Season of Need

Some stories spring from pure imagination, mere reflections of an author s perception of reality. Others, like this one, are forged in the mud and misery of actual conflict. In the decaying jungles and fetid rice paddies of South Vietnam, a diverse band of soldiers and civilians endures a harrowing year of combat that will continue to haunt them for more than three decades. Their season of need reveals not only the horror of war, but also the possibility of finding solace and purpose in the most unlikely of places.

In 1970, Captain Book arrives in Ba Xuyen Province of the Mekong Delta, supremely confident in his mission to help bring the Vietnam War to a swift conclusion. There, he meets his Vietnamese counterpart, Captain Nguyen Van Tranh, and a bond forms between them as they work side by side to restore public confidence in the South Vietnamese government. Surrounded by a unique cast of allies, they confront violence, heartbreak, and moments of profound humanity that lay bare the fragile fabric of human relationships. In the crucible of combat, their friendship becomes a testament to selflessness and sacrifice. Even in the darkest moments, solidarity and hope can rise from the ashes of war.

A retired US Army infantry officer, Michael Barry Keck has served in several command and staff assignments around the world to include Germany, Vietnam, and Korea. During his tour in Vietnam, he served as a military advisor in the Mekong Delta. His combat experiences there provide much of the background for this story. While assigned to the Pentagon, he served as a speech writer initially for the Secretary of the Army and later as a special writing assistant and project officer to the Secretary of Defense. He has attended numerous military schools to include the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and subsequently a national security fellowship at the John Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he co-authored The Future of NATO. Upon his retirement from the Army, he served three years as a national security advisor to the royal family in Saudi Arabia. He lives with his wife Monica in Munich, Germany and Naples, Florida.