Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam [Hardcover]

Barry Fixler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2010

Semper Cool is the wrenching, sometimes hilarious and always thought-provoking true story of a mischievous teenager who enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps seeking adventure and his father's approval and finds both, plus more danger than he ever could have imagined. With its vivid imagery, Semper Cool thrusts readers into a grunt's-eye view of the blood, guts, tears and laughter of war, as told by a Marine who returned home a man and a patriot. Be prepared to laugh and cry and ultimately thank God for the men and women willing to risk their lives for the freedoms that so many Americans enjoy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Many Vietnam veterans look back in anger on their wartime experiences, but Fixler, who endured one of the bloodiest battles of the war, isn't one of them. The gruesome 77 days he spent defending an isolated hilltop near the border with North Vietnam forms the core of this nostalgic memoir. Growing up in a predominately middle-class Jewish neighborhood, Fixler was dazzled by his father's stories of WWII and volunteered for Vietnam to earn his respect. As a teen, Fixler got into his fair share of trouble and that cockiness seeps into these pages. Arrival at the Marine Corps' Parris Island boot camp is compared to "being thrown into a Nazi concentration camp." He celebrates his sexual escapades and never sugarcoats the nasty business of war; he'd do "everything again in heartbeat." Yet as wistful as he is about the "discipline" and "camaraderie" of the Corps, he's unrelenting in his scorn for the soldiers who return in psychological pieces, suggesting that soldiers should just get used to killing. Nowhere near the league of We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, Fixler is nonetheless an intriguing, rare bird: a man who survived "hell in the raw" without a trace of trauma-or remorse.
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Review

This is a powerful and raw book about one man's experience of war in Vietnam. It is unflinching, direct and scary on several different levels. --John D., layersofthought.net

Your stories of combat are timeless and will resonate with warriors across the generations... I am heartened for our nation that this story will remind everyone of you who answered our nation's call. --General James N. Mattis, USMC, commander in chief, U.S. Central Command

No book to date covers a Marine's journey before during and after the Vietnam conflict with so much depth, understanding and passion as Barry Fixler's Semper Cool. His book is a page turner. The pride and brotherhood of the Marine Corps is the star of this great human story. Welcome home brothers. -- --Captain Dan Lauria, USMC (Ret.), AKA Jack Arnold, The Wonder Years

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Exalt Press; First edition (December 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982518404
• ISBN-13: 978-0982518403
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #380,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barry Fixler is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968 and fought on Hill 861-A during the legendary Siege of Khe Sanh. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps in 1973, Fixler used the G.I. Bill to finance his undergraduate degree from the Gemological Institute of America and joined his father in the jewelry business. Today he lives with his wife Linda in Bardonia, N.Y., where he owns Barry's Estate Jewelry.

Barry received national notoriety after successfully defending his life and jewelry store against two would-be armed robbers on Valentine's Day 2005. The point blank shootout was captured by a security camera and was made into a segment for truTV's Most Shocking Videos series. The raw footage of the gunfight is also a popular video on YouTube, which you can find by visiting the Semper Cool Web site: SemperCool.com

Barry has long been aware of his good fortune and has made a point of sharing it. He has aided numerous wounded Marines and soldiers, to whom his loyalties are obvious, but has also helped people who have had no connections to the military. In recognition of his good citizenship and humanitarian efforts, Barry was named 2009 Veteran of the Year by the Rockland County Veterans Coordinating Council.

Barry is donating all of his royalties from Semper Cool to physically wounded combat veterans and the families of our fallen warriors. You can learn more about Barry's foundation, The Barry Fixler Foundation, and monitor the progress of his million dollar goal on his Web site: SemperCool.com.

Barry welcomes all feedback and questions.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great memoir February 14, 2011

By raymond rothfeldt

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is easily one of the best memoirs of the Vietnam War I've read. Unlike contemporary remembrances, the book steers clear of the politics of the era and doesn't seek to pass judgement on anyone's motives or actions. It's a simple telling of one grunt's adventures and misadventures during his tour. In it, Barry Fixler describes how he was transformed from an upper-middle class Jewish kid from Long Island into a battle hardened combat veteran. At times humorous (one story regarding a patrol had me rolling on the floor, I was laughing so hard) and at times dramatic and wrenching, there can be no doubt that this was written from the heart of a Marine. One word of warning: this book is written by a combat veteran and doesn't hold back when relating the horrors of war or the ways Marines tend to spend their liberty time. If you're the squeamish type, be prepared.

If you're interested in military history, the Vietnam Era or he Marine Corps, you definitely need to read this book. If your're just interested in getting a good read that will both entertain and make you think a bit about some of life's existential questions, you should get this book. As an added bonus, Barry is donating all of his proceeds to assist wounded veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Memoir! March 5, 2011

By Mandy

Format:Hardcover

Cover

At first glance, a person may only see three guys laughing at the camera. Looking closer, and after reading the title, you realize these guys are Marines ... and one of them is holding a human skull. I enjoyed seeing smiling faces on the cover of a book about the military. Most of the time the people pictured are so solemn (and with good reason).

What most intrigued me about this cover was the knowledge about the photo the reader gained. In the book, Barry (the author and middle guy in the cover photo ... yes, the one holding the skull) lets you know that the guy on the left died shortly after the photo was taken and the guy on the right lost both of his legs ... proving what Barry was told when he arrived in Vietnam: that he had a 1 in 3 chance of leaving Nam in tact, which meant without dying or losing any body parts. Now, look at the cover again and tell me its not poignant or awe-inspiring.

Plot

I love the way this Marine's story was told. Normally, I don't believe a book summary that declares you should "Be prepared to laugh and cry and ultimately thank God for the men and women willing to sacrifice their lives for the freedoms that so many Americans enjoy." But, you know what? I did just that. I laughed. I cried. And, in the end, I did thank God for the men and women who serve in our military and for allowing me to have been born in America with all of our freedoms. It was, truly, a humbling reminder that "freedom isn't free."'

Characters

Well, I cannot name them all by name because the fact of the matter is that the "characters" in this book are the U.S. Marines. I hold high regard for all branches of the military and those that serve under their banners. My regard began with my grandfather, who was an Army man and fought in Korea. All military personnel, past and present, are highly honorable and should always be treated with the utmost respect.

Overall

I think you may have already gathered that I love this book. It has become one of my faves and one that I will recommend to many people. You are missing out if you do not purchase and read this book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The true-life memoir of a Vietnam veteran February 11, 2011

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Hardcover

Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam is the true-life memoir of a Vietnam veteran. Author Barry Fixler enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a teenager; he experienced terrible violence and hand-to-hand combat at the Siege of Khe Sanh, and gives the reader a boots-on-the-ground view of war. Yet he had positive as well as negative experiences, and ultimately the hardships he endured shaped him into a patriotic American. His story is captivating, inspirational, and unflinching in its chronicle of the good, the bad, and the ugly of war. Through the Barry Fixler Foundation, the author seeks to raise at least one million dollars to benefit physically wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan - one hundred percent of the author's royalties from "Semper Cool" will be donated to this worthy cause.