Customer Reviews

When I Was a Young Man: A Memoir by Bob Kerrey

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Another reviewer writes that Sen. Kerrey is quite vague about the events of February 1969 in which Vietnamese civilians are alleged to have been killed execution-style. Even more suprisingly, Kerrey does not really say what he did to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. After reading his book, I have no idea what he did to win his nation's greatest honor. Modesty is admirable, but it can be carried too far.

My primary reaction to this book was that it was exceptionally honest and that the missing details that seem to bother so many folks is a part of the reality of having served in combat. I noticed many similarities to my own life and how I have had to deal with what happened through that "Nam" experience. I have written about some aspects of my own experience and I find that the author deals with every one of those issues. The ambivalence of receiving medals for one's performance in combat is a very complex situation. This isn't a question of humility but rather one of truth. What did I do when I encountered such an unatural ordeal such as combat. The author refers to Camus' novel "The Fall". How true it is as young man trying to determine who you are and how you got there especially in light of this combat experience. Much has been written by better writers about their experiences but I think this author raises more issues honestly than has been written. The pull between the pride of having served and put your life on the line in a thankless situation and the overall shame of having to actually do some of the things that you were called on to do is frightening and unexplicable. The fact that that is an underlying theme throughout the book tells me this author is not hiding anything. The reality of war for young idealistic men can be fatal in more ways than one. The survivors know this to be true. I do not know if Bob Kerrey will write again about this experience, but my hunch is that he will and ought to even if it does not get published. Many of us cannot escape that part of our lives no matter how many years have passed. The author seems to have done extremely well on the surface but down deep he is like many of our generation deeply troubled by his experience.For those who don't get that out of this book, I don't think trying to explain it will help them. This is a good book and belongs with the Tim O' Briens and Phil Caputos. It helps us to understand more clearly just what went on in the 60's and where we have come since.

It is almost heartbreaking the way people on both the left and the right have torn apart this book in customer reviews. Although I think it merits probably 4 1/2 stars, I think Bob Kerrey has told an excellent story. Furthermore, he is honest, forthright, and writes in a readable workmanlike prose style. As one of the other favorable reviewers mentioned, Kerrey cannot win. But, as far as I can tell, isn't this the way we've always treated Vietnam veterans? From the "fever swamps" on the far left, we have outrageous charges of war crimes. If some of these folks had their way, all Vietnam veterans would be put to trial. The circumstances for Kerrey were so murky, frightening, and potentially deadly in his first fire-fight, that the outcome is not altogether surprising. On the right-wing, we have the criticisms about his current opposition to the war, even though he was a willing conscript in the late 1960s. As far as I can tell, if you do not believe in the politics of the right-wing these days, even if you are patriotic, love your country, and would fight to the death for it, your are labeled, more or less, a traitor. The middle ground, where good, centrist men and women are most likely to fall, is a vast swath of America, to which this book undoubtable appeals. I just wish more of them would write customer reviews. I graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1995, and am proud to be a fellow alumni with Mr. Kerrey.

So what can one glean from this autobiography? At the very least, one can learn about a young man growing up in midwest America, studying to be pharmacist, becoming a SEAL and then a veteran of Vietnam who triumphed against adversity. The author is amazingly modest about the history of America from WWII up to the 80's. From a distance, the picture of the front cover looks quite like Elvis in disguise and back cover bears the photo of Tom Brokaw. Check out the book from local library and take a closer look at the cue.

In today's warping wind of political correctness, Bob Kerrey just can't win. Because "When I Was a Young Man", Bob Kerrey's autobiography, was so plain, so unpolished, and so unapologetic. In brief, it is a story of an ordinary American, who lives an extraordinary life in its own right. The undaunting title is penned by a living character, a patriot who serves his beloved country. And yet such a heroic character does not hesitate to be an outspoken conscience and sounding board on difficult issues. On one hand, the author's attitude toward Vietnam War was obviously pronounced, knowing only too well that "moral failure is a taboo" for the establishment. On the other hand, author has shown great pride in the military history, training and service---just count the number of pages devoted to the military matter.

I must say that Kerrey's book is most impressive. I was expecting the usual political memoir that highlights the authors recognized accomplishments and exploited good deeds. However, Kerrey's memoir was much more. Very little was spent on Kerrey's political career, rather it was an honest recollection of his days as a young man growing up in a turbulent time.

