My Tour In Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma (Reflections of History, Vol. 1) [Paperback]

David W. Powell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 2007

David W. Powell enlisted for a tour of duty in April 1966 with the US Marines after receiving an imminent draft notice. Believing he would be able to leverage his existing skills as a computer programmer, he never thought all they would see on his resume was his Karate expertise. Even less that he would wind up serving as a Rocket man in the jungles of Da Nang and Chu Lai for a 13 month tour in hell.

David's journey from naive civilian to battle-hardened combat veteran shows us all how fragile our humanity really is. In addition to killing the enemy on the field of battle, he was witness to countless cruelties including murder both cold-blooded and casual, cowardice under fire, and a callous disregard for life beyond most people's imagination. With each new insult, he lost a little bit of his soul, clinging to his Bible as his only solace while equally certain of his own imminent demise.

Upon returning to civilian life after a two year enlistment, he found himself with nightmares during sleep, intrusive thoughts while awake, a hypervigilant stance combined with an exaggerated startle reaction, and a seeming inability to control basic emotions like anger and sadness.

The price he paid for what would only be diagnosed decades later as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was broken marriages and relationships, inability to hold down jobs leading to bankruptcy, alcohol abuse, and having to hide the service he willingly gave to his own country.

In 1989, David eventually recovered through a simple but powerful technique known as Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) and is now symptom-free. Not just for veterans, TIR has since been successfully applied to crime and motor vehicle accident victims, domestic violence survivors, and even children. His story shows what is possible for anyone who has suffered traumatic stress and that hope, healing, and recovery can be theirs too.

What People Are Saying About My Tour In Hell

"His autobiographical work is a must read for veterans who remain stuck between two worlds. Healing is not forgetting; healing is making sense of the past in order to live life in the present with a restored hope for the future. Powell articulates this process very well and has given a tremendous gift to the combat veteran community of any generation."
- Father Philip G. Salois, M.S., National Chaplain, Vietnam Veterans of America

"The connection of David's problems in his current life and his Viet Nam experiences is one of the clearest descriptions of how trauma affects our lives I have ever read. My Tour in Hell is a tribute to David's unwillingness to give up on himself in the face of great unhappiness."
-Laura W. Groshong, LICSW (Seattle, WA)

"Years in combat zones, group psychotherapy with combat vets diagnosed with PTSD and TIR training qualifies me to recommend this book. Those in the helping professions will learn how the negative emotional 'charge' of trauma can be partially or totally eliminated through the adept facilitation of Traumatic Incident Reduction."
-Sister Kateri Koverman, LISW, ICDC

"Powell presents a brutally honest and riveting account of one man's descent into the dehumanizing realities of war. However, the journey is worth it to relive his dramatic ascension and redemption from the abyss through the life changing, powerful, and therapeutic techniques of Traumatic Incident Reduction."
- Rev. James W. Clifton, LCSW, PhD

More Than A Memoir, My Tour In Hell includes

Photos taken by David's own camera in 1966 Vietnam

Study guide for clinical students

FAQ from the National Center for PTSD

Foreword by Tom Joyce outlining the etiology of PTSD

Suggested Reading list

Learn more at www.MyTourInHell.com

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Definitely a valuable read for anyone who works with this population or who know people who are struggling with PTSD." -- Kristen Krohn, MFT

"Powell articulates the healing process very well and has given a tremendous gift to the veteran community of any generation." -- Fr. Phillip G. Salois, National Chaplain, Vietnam Veterans of America

"Powell's book speaks not only for his own experiences, but they also speak out for a whole generation of warriors." -- Bill McDonald, President, Military Writer's Society of America

"This book provides a first-person account of how combat trauma evolves and is a testament to Traumatic Incident Reduction." -- Judy Bronson, PhD, LCSW --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

