Two weeks after arriving in South Vietnam in 1967, the author experiences firsthand the battle with the Viet Cong for which he was trained. But no amount of training quite prepares a nineteen year old youngster for the
turmoil that he's suddenly thrown into in a foreign land.
Through three major battles and several smaller skirmishes, the author vividly portrays the innermost fears, emotional trauma and the sight of death as he learns the brutal lessons of war.
"Lord, send an earthquake! Let this ground open up!" is a plea only an infantryman who has been pinned down under the unmerciful fire of the enemy can truly understand.
The war in Vietnam was no longer a matter of daily statistics. It suddenly became personal.
