This is a memoir about a man who served in the Vietnam War and was severly burned on his face and arms as a result of a land mine. The book tells how he overcame a highly disfiguring injury and did not let that fateful day define him. He became a Washington news reporter, overcoming the stares from the public. He searched for meaning beyond that fateful day in Vietnam. "You can't march a generation, or a portion of a generation, off to war, have its members suffer the pain and anguish that accompanies all wars, then tell them that it was all a big mistake, without sooner or later paying a price." He is speaking of the Vietnam war and how many gave their lives and limbs and came back to a country that said their sacrifice was a mistake. I can't imagine how that must feel for our veterans. Wether we believe in a war or not I believe that our veterans who sacrifice so much for our freedoms should be honored. "I'm convinced that I did the best that I could, but the best that I could wasn't good enough." This is a veteran speaking about his time in the war. He lives with this fact every day, that his best just wasn't good enough. The book opened my eyes to some of what our veterans feel coming back from war. I understand how mentally and emotionally they struggle when they have seen the things they've seen in war. We can not expect them to be whole and functioning with out giving them help, it's just absurd. "The death of a fellow soldier in combat, especially a friend, is an imprinting experience." These are the kind of things that change a soldier, for the rest of their lives. I appreciated how the author overcame his trials and how it brought to light the battle our soldiers face at war and when they come home.
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