What People Are Saying about My Tour in Hell "Powell describes his tour in Vietnam with the Marines in great detail which sets the stage for his personal journey home with all the painful memories and problems that surface with someone who has gone to hell and come back to tell about it. "His autobiographical work is a must read for veterans who remain stuck between two worlds—the physical reality of civilian life while the psychological, emotional and spiritual life remain on the battlefield half a world away. Healing is painful but so necessary to reintegrate those two worlds into one. Healing is not forgetting but healing is making sense of the past in order to live life in the present with a restored hope for the fu-ture. Powell articulates this process very well and has given a tremendous gift to the combat veteran community of any generation." Father Philip G. Salois, M.S. Founder, International Conference of War Veteran Ministers

(formerly the National Conference of Viet Nam Veteran Ministers) National Chaplain, Vietnam Veterans of America "The connection of David’s problems in his current life and his Viet Nam experiences is one of the clearest descriptions of how trauma affects our lives I have ever read. My Tour in Hell is a tribute to David's unwilling-ness to give up on himself in the face of great unhappiness."

—Laura W. Groshong, LICSW (Seattle, WA) "Years in combat zones, group psychotherapy with combat vets diag-nosed with PTSD and TIR training qualifies me to recommend this book. My Tour in Hell attests to David's journey from the boundary of a Marine grunt’s PTSD despair to the horizon of integration, risk, and new mean-ing. Those in the helping professions will learn how the negative emotional ‘charge’ of trauma can be partially or totally eliminated through the adept facilitation of Traumatic Incident Reduction."

—Sister Kateri Koverman, LISW, ICDC "Powell presents a brutally honest and riveting account of one man's descent into the dehumanizing realities of war. However, the journey is worth it to relive his dramatic ascension and redemption from the abyss through the life changing, powerful, and therapeutic techniques of Trau-matic Incident Reduction." — Rev. James W. Clifton, LCSW, PhD "Powell begins and ends with hope, and with a method that helped him to finally, and fully, resolve the many traumas he endured. He gives the reader a litany of incidents of trauma, and shows how the whole context of the battlefields, surrounding regions, and finally even home comes under the cloud of a hell many men and women shared with him, a hell that is being created many thousands of times in modern times. The book deserves to be read by therapists, veterans, and their loved ones."

—Rene Ely, M.Div., LMFT "My Tour in Hell is an insightful insider’s view of the traumatic events that occurred during the Vietnam War and the devastating after-effects that can follow. For those not familiar with the symptoms of PTSD, this was a vivid and clear view of how this disorder disrupts the lives of those who suffer from it untreated. Definitely a valuable read for anyone who works with this population or who have family or friends who are strug-gling with PTSD." —Kirsten Krohn, MFT "Not every ex-soldier suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. The ones who do are the sensitive, caring people exposed to the brutalizing conditions of war. David Powell is one of these people, as becomes obvi-ous to the reader of his book. With young men and women currently exposed to danger in the Mid-dle East, this veteran’s story is relevant to today. With utter honesty and integrity, he shows the terrible effects of war. However, his story ends on a high note, because Traumatic Incident Reduction has finally allowed him to cope with the consequences."

—Robert Rich, MSc, PhD, M.A.P.S., A.A.S.H. "David Powell’s book held my interest throughout the entire read. As a therapist working with US military, I was particularly intrigued by the therapeutic technique utilized and would love to have the opportunity for training. I was most impressed that the author did not present himself as totally recovered, but as functionally recovered with a new quality of life. I will definitely use the book with soldiers and family members."

—Sally Wright, LMFT (Baumholder, Germany) "This book provides a first-person account of how combat trauma evolves and is a testament to the power of Traumatic Incident Reduction. My Tour in Hell is an invaluable resource for working with combat trauma survivors."

—Judy Bronson, PhD, NCC "David’s story demonstrating how possible it is for anyone who has suffered traumatic stress to have healing and recovery vis-à-vis Traumatic Incident Reduction. We plan to start an ‘Adopt a Veteran’ program so any Vet who wants a copy of your book can have same."

