I Volunteered: Canadian Vietnam Vets Remember [Paperback]

Tracey Arial (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 1998

Everyone knows that Canada sheltered over 30,000 Americans escaping the draft, but not many are aware that for every draft dodger, a Canadian illegally volunteered to fight for the U.S. armed forces in Vietnam. Canadians turned a blind eye to them. Both the Canadian government and the average Canadian chose not to admit that we had any part in America’s dirty war. The Canadian volunteers were the invisible army. Those who returned were shunned or forgotten. I Volunteered is their story.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tracey Arial is a Montreal–based freelance journalist who specializes in profiling ordinary Canadians who have unique experiences. Her work has appeared in the Plattsburgh Press–Republic, Montreal Business Magazine, Toronto Star, Kitchener–Waterloo Record, The Financial Post, and Montreal Gazette.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Watson and Dwyer; 1 edition (January 16, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1896239145
• ISBN-13: 978-1896239149
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,266,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Well intentioned, but with errors., July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: I Volunteered: Canadian Vietnam Vets Remember (Paperback)

Arial's best chapter is the one detailing all the petty, pubescent, "mine is bigger than yours" chicanery that dogged the creation of the North Wall. This is, sadly, an accurate description of a disgusting mentality that plagues Veterans' groups across North America. No government need fear or listen to these characters, who are too busy fighting amongst themselves to make any kind of difference.

Arial also brings to light true heroes like Mike "Iceman" Gillholley, and Ed "Edwardo" Johnson. However, there are some errors.

She writes about the 173rd "Division", the "American" Division, and a Marine "Lieutenant-Corporal." (Should be the 173rd Airborne BRIGADE, the AMERICAL Division and Marine LANCE-Corporal respectively.)

More seriously, she labels as a "benevolent wannabe" a Central America War survivor who has done more than the average Vietnam Vet to advance the Cause in Canada, while inadvertedly promoting one jabroni whose records are completely devoid of any combat action decorations.

Arial did good to write about Veterans when she could have well written about immensely more profitable subjects. However, her investigative techniques need work before she reaches the level of Yves Lavigne and Jug Burkett.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Story about Canada's Dirty Secret, March 8, 2000

By 

Hélèna Katz (Montreal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Volunteered: Canadian Vietnam Vets Remember (Paperback)

This compelling book brings to light the stories and struggles of some of the 50,000 young Canadians who were recruited to fight in the Vietnam War. The U.S. deliberately recruited them, setting up offices in Plattsburgh and Bellingham near the Canadian border. But the Canadian government doesn't recognize these men as soldiers and hasn't provided any of the support services they should've been getting to cope with what they experienced. Consequently, many have suffered in silence. For some, the pain was too great.

Despite the subject matter, this book is hard to put down. It reads like a long magazine article rather than a book. It also changed the way I perceive the men who fought in the Vietnam War. It seems that many bought into the U.S. and Hollywood propaganda about wars and being a soldier. When you're 18 years old, that can be pretty powerful.