitute themselves, and even the Viet Cong.

Olsen subjects himself to much soul-searching and suffers much as he tries to reconcile his new moral code with the job he has feeding death. On the brink of a nervous breakdown as he becomes increasingly short, his torment is unexpectedly eased when the command decides that his pacifism, in concert with the high respect that other soldiers have granted him for his high-quality and humane leadership, make him too dangerous to their mission to leave at the front.

I thorougly enjoyed reading this book and having served as a draftee Army (medical corpsman) late in the VN Era readily identified with the frustrations and inconsistencies of the "lifer mentality" encountered by Olsen as he tried to make the best of a bad situation he found himself in. This he does accomplish through use of his leadership skills, perserverance, and coping skills. Olsen does not paint himself as a hero but merely one who served and did his job well. Must reading if you served as a draftee (AUS) during these volatile times. Persons like Olsen were the conscience of the Army who kept many of us going.