Customer Reviews

The War Behind Me: Vietnam Veterans Confront the Truth about U.S. War Crimes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This book was a decent read--troubling subject matter, but worthwhile. The book references a variety of archived material and includes anecdotes collected from Vietnamese people. It's a reminder of the ugliness and blurred morality of war and how easily these facts can be obscured when they are counterproductive to an agenda.

As for the notion that most Winter Soldier testimony was phony, this is unfortunately misinformation, as can be plainly seen in public congressional record. It's unfortunate that people can post thinly veiled propaganda in a review and with no references to boot. For shame...

You can read original documents created by the Army CID investigators who interviewed the Winter Soldier participants here:

http://www.wintersoldier.com/staticpages/index.php?page=WSI_CID

When Nelson and Nick Turse published the basis for this book in the LA Times, I was left to wonder, "Where's the rest of the story?" They had access to the same CID documents I did, yet they totally forgot to mention that 11 of the Army Winter Soldier witnesses repudiated their testimony when questioned by CID and virtually all the rest stonewalled the investigators, some in outrageously arraogant, if not ridiculously comical, terms. And, the Army only investigated about half of the witnesses from the Winter Soldier Investigation in the first place, because half of them made no substantive allegations of criminal wrong doing at all, just badmouthed the military and the country, and several could not be found at all - which does not prove that those several were frauds, but does make you wonder.

Only one of the Winter Soldier stories investiagted by the Army CID in the 1970s proved to be based in fact - that of Jamie Henry. So, when reading this book, keep in mind what you read with your own eyes in these CID documents.

What happened at the Winter Soldier Investigation had nothing to do with whatever happened, or did not happen, in Vietnam. It was a stand alone propaganda exercise, having little to do with facts or the truth.

To extrapolate, from the several hundred crimes committed over a dozen years during a conflict involving three million U.S. soldiers during a viscious unconventional war, to this blanket libel against the United States, is a crime in itself against both history and our country. But propagandists don't have scruples about the truth. Their pre-set agenda determines all.

This is an excellent, long overdue investigative report. The notion that we should not analyze American atrocities in Vietnam because that somehow neglects, refutes or challenges the notion of real heroism among our troops is complete nonsense. It is faulty logic. The story of heroism in Vietnam is another story.

The impact of this story, on how a few misguided, confused and freighted young men misinterpreted or failed to challenge orders, how some criminals took it upon themselves to violate the US Armed Forces laws of acceptable conduct, and how the result of these failures was the murder of innocent men, women and children is dramatic.

This is especially true now when we have sent more young men and women into an unnecessary war, armed to the teeth and with unclear orders as to who the enemy is and who they are to shoot. And it is significant because it demonstrates clearly the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and the Winter Soldiers were in fact telling the truth. Thankfully Nelson offers this vindication while many of these heroes are still alive. Frankly, it takes far more courage to challenge your own government and its values than it does to go to war.

In war, you have the support of your government, your leaders and your fellow soldiers. You are forced to do your duty (or you are jailed or sent home). When you stand up to your government's policies and actions, you do so alone and you do so unarmed for the challenge. Nelson salutes those with enough courage and honor to demand the US maintain its position as the force of right in the world. Treason occurs when the misguided fail to realize the importance of holding those who violate the laws of this country responsible for their own selfish reasons. Clearly, the people in the system failed in regards to upholding the rule of law. Nelson demonstrates clearly the failure to do so still impacts our politics, our military and ultimately our way of life.

This is a terrific book that should be in every high school career counselor's office. As the testimony of these American soldiers tells us, atrocity was not rare, but was the stuff of day-to-day life. It is no doubt part of the soldier's life in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is nothing noble about killing children and civilians, but that is what war is, and the many, many veterans from Vietnam who are on the streets or are still suffering from PTSD tell us that this is not what humans are built to do.
Kathy Barker

The subject matter of this book can be very polarizing, emotional and difficult to internalize. The credentials of the author are solid and her skills "manage" the presentation well. If you were not part of these stories you can only imagine but not likely understand. There is no substitute for having been present. Excellent value.

This book is a critical overview of the inhuman war-crimes in Vietnam, not just acts by rogue soldiers, but numerous atrocities ordered by commanders, carried out by many soldiers and covered up by our Government. This book should not be lumped in with the liberal media or viewed as left-wing propaganda; it is a detailed account of facts by countless honorable soldiers of all political views, many of whom were highly decorated. The soldier's story that begins and ends this book has been constantly reinforced not only by his infantrymen, but by the endless classified documents filed by the US Government, as hundreds others have as well. This book is well written and consolidates a great deal of previously unknown information regarding this issue.

The subject is an important one as the U.S. seems to be finding itself in a series of wars where the population is 'neutral' and the fighting is frustrating and tedious to the point of rage.

But there are three things one should consider when reading TWBM, by Ms. Nelson. One, she is hardly a decent investigative reporter. I've read high school "what I did last summer" reports that are more interesting and informative. Her questions to the participants were more Barbara Walters than anything else. "How do you feel about atrocities?" "Did you see anyone else commit atrocities?"