The most impressive memories were those of his recovery from wounds suffered in Vietnam and the subsequent pain and guilt that accompanied him long after the war had ended. He recalls this bitter time with an almost eerie honesty. He discusses the guilt he felt for his role in the Vietnam war, and his disenchantment with the American political machine. This paradox between war hero and disillusioned citizen shows the complexities of war, and life.

Kerrey's book displays a human side of politicians that is rarely seen, either because these emotions taint their image, or in the case of many politicians it doesn't exist. It is a terrible shame that more men like Bob Kerrey refrain from entering politics. America would be a much better place.

This is the story of Bob Kerrey coming of age.

We get a portrait of what sounds like a pretty typical 1940's and 50's upbringing of a Midwestern boy in a large middle class family. That boy goes off to Vietnam as a Navy Seal and loses part of his leg -- as well as his innocence.

Bob Kerrey's book is about the best I've seen of those biographies done by presidential wannabe's (he arguably was still in play when this was written). By that I mean it is less self serving and more honest (mistakes made, mindsets typical of his time and place held, no claims to have embraced our current societal mores before his time, etc.). Kerrey talks of his mistakes, fears and misdeeds as well as his hopes and dreams. Nothing rocked his world and he was on track to be a faceless part of our country's backbone (town pharmacist in the middle of Nebraska) who you'd never heard of until Vietnam changed him.

His experiences left him critical of his country's leadership and wary of war after he witnessed combat first hand and suffered a debilitating wound during his service in the Mekong River Delta. He came back to the war a better informed citizen (in his portrayal) who had real personal objections to continued involvement in Vietnam (and to his credit didn't lead any wholesale condemnation of his soldier peers like the other Senator named Kerry (no relation and no "e").

The book ends with his discharge from the naval hospital in Philadelphia and also with a postscript on a minor thread of the story. His father had a brother lost in the Philippines during WWII who Kerrey never even knew existed until he accidentally came across a picture of the man. His father, stereotypically reluctant to talk about his war experiences or the pain of his loss, finally asked Kerrey near his death to find out what happened to his brother. This Kerrey did during his first term in the Senate. This forgotten uncle didn't explain Kerrey as much as tie in the tragedy that is war -- even "good" wars like WWII.

This is a very personal story, tightly written in simple and plain sentences. It is an easy read, but also has the feel of honesty because of its lack of varnish as well as adjectives or claimed insights which many politicans doing bios place in their works to relfect on their future potentials as opposed to describing their past experiences.

All in all a quick read that helps explain Bob Kerrey, a former Governor, Senator, current college president who was known as both quirky and thoughtful and independent.

Bob Kerrey has a great story to tell. Unfortunately, he doesn't tell it in this book. He's done so many things and has been through so much, yet he doesn't write about it. It was a very bland book. I've heard him often on IMUS and know he can say some interesting stuff. I really looked forward to reading this book and maybe supporting him in 04 or 08 for president. What a disappointment! I wish he would write another book and fill in all the parts missing in this book.

"When I was a Young Man", a memoir of Bob Kerrey is a historical autobiography of an American veteran's life of how he was motivated to join the army for the Vietnam War. Kerrey's purpose of writing this story was to pay recognition to his Uncle John in World War II. However, during his researches on his Uncle, he realizes his own epiphany in life. Kerrey includes many remarkable and memorable events of his life in this autobiography. Now and then, he includes unnecessary details of no significance to his motivation to join the army, thus making the autobiography long and sparingly boring. For example, he writes of events and places he did for two or three days on his vacation. His details on such events were irrelevant to the central idea of his reasons for the army and its effect on his life after he came back from the Vietnam War. On the other hand, Kerrey's use of trouble-free vocabulary makes his book presentable to all ages. He also includes vivid imagery when trying to describe his discipline experience in the army. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in joining the army or need inspirational advices on life. Kerrey includes many of such events in his life for he himself went through them. It is an easy to read book and contains many pictures of his childhood life.

I thought this was a very interesting account of the experiences of a seemingly average midwestern young man through the horrors of what was Vietnam. Unlike another reviewer below, I thought Kerrey was very forthcoming about his experience. He may not have gone into as much detail about what actually occurred, but was very honest about the psychological impact that the events had on his life. I highly recommend this book.

Bob Kerrey has written a very sad book -- which reflects poorly on the underbelly of the 60's generation he came from.

