About the book: Alone in Vietnam

ALONE IN VIETNAM is a collection of stories of a young draftee and infantry soldier's experiences in the war zone of South Vietnam in 1968 -1969. Robert B. Boyd Jr. tells his stories as he experienced them, raw and powerful, from the grunt's point-of-view, with his own voice, that of a 20-year old American kid suddenly in a foreign jungle, surviving boredom, fear and death.

Photo: Rob in South Vietnam

Rob served in the Army's 196th Light Infantry Brigade from June 3, 1968 - June 3, 1969 (365 days). He was a machine gunner in Company D called “Black Death”. His combat experiences led to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition better understood today, than when he returned in 1969.

Telling stories: a way to healING

___ years after his return from Vietnam, Rob sought treatment for his combat related PTSD symptoms (nightmares, flashbacks, hypersensitivity etc.). This treatment required Rob to remember and own traumatic events that he had suppressed. Rob began telling his stories, owning the narratives, and eventually putting them into book form – the first many copies of which he printed and hand-bound himself. He received this support and therapy at the Vet Center in Rocky Hill, Ct.

Robert B. Boyd died in April 2009. He completed these stories in spring of 2007 after receiving a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. He wrote them knowing that he would not be here to tell them.

The hope is that in reading Rob’s stories, other vets will be encouraged to “own” their equally powerful stories and that their families may have a glimpse into what combat soldiers experience and what horrific memories they carry.

RESPONSE FROM READERS

The stories are sometimes humorous, often powerful and riveting - some readers have reported reading it cover to cover without a break. see detailed response from readers

Editors

Thank you to the editors for ALONE IN VIETNAM: Eileen Stanley, Thomas E. Michaels, Colette Weber