A Week in Vietnam - Paperback

by William Michael Murray (Author)

During a North Vietnamese offensive in 1972, a young Naval Officer is sent from Guam to Vietnam for a week to see if he can resolve the resupply problems that the ships he is assigned to are having. Prior to leaving Guam, his marriage has broken up and he finds himself having an affair with a married woman, Sarah.

What he experiences in Vietnam is not at all what he expected. He knew that he probably wouldn't be actively involved in combat, but he wasn't prepared for the insanity that he would experience. In his quiet times, he thinks of Sarah. On his way back to Guam, he realizes that although he was unalterably changed by Vietnam, Sarah and his sense of humor allowed him to return - relatively unscathed.

"A Week in Vietnam" chronicles the irrational experiences and people he encounters while trying to accomplish what he was sent to Vietnam to do. He comes to realize that in the final analysis, even if he succeeds in his mission, it probably won't make any difference. His experiences are often humorous but are also noble, poignant, and occasionally tragic. This book isn't about combat. It's about what the 85% of Vietnam Veterans, who never saw combat, experienced. If you are a Vietnam Veteran and your grandchildren want to know what it was really like, give them this book.

Written with beautiful simplicity, honesty, and intelligence, the book gives us an understanding of what happens to those we send to war and why they change - even if they never carry a gun or grenade. It is a short, powerful story of the resilience of heart and humor. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever gone to war or cares about someone who did.