Kerrey is a former SEAL in the U.S. Navy who won the Congressional Medal of Honor while serving in Vietnam. Following his Navy service and a successful career as an entrepreneurial businessman, he was elected governor of Nebraska, and later as a U.S. Senator. He had been considered a possible nominee for President of the United States, and he is now serving as president of the New School in New York.

That is a distinguished career indeed, but what we discover in Kerrey's memoir, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG MAN, is that he has spent most of his life being the wrong man, in the wrong place, in the wrong time.

Like many of his generation, the defining experience in Kerrey's life was Vietnam. Alas, it was not a happy experience.

Last year, Kerrey received extensive publicity when it was revealed that he was involved in a firefight in Vietnam that may have resulted in the deaths of civilian women and children. Kerrey has expressed remorse about that incident, and in the second half of his book, he tries to give an explanation on how and why he found himself in a very difficult situation in a remote village on the coast of the Mekong Delta.

What we see in this book, and through Kerrey's explanation, is a very young, frightened young man who cannot shake his insecurities.

His story is a very sympathetic one, and we should all applaud the fact the Kerrey has the courage to tell it. It may help a lot of people face up to any number of private torments they are trying to cope with.

That said, it's clear that Kerrey should never been a SEAL, and he should probably never been a public servant, least of all in the White House. He may have been courageous in dealing with the aftermath of his experiences in Vietnam and the terrible injury he suffered (he lost part of his leg), but he doesn't seem to have the necessary courage of conviction to be a good leader.

All candidates for the SEAL program go through psychological testing before they are admitted to the rigorous training that turns young men into guerrilla fighters. Presumably, Kerrey went through that testing program, but if he did, he should have been screened out, because from the day he entered the training, he had doubts about what he was doing.

In 1968, in the midst of his rigorous training for Vietnam, Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek reelection, effectively reversing his Vietnam policies that led to the buildup in the war.

"I was relieved that the war would be ending before I was ready to go," Kerrey writes. "I thought the reason for our involvement -- the freedom and self determination of the South Vietnamese -- could not be so important after all if we were willing to negotiate it away to North Vietnam."

Later, while training with the Army in Georgia Kerrey went to Florida to visit with his father and, Kerrey, writes: "...I decided to push past my father's defense and my fear to tell him that I was worried I would not perform well in combat. Although I acted the part of the tough-guy SEAL, I knew this mask would not get me through the ordeal of Vietnam." But even then his courage failed him, and he was unable to bring up his doubts about himself in the face of his father's pride about what he was doing.

Within weeks, Robert Kennedy was shot and killed and Kerrey expresses further doubts about himself: "I liked him (Robert Kennedy) because I though he would end the war before it was time for me to go. My reasons were personal and not geopolitical. I had neither a deep-seated moral opposition to the war nor a reasoned alternative to fighting the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese. I just preferred to miss this one if possible, and to do so without my having to refuse to go. As long as the war continued, it was my duty to serve, and I would serve enthusiastically."

That was a tragic mistake -- for Kerrey, the men he was supposed to lead, and not incidentally, the Vietnamese he was ultimately to kill.

Kerrey spends relatively little time in his memoir giving details of the incident in the village of Thanh Phong in Thanh Phu province. The incident involving the killing of civilians represented Kerrey's first firefight after only five weeks in Vietnam. "I did not have to give an order to begin the killing, but I could have stopped it and I didn't." He and his men were compromised, he said, so they opened fire and withdrew. It was not an especially valiant mission. Only a week or so later, Kerrey took his men on a second mission -- the one where he lost his leg. His tour in Vietnam was over only after seven weeks in country.

Anyone who likes war and all it involves is a psychopath. But sometimes wars are necessary, and when they are (we have learned from the experience in Vietnam) it is an absolute requirement that a war be prosecuted effectively and quickly with victory as the ultimate, unshakeable objective. In Vietnam, the United States did exactly the opposite and the war dragged on for a full decade under Johnson, McNamara and Nixon with devastating consequences on the people of Vietnam -- and the psyche of the Kerrey generation.

SEALs are trained to be ruthless warriors in the prosecution of the war. They require skills, to be sure, but also the courage of their convictions, and Kerrey clearly had neither courage nor convictions.

That became very obvious when, out of the blue, he was notified that he was being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He should have refused it. He admits as much, but he says he was persuaded to accept it -- from Richard Nixon, whom he despised -- by his Naval colleagues who told him he should accept on behalf of all his SEAL colleagues -- even though Kerrey knew that the citation describing his heroism was a sham.


The writer served in Vietnam as a member of SEAL Team Two.