When Mr. Herr was in his late twenties, he realized his childhood dream and became an Esquire Magazine correspondent. Quite predictably, he was supposed to cover the Vietnam War that was still in full swing back then. His path proved to be a difficult one, for he was with the Marines during two major operations and numerous battles. He saw the fall of Khe Sahn and the occupation of Hue, the war became a part of his life. Just like the Marines, the correspondent struggled to cope with the violent scenes he saw daily. Alcohol, pills that helped to have a dreamless sleep, and marijuana were the most popular escapes from the reality they were made to lived in.
In spite of the fact that the whole experience was terrible, the Tet Offensive became a breaking-point for him and many other Marines and reporters. The time he spent in a bunker that was surrounded by the NVA could hardly be described as pleasant. Every minute felt like agony. Paralyzed with fear, they expected the NVA dig them out and kill one by one. Again, Mr. Herr was lucky to survive it to tell us the stories that would make blood run cold.
The whole book was supposed to help the Marines – the ones that were going to be forgotten as soon as the war ended – to live in the memory of others. Herr’s stories were not about heroes, they were about every guy – either good or bad – he met on his long way. Sometimes sad, sometimes disturbing, sometimes optimistic, sometimes absolutely mad and heartless, those men couldn’t be deluded into believing that everything was going to be fine. They found themselves trapped in Hell and there was no one to help them.
The most disturbing scenes of the war were described meticulously. Herr didn’t try to improve the Marines’ image, he wanted the world see what a war could do, how quickly a person could be transformed. Wounded, stoned, sleep deprived, and absolutely exhausted, the majority of them knew that it would be impossible to get back to a normal life. There were Marines who frightened even their own comrades who were not prepared for that craziness. The author became their chance to be heard out and if not understood than – at least – not judged.
