"unrelenting, authentic.the most vivid exploration of a soldier's conscience we've ever read.eloquent"-- Samisdat ; "a graphic portrait.gripping prose"-- DAV Magazine ; "I don't think I've read another Vietnam narrative that presents a better picture of the participants, both Vietnamese and American, and their shared frustration as the war progressed"--John Clark Pratt, Lt. Col. USAF (ret.), author of The Laotian Fragments ; "[Ehrhart] combines compassion, wit, and a poet's eye for detail with the confessional charm of a bildungsroman: a profoundly moving, authentic work"--Natalie L.M.

Petesch, author of Duncan's Colony; "From the battlefield to the classroom, W.D. Ehrhart has used words to process and protest the Vietnam War, as highlighted by Vietnam Veterans Against the War. A Marine veteran, he transformed his experiences into poetry that is both intimate and political, preserving the memory of combat while critiquing the policies that sent young Americans into harm's way. His voice remains one of the most powerful poetic responses to the conflict.he blends prose with lyrical reflection to show the human cost of war. His writing often juxtaposes the innocence of youth with the brutality of war, exposing the loss of ideals and the cost of patriotism. Unlike more abstract war poetry, his work is grounded in lived detail, making it accessible and deeply moving.

His poetry not only preserves the memory of Vietnam but also challenges readers to reflect on the recurring patterns of militarism in American life."-- Country Adventures.