He Died All Day Long is a story of the Vietnam War and the soldiers who fought it – on both sides – from a street kid in Pittsburgh, to a country boy from Missouri, even a Vietnamese peasant who wants nothing more than to grow rice. Until the war comes to all of them.
Few Episodes in American History have ignited borader political and cultural controversy than our incursion into Vietnam. Time, if not a healer, does take the edge off. We are, thereby, finally seeing an increasing number of books come into the market – fiction and non-fiction- that portray the day-to-day lives of those who served in Vietnam with honesty, respect, and the absence of the author's own ax grinding in the background.
Jon Wells has created such a work. A Marine Corps veteran, he has skillfully used his own experience to create a story about a small group of Army soldiers enduring a seemingly endless patrol. Through the book, he delves into each of them while relating their uniquely American experience that led them to enter the Army.
Thoughtfully written, Wells' easy style never gets in the way. This allows the story to beautifully flow and develop on its own.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the period and the day-to-day experience of those who served.
