Review of Just War: A Soldier's Revelation by Tom Newman

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Bigwig1973
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Review of Just War: A Soldier's Revelation by Tom Newman

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Just War: A Soldier's Revelation is written by Tom Newman, a United States (U.S.) paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division who, for the most of 1968, participated in the Vietnam Conflict. This particular conflict technically began in the mid-1950s and ended in 1975, but combat troops from the U.S. were directly involved between 1965 and 1973. According to media portrayal in the U.S., American civilians consensus during the conflict was that the U.S. should not have sent troops to South Vietnam. I read an encyclopedia entry on Vietnam and the history of the country is a bit complicated. I think that the justification for the U.S. getting involved came from the South Vietnamese not wanting to be under control of the communist North Vietnamese Army (NVA) or Viet Cong (VC). The media's portrayal of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam was not and is not, in Newman's opinion, either accurate or fair. He is not the only one who feels the conflict has been misunderstood. The situation that developed in Cambodia after the U.S. withdrew their forces from Vietnam is depicted in the film The Killing Fields. I went to see this film with my mother when I was perhaps a bit too young to understand what it was about and so, on a more personal level, I am certainly glad that I read Mr. Newman's book.

Newman left for military training in July of 1967, a month after graduating from high school. He first went to Fort Campbell, then off to basic training, followed by Advanced Infantry Training, and lastly to Jump School. He left for Vietnam in February of 1968 and spent most of his nineteenth year of life in the field. He participated in the Tet Offensive, the Seige of Khe Sanh, and the movement of U.S. troops into A Shau valley. They fought off ambushes, avoiding dangers such as mortar fire, booby-traps, punji sticks, and land mines. He took part in seventy-six helicopter insertions (an insertion means being dropped into hostile territory) with fifty-four of them being "hot LZ'S", which means being dropped into hostile landing zones under fire. In November of 1968, after spending two-hundred and fifty days (with no R&R), carrying at least a ninety-pound pack every day, in 80% humidity, pulling off massive leeches, sometimes wearing wet clothing and boots and sleeping in damp foxholes, he was finally done with combat!

I like how Newman gives the reader some background on Vietnam; he explains the differences between the VC, the Viet Minh, and the NVA, as well as explaining how the U.S. got involved in the first place. He uses the Mayflower Compact and a popular interpretation of the Mayflower Compact to represent how information, even today, is misinterpreted. He also provides the reader with some information the public was not told which helps to explain, in part, why the U.S. went to Vietnam. I had a hard time with the unfamiliar acronyms and terminology, but the author did a nice job defining or explaining most of them so civilians will understand.

The book is rather graphic in some parts so sensitive individuals should read with caution. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam Conflict. I would specifically recommend this book to readers who would like to hear reasons why the U.S. should have gotten involved in Vietnam in the first place. Newman studied theology and his faith is evident throughout the book. He also touches upon spirituality and philosophy, proposing a two-part division of reality: foundational reality is the spiritual aspect while provisional reality is more material. Newman also flatlined while in Vietnam, curiously not directly due to battle but nonetheless, this likely made his already harrowing overall experience even more memorable. Consequently, I would also recommend this book to readers interested in philosophy, theology, spirituality, and because Newman also has a background in psychology, to readers interested in psychology.

That Newman provides justifications for the U.S. sending troops to Vietnam does not mean that he is getting up on a soapbox, so to speak, to chastise the public. Just War: A Soldier's Revelation is not like that. Also, according to additional information I read on Vietnam, I can see why the communists and the public could have misconstrued the intentions of the U.S. That does not mean that they were right to interpret information as they saw fit, or in some cases possibly even project their take on the matter and use that to puppeteer or publicly slander others. Other than learning the meaning of a whole slew of acronyms, I feel that reading Newman's book helped me to understand not only what this experience was like for the servicemen in Vietnam, but also the events leading up to the Vietnam and what happened after the troops were withdrawn. I'm glad he took the time to share some of his experiences.
"...I'd discuss the holy books with the learned man...and that would be the sweetest thing of all...would it foil some vast, eternal plan..." Hamick Fiddler on the Roof

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