Echoes of the Rain : Battles and Blessings: A Tour of Duty in Vietnam

Ruck up. Hump the Green. Follow an infantry officer’s 365-day tour in Vietnam, from arrival in-country to the long-awaited flight home. Through the experiences of one young lieutenant, this book traces the rhythms that defined the Vietnam War for thousands of American soldiers: patrols in the Bush, long periods of waiting interspersed with sudden bursts of violence, and the steady pressure of heat, fatigue and uncertainty. In the Bush, rank was a matter of only minor importance as the unit survives and carries itself through boredom, pain, and occasional frightened combat. Officers and enlisted men alike learned quickly that authority meant little without the confidence of the unit. Men are forced to conform to the organization's immediate needs and to work within the unit to ensure the survival of all. The experience, common to all, created a new family—a family born and bonded in the associations of a tour, a family that will transcend all others for the duration of one’s life. Moving day by day through a full tour, this memoir offers a ground-level view of how young Americans adapted to war. It captures the bonds formed under strain, the adjustments required to function in a combat zone, and the lasting impact of a year spent in the Bush. Through one officer’s account, readers gain insight into the shared patterns that shaped the experience of many who served in Vietnam.