As I Recall It: Memories of the Vietnam War

By Raymond Hodgson

As I Recall It is the memories of my personal experience in the Vietnam War- what I saw, felt, and thought during my time there. Barely an adult physically, I was still an adolescent emotionally when I arrived in Vietnam. My military training prepared me for my duties in this war but not for what I would go through personally. This story explains how this war affected me.
Different than many war stories, there is little talk of the horrific battles that often describe a war. But this was no year-long Boy Scout camp out, either. Deaths and injuries were never far from us, and those I witnessed shocked and saddened me. Many thousands of Americans died there, the enormity evident only many years later by a visit to the Vietnam memorial.
The war was fought in the middle of the lives of the Vietnamese people. Destruction was everywhere. Doing our war-thing around people going about their lives was stressful. And we had to deal with the feeling that most of the Vietnamese did not want us there, as well as knowing more than half of America did not support us in this war.
Living every day with none of the comforts of home created an appreciation of all that I have in my life. Daily life was usually boring but interrupted often by absolute chaos, destruction, and death. It was always hot and humid, and dirt and mud were everywhere. My whole life this year was so much different than anything I ever knew before or since.
Being in this war was never comfortable, but I didn't hate it. It all was an adventure for me, experiencing many things I would never have faced otherwise. Some were amazing and some horrifying, but all were things most people only heard about in the news or never heard about at all. This is the story of how I lived during this war, the appreciation I have developed for my life, and the gratitude I have for being an American.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B09PHG39NB
• ISBN13: 9798790970320
• Release Date: December 2021
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"