Vietnam Soldier: My Platoon - Paperback

by Gary L. Gresh (Author)

The poignant story of one platoon of soldiers in the Vietnam War as told by their young lieutenant who led them for one year in the jungles and mountains around Hue City, South Vietnam. It puts to rest the idea that Vietnam soldiers were some kind of monsters or "Baby Killers", but rather they were young men thrown together in a terrible war, who attempted to do the very best they could in some rather bad conditions.He describes his young soldiers in individual chapters exposing their individual personalities and shows that they were a true cross section of America because of the draft that conscripted them into the army of the time. They were young men that did not evade the draft when their country called. They may not have agreed with the cause, but they answered the call of their country. They were true patriots. The book is not so much a war story as it is a timeline of personalities who served in just one platoon for one year in Vietnam. Gary contends that his platoon was not unlike a lot of platoons that served at the time with young draftee soldiers thrown together in the hopeless cause that The Vietnam War became because of the Political decisions of the time. He feels that the Vietnam Veteran was poorly treated during the Vietnam war years and is to this day not understood by many in the country in which they answered the call to duty when selected.

Author Biography

Gary L Gresh is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who lives in the village of Flat Rock, North Carolina. This is his fifth book, and his second book about Vietnam. The first book being a Vietnam Memoir entitled, "My Dearest Darling Barbara" consisting of love letters and added text from his time in Vietnam 1969-1970. Gary is a historian by heart and education and loves the historical novel as a means to bring history alive to today's audience. An Authorized OSHA Trainer from the U.S. OSHA Outreach Institute, he also holds two advanced academic degrees and is a graduate of The Army War College. His passion for his Vietnam soldiers led to the writing of both of his Vietnam era books. He and his wife of 50 years, Barbara, moved to Flat Rock after his 30-year career as a Paratrooper in the US Army. He served 15 years in both Infantry and Adjutant General Branches of the US Army during his 30-year career. A distinguished Officer, he served in mostly Special Operations Units in both branches of the Army and was awarded over 22 Army awards during his career. He commanded an infantry platoon in Vietnam, a Special Forces A-Team in Germany, a Battalion at Fort Jackson, S.C. and a Brigade sized unit of the 18th Airborne Corps in Operation Desert Storm in 1990-91. His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Two Bronze Stars, and The United States Army Distinguished Service Medal awarded by the Secretary of The Army upon his retirement as the Nation's 20th Commandant of the Adjutant General Corps in 1998. Colonel Gresh is also an inductee in the US Army's AGC Hall of Fame for his distinguished service to the US Army from 1968-1998.