Two, she begins her book with the case of a 19year old self-described hippie who was arrested for dodging the draft board, jailed for a time and then sent to Vietnam as a Conscientious Objector/medic. Is there ANY reason to believe this guy would be a credible source of information about the military folks he evidently didn't like or respect?

Three, Ms Nelson seems to think that repeating the sheer volume of incidents should make us believe that our troops were just a step above the Gestapo. Here are a couple of 'charges': "Antiwar activist reported he had seen a photo of a mutilated body of a girl." Wow, let's get some investigators on that one.
Or this one: "POW reported he was forced to shave off mustache." I can just see Brando sitting in the dark rubbing his bare head-The horror. The horror.
Or a more maddening one: "Deliberate bombing of a Cambodian hospital." Pure drivel. Never happened.
Listed in Ms Nelson's book are 56 incidents/charges/investigations having to do with killing civilians. All serious. All should be investigated. (Is that about one every two months? In a country that suffered hundreds of thousands dead including maybe a million ARVN by the North Vietnamese who were just passing through a sovereign nation)But "every day occurance?" Give me a break.

Were there atrocities? Every rape, every beating, every death, diminishes us all. We, the veterans, were ashamed of them and incredibly angry at the perpetrators. But in my three years in theater, I heard of maybe five or six. I've spent years and years writing about the war and studying it. Battle-field atrocities were not a significant issue in the war. Yes, yes, I know. One is too many. What about the innocent civilians who died? Horrible.

Look, if someone of you think you know a way you can send 18 and 19 yearold kids to a foreign land with guns and absolute power over the natives and not have any trouble in ten years, you better get yourself down to boot camp and start the training. AND think about it before you launch the next few hundred thousand into combat!

The book stinks because it is so poorly constructed that there is nothing to refute. She makes no real claims. She raises no new issues. I assume she just wanted to strike her little blow against the Vietnam Vets and those nasty American troops in general.

We need to drill and drill our troops about the angst and frustration of operating with civilians in the middle of combat. Books like this won't help. They just make people (people like vets and people who have a lick of common sense) angry and feed the garbled mind of someone on this page who thought every student should read this book. Lord help us.

The "thiness" of the book and the lack of any interpretation or contextualization of the incidents, comments on combat in general, the Vietnam War in particular, leave this book in the propaganda pile.

A last thought. Take out the phrase "body count" and this book is about fifty pages shorter. That issue as a cause of atrocities, and in fact as a cause of anything, has been written about and discredited a long time ago. Ms. Nelson had ample reason to research the issue if it was to be such a prominent part of her book.

VVAW? Kerry? It is to laugh.I personally know one of that fraudulent group.He is still lying to everyone he meets.Do NOT take any bets that those boys can back up any of their charges.

Okay, can't resist one more. I have never heard of a live Vietnamese being thrown from an aircraft of any kind. And I know a hell of a lot of pilots. Just one more 'catch phrase' that the antiwar crowd fell for

The title of my review is not directed at the author's ability or style, rather the subject matter and delivery. This is a difficult book to read due to the events and atrocities described. The book is very well written and documented with scores of references to official documents and other sources. Many documents and records are reproduced in full with only names redacted. There is also a full bibliography and two excellent appendix sections. A map or maps would have been handy for those less informed of the geography of Vietnam.

The author postulates that many of these events were driven by the involved soldiers' frustration of finding themselves in a quagmire armed conflict with successes measurable only by body count. All war is a crime and Vietnam was certainly no exception. It remains beyond argument however, that the overwhelming majoriy of US (and their allied forces) served honorably. A fact that is never mentioned in this work which is extremely troubling.

I also became extremely tired of the near constant references and comparisons to the current conflicts (and alleged war crimes committed) in Iraq and Afghanistan. I could have done without this editorial slant which tainted the work and made me suspect the author's motivation. I had purchased as a true military history and did not expect or appreciate this discussion. The book also relies heavily on the Winter Soldier Hearings from the 1970's which although topical remain suspect. If not for these issues the book would have received a higher rating from this reviewer.

From a historical point of view this book is a train wreck! It utterly amazes me that someone so uninformed can actually try and rewrite history. More upsetting are the people who are so willing to believe this slanderous editorial. I was there and I find this book to be an outrage and a direct affront to the many brave men who laid down their lives to protect the very women and children Ms. Nelson claims they slaughtered.

Putting this book in any school curriculum would be the epitome of defamation and slander and the ultimate disrespect to the brave men and women who served in this conflict. This book is not a factual account of the conflict and does not represent the conduct of the soldiers who fought this war.

I have just watched Deborah Nelson on C-Span 2, talking about her recent book, The War Behind Me. As a Vietnam vet I am totally disgusted, not with the subject of her book, but what I percieve to be an attitude I can only describe as "Gotcha Glad." Perhaps Ms. Nelson has a physical problem with her face and if so, I apologize, but her voice tone matched the constant grinning and smirking as she discussed her book. I have never been so damned disgusted with a reporter in my life, with the exception of Dan Rather. This person won a Pulitzer? Good god!

Ms. Nelson. Your subject is serious. You need to adopt the same tone in talking to audiences.