Ghost Writer

Rating:
Summary: One Year of Hell: The Story of A Navy Medic in Viet Nam
Review: This book is the account of a Midwestern teenager's life-altering year as a Navy medic on a hospital ship off of the coast of Viet Nam in 1967. His heroic and often heart wrenching experiences are eye-opening narratives of a side of combat that is not often seen, that of the medics that treat the wounded. The author is affecting and engaging and quickly draws you in to the crowded environment and break-neck pace of combat medicine aboard ship. Patients treated are introduced in the format of letters written home to America or to the patients' families. Hence the title: Ghostwriter; the medics wrote letters for all of those who could not write themselves. You find yourself cheering for those who defied all odds and survived to return home. Your heart breaks for the many who did not.
This is a valuable resource for those who are searching for information and background on America's ugliest war. All Viet Nam era vets will recognize this heart-wrenching plea for peace and the profound hope that this type of loss of young men just starting their lives never happens again.
I congratulate the author for the compassion and dedication that he and his fellow medics in all branches of the military have always displayed.