Brutality of War, The: A Memoir of Vietnam - Hardcover

Dark, Gene

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1589807154 ISBN 13: 9781589807150

Publisher: Pelican Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

A US Marine Corps Vet offers a gripping firsthand account of fighting on the frontlines of Vietnam in this hard-hitting memoir.

In 1968, nineteen-year-old Gene R. Dark joined the Marine Corps. It was the height of the Vietnam War, and Dark was assigned to Fox Company, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines―one of the most decorated companies to be deployed there. A carefree young man when he had entered the service, Dark was soon transformed into a hardened soldier.

Dark recounts his experience in the notoriously dangerous Arizona Territory, humping through the swampy jungles, forging a brotherhood with his fellow soldiers, and watching many of those same comrades die in combat. While Dark found solace in surrendering his fate on the battlefield to God, it took him many years to find peace with his experiences.

A tribute to every man and woman who has served the United States, this moving account demonstrates the exacting price of war on America and her many fallen, forgotten, and heroic soldiers.

About this title

About the Author

Gene R. Dark is a managing partner of Port City Construction Company and chief operations officer of Graywood, a master planned community, and Gray Plantation Golf Course in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1970, in the Second Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, First Marine Division. For his courageous efforts during combat in Vietnam, Dark received several honors, including the Purple Heart.  Dark holds a business degree from McNeese State University and an SEC license with Merrill Lynch. He is the son of legendary professional shortstop Alvin Dark. When not busy with his successful construction business, Dark, a private pilot, enjoys flying and playing golf. He lives with his wife, Nettie, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

From the Back Cover

"Dark's story is powerful and relevant in a time when our country is yet again at war."
-Greg Langley, books editor, Baton Rouge Advocate

In 1968, nineteen-year-old Gene R. Dark joined the Marine Corps at the height of the Vietnam War. The horrors of combat forced the young man to grow up quickly as he endured the visceral and painful world of war. A member of the Fox Company, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines-one of the most decorated marine companies to serve in Vietnam-Dark experienced the ineffable shock, grief, and terror of serving his country while fighting for survival in the Quang Nam Province.
An honest and candid memoir, this work captures the emotions of war that arise from losing friends on the battlefield, killing without remorse, and constantly fearing the loss of one's own life. In his poignant prose, Dark relates the horrifying firefights on the Arizona Territory, juxtaposing the nightmares and losses with vignettes demonstrating the true camaraderie shared amongst his fellow marines.

From the Inside Flap

A gripping firsthand look at the true agonies of war, this hard-hitting memoir shares the combat experiences of Vietnam veteran Gene Dark, who served with one of the most decorated companies in the United States Marine Corps.
Nineteen-year-old Dark joins the Marine Corps at the height of the Vietnam War and is immediately thrown into the stark reality of the battlefield. Quickly transformed into a hardened soldier and forced to endure the terror of firefight and the rigors of combat, Dark experiences shock and grief as he watches his closest friends fall. However, it is Dark's tremendous guilt after taking another human being's life that leaves an indelible mark upon his soul.
The Brutality of War is not only Dark's recollections of an unpopular, rancorous conflict, but also his own private perspective on the nature of war itself as experienced in the murky jungles of Vietnam.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pelican Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1589807154
• ISBN 13: 9781589807150
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192