Literary Nonfiction. California Interest. Biography. Thomas White was a nineteen-year-old surfer living a sheltered life in Marin County, California. The year was 1966 and the Vietnam War was ramping up. Tom's idyllic existence was shattered when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Thrust into the heart of an infamous war, he opened his eyes and heart to a foreign land and its people.
As Tom White relates: This is an account of Charlie Battery's time in Vietnam from July 1967 to September 1968. I have a particular Vietnam story to tell, and I hope this book accomplishes that mission. He shares insights about the relationships formed, experiences encountered, and the horror of war during this brief moment in a historic time. In addition to searing memories, Tom returned from Vietnam with a portfolio of candid photographs that bear witness to this life-changing experience. His words and pictures illuminate a harrowing tale of war and the transformation of a soldier by chance.