—Mary Murphy, MA, NHA, Former VA and Prison Chaplain "My Tour In Hell is a riveting account of unimaginable pain, suffering, and healing. David Powell takes the reader step by step through his pain-ful metamorphosis from a young, idealistic recruit to an uncaring, angry trauma survivor, and finally to an inspiring, compassionate crusader. His message is one of hope and healing. Through the use of Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR), David is able to process and release the toxic memories of his tour in Vietnam. His story will challenge the belief that people cannot heal from horrific circumstances. TIR provides a gentle methodology for confronting traumatic images and then releasing them, enabling the user to move the memories into the past. One only wishes that he had encountered this treatment modality much earlier in life, be-ore suffering through the many years of broken relationships, lost jobs, and substance abuse." —Patricia Sherman, Ph.D. "My Tour in Hell is a wrenching book to read as the author bares his soul, revealing the gruesome details of his combat experiences and the personal aftermath as he struggled for decades to deal with the PTSD blighting his life. His final recovery through innovative therapy is a tri-umph and a new beginning. Read it to better understand the Vietnam Vet and the little support they got after their tour in Hell."

—Chuck Chriss, Olive-Drab.com --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Modern History Press (January 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932690239
• ISBN-13: 978-1932690231
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #627,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in East Los Angeles and lived in Southern California until my mid-20's. In 1966, I received a draft notice related to the involvement of the US in Vietnam. I quickly visited all the recruiters in my area to see if I could leverage my skills as a computer programmer and serve my country that way. A slick Marines recruiter convinced me that they could use my talents in the admin division, though in truth all they saw on my resume was my Karate skills. And so at age 26 I became a Marine and little did I know I was headed for Da Nang and a very personal tour of hell.

During the war, I earned a Purple Heart and several combat commendations. However, I was also witness to countless cruelties of inhumanity along with cowardice under fire, and great peril to my life. I clung to my bible during this period as my only solace, afraid to indulge in alcohol or drugs at a time when a quick reaction meant life or death.

Upon returning from the war, I found myself a pariah. I quickly learned to deny that I had ever served my country. My marriage ended quickly and I began to experience what would later be diagnosed as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Over then next two decades, I experienced divorces, alcohol abuse, fear of my own emotions, endless nightmares and flashbacks, and finally ending in a long string of short jobs and bankruptcy.

In 1989, I began my recovery with a process known as Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR). Since then, I have been able to sleep at nights, start a new and successful love relationship, and be at peace with the world. I would like to be known as an advocate for combat veterans who have lingering psychological wounds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hell is inside, April 11, 2006

By 

Sam Vaknin (Skopje, Macedonia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Tour In Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma (Reflections of History, Vol. 1) (Paperback)

This book is a must read for armchair strategists and glib military analysts. War is not about strategic brilliance or courage. War is about feces and blood, mud and inhumane cruelty, as the first pages of this chilling memoir make clear. Battle strips the thin veneer of civilization that sets us apart from other species. It is about naked survival and triumphant aggression. War is about killing the other guy with your bare hands if need be and, above all, it is about staying alive, doing what it takes to make it through.


Every trauma specialist should read this tome. You can take the soldier out of the war zone but you can't take the war out of the soldier. The unmitigated, sadistic, self-satisfied violence of combat lurks in the tortured minds of millions of veterans the world over as do the shame and the crippling fear. This book offers one of the best, most intimate description of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that I have ever read precisely because the author is a fellow sufferer, not a smug psychiatrist or theoretician. His style of prose - direct, matter-of-fact, and unflinchingly honest - also helps.

But, above all, this book is about hope. There are glimpses of humanity amidst the worst atrocities and there are effective therapies to coax the victims of war back into peace and life. It worked for the author who has endured decades of trauma-induced ruination and instability in everything from marriage to business. If he was salvaged, so can we all. Amen. Sam Vaknin, author of 'Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited'

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Vietnam Veteran's Battle with PTSD - A Success Story!, December 13, 2006

By 

W. H. McDonald Jr. "The American Author Assoc... (Elk Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Tour in Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma (Reflections of History) (Hardcover)

Author David W. Powell was a U.S. Marine enlisted man who saw his share of combat in Vietnam around the same time period that I did in late 1966 - 67. He writes a moving chronicle of his experiences there and his subsequent return back to civilian life in his book "My Tour In Hell - A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma."

