The Girl from Tam Hiep: A Novel from the War

(Paperback)

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Description

It's part love story, part war storya growing up storywith the US Army in the mid Sixties during the American war in Viet Nam. Pvt. Bill Collins lives on the fringe of Long Binh, the worlds largest base camp that's 20 miles or so north of Saigon. He's a participant in the 'Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll' war of legend. Sex is everywhere, booze is everywhere, and danger is everywhere. However, Tam Hiep , the supposed VC town, the Off-Limits town, is accommodating to most everyone who ventures within. It is also a place where love might flourish. Collins and his fellow soldiers meander through their life with the Green Machine, patrolling the surrounding countryside when not on the road to Saigon, or whoreing and drinking in the dives and fleshpots of Bien Hoa. Whether it's flying to Da Nang and Hue or over the road to Phnom Penh with the girl Kim Lon, Pvt. Collins continues on his journey towards love and survival.

Reviews

".........one of a handful of books written on the Viet Nam war that relate to the ordinary GI's daily experiences. A tale of boredom, drunkenness, sexual adventurism and violence...... finely crafted, spare and engaging writing." - David Glaser, PhD, Diplomatic History, Professor Emeritus, SUNY

Author Bio

Born in Plattsburgh NY in 1944. Lived and worked on the farm until being drafted in 1966. Educated in St. Johns Academy and SUNY Plattsburgh. Shipped out to Vietnam with the US Army in Oct. 1966 and returned in Nov. 1967. Married in 1970 and have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Worked in farming and construction for many years. Co-owned bar and restaurant on China Beach in Da Nang for a number of years and traveled extensively throughout Viet Nam on numerous trips to that country since the war's end. Was an embedded journalist numerous times with US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Presently farming and writing.