Rock 'n' Roll Soldier: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Dean Ellis Kohler (Author), Susan Vanhecke (Author), Graham Nash (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Dean Kohler is about to make it big--he's finally scored a national record deal! But his dreams are abruptly put on hold by the arrival of his draft notice. Now he's in Qui Nhon, Vietnam, serving as a military policeman. He keeps telling himself he's a musician, not a killer, and that he's lucky he's not fighting on the front lines. When Captain orders him to form a rock band, it's up to Dean to find instruments and players, pronto. Ingenuity and perseverance pay off and soon the band is traveling through treacherous jungle terrain to perform for troops in desperate need of an escape--even if it's only for three sets. And for Dean--who lives with death, violence, and the fear that anyone could be a potential enemy (even his Vietnamese girlfriend)--the band becomes the one thing that gets him through the day. During one of the most controversial wars in recent American history, this incredible true story is about music and camaraderie in the midst of chaos. (edited by author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, Kohler got the chance to pursue his desire to make music when he was asked by his captain to put together a rock band. He recruited three other soldiers, found inexpensive instruments in the local town, and set about practicing and then playing for fellow combatants in the 127th Military Police Company. Soon, he became more serious and tried to get the Electrical Banana gigs in all the clubs in Qui Nhon and beyond. From his eye-opening perspective, Kohler draws in readers with some gut-wrenching accounts of warfare, lightening the mood with references to bands, songs, and his love of music. This memoir reads like an action-packed novel and pairs well with Walter Dean Myers's Fallen Angels (Scholastic, 1998). It could provide an outstanding cross-curriculum tie-in between social studies and English.—Dylan Thomarie, Johnstown High School, NY END

Review

An easy and entertaining read as well as a coming of age story about a young man who was able to live his dream in the middle of a war - and survive. --Edward T. Luttenberger, National Vietnam War Museum

The war memoir gets a unique spin with Kohler's recollection of his time playing rock and roll in the Vietnam jungle... The theme hits you in the gut: the restorative power of music is real... A sober but ultimately inspiring read. --Booklist

Kohler's story couldn't be timelier for the young men and women navigating the war zones of today. --Style Weekly

Rock 'n' Roll Soldier differs from most Vietnam entertainers' memoirs in that the troupe here did not come courtesy of Bob Hope and the USO.  These troubadours in green emerged from the ranks, giving a different slant to the term 'band of brothers.' --Vietnam Magazine

A remarkable story about the transcendent power of music. --Graham Nash

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061242551
• ISBN-13: 978-0061242557
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,484,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Boomerocity Review, March 15, 2010

By 

Randy Patterson (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rock 'n' Roll Soldier: A Memoir (Hardcover)

When one hears the phrase, "Vietnam War", a wide variety of images, phrases and emotions are conjured up. I was too young to fight in that war but not too young to remember the impact the war had on friends as well as society.

`Nam impacted our politics, news and entertainment. It became the subject of protests, songs and movies. The pros, cons and impact of that lengthy war is still being felt and discussed today.

Rock `N' Roll Soldier is an engaging tale of a young man, Dean Kohler, who made the quantum leap from Portsmouth, Virginia, to Qui Nohn, Vietnam. His long sought after, and worked for, dream materialized literally on the same day that he received his draft notice, dashing that particular dream.

Kohler and Vanhecke weave a captivating story of how circumstances in boot camp led Kohler to an opportunity to purse a different version of his dream in a nightmarish environment. After a cathartic encounter with PFC Goodridge, with some fellow soldiers, Dean formed a band called The Electrical Banana. This band provided a welcome, uplifting distraction for both the band and its uniformed audience, bringing to them live covers of their favorite songs of the day.

The book isn't all about music. It also details young men who bury their natural fears with incredible amounts of bravery. Some icons from the 60's are mentioned in the book (Nancy Sinatra and Graham Nash, to name two) as are tales of friendships, chain of command, homesickness and girls left behind in two countries. Also told is the process of Kohler's adjustment to civilian life and fitting back into society. The story provides insight into how our minds can be so conditioned to routine that, when that routine is altered, time is needed to adjust back into the new norm.

The book's forward by Graham Nash is worth the price of the book by itself. Nash closes his remarks by saying, "Through the transcendent power of music, Dean created his own bit of order out of the chaos of the Vietnam War . . . to survive another day."

The books final words honors Kohler's Electrical Banana band mates. In them he poignantly states, " . . . with their help, during a time when none of us knew for sure if we would live or die, I came to know the true power of music - to communicate, heal, connect. Unite."

I couldn't say any better, gentlemen.

Mr. Kohler and the thousands of men and women who served your country in an unpopular war: We can never repay you enough for your sacrifice nor will we ever forget. Thank you so much!

PFC Goodridge, thank you and may you continue to rest in peace.

Review By Randy Patterson
Boomerocity.com

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Music, February 24, 2010

By 

Mother of Two (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rock 'n' Roll Soldier: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Co-authors Dean Ellis Kohler and Susan VanHecke bring us a memoir of Dean Ellis Kohler's experience in Vietnam, serving as a military policeman. The authors do an excellent job of transporting us immediately to the Vietnam War. We feel instantly connected to this young man, and we identify with his innocence, his integrity and his very real emotions. Dean Ellis Kohler had to leave a record deal behind when he was drafted and sent to Qui Nhon. But music is in Dean's soul. And so even there, in the middle of a war, Dean finds a way back to rock n' roll. We follow along on his journey to create a band, perform and even record an album while serving his country. The power of music allows the soldiers to escape, if just for the length of a song, from the horrors of war. The authors have written an exciting and fast-paced memoir that is layered and dynamic. I found the book inspiring and informative. You can almost hear the guitar playing between the pages. A must-read for students, history buffs and music lovers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read, December 15, 2009

By 

Julia A. Donaldson (Lancaster, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rock 'n' Roll Soldier: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Very good book, well worth reading even if you're too young to remember much of the Viet Nam war. I only wish it had been longer...maybe a sequel?