The story of his life is at times, hard hitting, sad, remorseful, angry and lonely. But always hidden in the fabric of his tale, you will find hope. He may have been traumatized by battles and war and much worse - but he continues to move forward looking for his life's purpose. He doesn't give up when others may have thrown in the towel. His story is about a man who had his compassion and faith almost destroyed by events beyond his control. His reactions lead to self-destructive behaviors as he tried to self-medicate his feelings, fears and depression with booze and activity.

There is an inner spiritual hunger that Powell had, and still has, that keeps him pushing onward with his life in spite of how he was feeling, or being treated by the world around him. You can feel his heart reaching out to be "hugged" and appreciated. He seems to find rejection, lack of compassion in others and very little understanding of what he went through and was feeling. That is why his struggles for loving acceptance and for inner peace strike the reader so powerfully.

I could feel his pain and know how he felt with the homecoming reception he got when he returned. I think almost every Vietnam veteran can identify with the massive social rejection we received. That was the worse part for us young men coming home. I think we could have lived without parades but most of us did not even get loving hugs from our own families. No one wanted to listen to our stories about what happened to us. And no one ever asked how we really felt emotionally. I think Powell's book speaks not only for his own personal life experiences, but they also speak out for a generation of warriors like him. His voice needs to be heard and responded to before we lose another generation of veterans coming home from wars in the Middle East.

This book should be required reading by all those who were around in the 1960's and 1970's that they may fully understand the sacrifices that these American heroes gave so bravely of themselves. Those peace marching heroes of the "hippie generation" will never be able to walk in their shadow. These men were America's best! So on behalf of all veterans, I say to the author and the others who served, "Welcome Home!"

This book is highly recommended for those who are personally dealing with any combat trauma (PTSD) and for their families and friends so they can achieve some level of real understanding and compassion for what it means. This book is well written. The author writes in a style that makes it both easy to read and understand. He tells his story in a brutally honest manner - even when it does not shine a good light on his own actions or thoughts. His book will change lives and will bring some veterans in for help.

This book is highly recommended and is given The Military Writer's Society of America's Highest Book Rating of FIVE STARS!

This book also receives my personal endorsement. Buy it. Read it. Then share it with those who need assistance in finding their way home!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting, Compelling, Poignant, August 26, 2006

By 

Richard R. Blake (Bridgman, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: My Tour in Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma (Reflections of History) (Hardcover)

David Powell recounts in "My Tour in Hell" his thirteen month assignment in Viet Nam from 1966 - 1967 and the impact it had on his life over the next twenty years. Broken marriages, inability to hold jobs, and alcohol abuse became a way of life for David.

Memories like these embedded deep in Powell's consciousness screamed for release in ensuing years: "It was grimmer than anything I had ever seen... blood weeping from my comrades' wounds, moaning and crying...my adrenalin flooded my veins and arteries....the smell of gun smoke was stifling. The sound of guns firing was deafening."

"Bullets continued to fire overhead. All I could do was lie as flat on the ground as possible and pray that I would not get hit again. I was scared out of my mind and disgusted that for the second time in three months, I had been abandoned under fire."

Years after his two year enlistment David, was still guardedly watching his back, distrustful, angry, afraid of making friends, and experiencing regular nightmares.

Desperate to find a solution, David joined a veteran's sponsored support group. A year of participation with this group failed to meet his need. However, a fellow member of the group later introduced him to a Traumatic Incident Reduction (TRI) counselor. These sessions were extremely successful and soon returned David to self acceptance and relief from the night mares and guilt of his Viet Nam experience.
The book is masterfully articulated and offers hope to a generation of battle scarred veterans. This book should be in the hands of every Veteran's Administration Counselor, Chaplain, and politician.

I salute you, David W. Powell, as a fellow veteran, a Patriot, and for your heroism in finding personal victory.