A Story for All Americans (Vietnam, Victims, and Veterans) [Paperback]

Frank L Grzyb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

A Story for All Americans: Vietnam, Victims, and Veterans (formerly titled, Touched by the Dragon) details wartime accounts of average servicemen and women-some heroic, some frightening, some amusing, some nearly unbelievable. The work is a historical compendium of fascinating and compelling stories woven together in a theme format. What makes this book truly unique, however, is its absence of literary pretentiousness. Relating oral accounts, the veterans speak in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way. As seen through the eyes of the veterans, the stories include first-person experiences of infantry soldiers, a flight officer, a medic, a nurse, a combat engineer, an intelligence soldier, and various support personnel. Personalities emerge gradually as the veterans discuss their pre war days, their training and preparation for Vietnam, and their actual in-country experiences. The stories speak of fear and survival: the paranoia of not knowing who or where the enemy was; the bullets, rockets, and mortars that could mangle a body or snuff out a life in an instant; and going home with a CMH--not the Congressional Medal of Honor, but a Casket with Metal Handles. The veterans also speak of friendships and simple acts of kindness. But more importantly, they speak of healing-both physical and mental.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Purdue University Press (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557531994
• ISBN-13: 978-1557531995
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,109,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent format for a war book., July 6, 2000

By 

Dan Tremblay (Danvers, Ma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Story for All Americans (Vietnam, Victims, and Veterans) (Paperback)

Vietnam Veteran Frank Gryzb came up with an excellent way to convey the many details of the Vietnam war. He interviewed 15 Veterans ranging from infantry men to nurses to cooks and more. The Veterans tell us in their own words what they felt and experienced every step of the way. Gryzb's format took us from the day these kids first enlisted, or were drafted, to the day the book was published some 30 years later. There was a section on nearly everything you could think of. Gryzb would briefly preface each section with some quality information and then the various Veteran quotes would follow. All the bases are covered here, everything from smells to sights to comic relief and everything in between. There is no bias here whatsoever. It's very up close and personal. You really feel like you know these people by the end of the book. But, more importantly you have an accurate account of the various things that happened in that time period as a result of the war. What a great book! This book is highly recommended.