MWSA Book Review

Born in the 40's, Raised in the 50’s, Died in the 60's

Authors:  George Brondsema

Publisher: Publish America

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

Moving & Gripping Memoir of a USMC Vietnam Veteran

I was moved and brought back to my own memories of the Vietnam War, by reading author George Brondsema’s sobering account of his life and his two tours of duty back in the 1960’s. The book, called “Born in the 40's, Raised in the 50’s, Died in the 60's,” is a good look at the soul of a PTSD Vietnam veteran. You can feel the emotional pain as he re-lives the events that brought about his spiritual and physical wounds.

During Brondsema’s second tour as a Marine grunt up around Khe Sanh, his unit was hit hard. Most all of the men were wounded or killed. That event in 1968 has stayed with George all these years and today he is still trying to deal with those issues. What happened and how he handles all the terror and reality of war is what makes this book a good and insightful read. Other veterans may be able to identify with the author and perhaps, be able to recognize their own behaviors—so they can begin their own healing process.

The author takes us through several long decades of his live and what motivated him to keep moving forward with his life—even if that meant working three jobs and 100 plus hours a week! Staying busy took away the need to have to deal with the PTSD issues he had.

The reader will come away from this book wanting to give George a huge welcome home hug and to thank him for his service to his country. You will find some very raw honesty and emotional pain near the end of the book where he inserts his poetry. He gives a voice to his pain and spiritual wounds.

This is a book you will not forget having read. The experiences of this young Marine grunt will stay with you for a while. His story is riveting!

Reviewer: Joe Fabel – MWSA Review Board

The power of this book is its honesty in presenting the internal pressures felt by the author. He served two tours in Vietnam; near the end of the second he found himself undergoing treatment for wounds. There were physical wounds suffered from the same mortar shell which had killed buddies and wounded others.

The more excruciating wounds were within the mind and the personality. George paid dearly for these psychological scars for so many years following his discharge from the Marines. He wasn’t the only Marine who was so injured; yet the harm was most personal in that it affected his days and nights for many years. He was unable to speak of his experiences and chose to play the most difficult role of keeping the confusion and hurt inside. No one who hasn’t “been there, done that” could truly understand.

Yes, a most grave injustice was foisted upon the returning Vietnam veteran by the American public at large. There were no “Welcome Home Marine”; rather there was voiced the epitaph “You killer, you should be ashamed of what you did!”

George lived a hellish existence during the many years it took to come to grips with his burdensome condition. When he discovered that assisting other Vietnam veterans to come to terms with their haunting dreams, George found contact with others who had also served was therapeutic and cleansing for him personally.

This is an autobiography of a man who had the courage to overcome extreme hardship. And he had the gumption to put his story into print. The reader will discover the true cost of the Vietnam battle which affected so many of our young Americans. "Welcome home Marine!"