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The past few years have seen a resurgence of Vietnam War memoirs. I have read many of these offerings and found several to be outstanding. These authors have clearly utilized this extended reflection time to produce powerful and personal memoirs of their own Vietnam War experiences. Within these recent offerings, the best memoir I have read is Robin Bartlett's incredible Vietnam Combat: Firefights and Writing History. It is a volume that will undoubtably impact every reader and generate a wide range of emotions within each.
In Vietnam Combat, Bartlett focuses on detailing his experience as an infantry platoon leader with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) during 1968-1969. Although his platoon leader time is the "main effort" of the volume, Bartlett delves into many other subjects with passion, sensitivity, and conviction. These include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the American publics treatment of Vietnam veterans in the past and the present, and the Vietnam War itself. I will discuss each of these in detail below.
Before beginning this discussion, it is valuable to understand why and how Bartlett crafted his memoirs after leaving the U.S. Army some fifty years ago. In various forums, he has listed three purposes for developing them. First, after talking to other Vietnam veterans, he felt he had some unique experiences he wanted to share. Second, he believed the process of writing his memoirs would be very cathartic and healing for himself. Finally, he wanted to share with readers why his feelings and beliefs regarding the Vietnam War had changed dramatically over the years."
For Bartlett, the development of these memoirs was an extended endeavor. After completing an initial draft, he asked a few of his friends to review and offer comments and recommendations. The main discussion point was the audience for the memoirs. Bartlett wanted his memoirs to be read by general readers. However, the reviewers felt that he needed to "demilitarize" the memoir and make it more personal so it might appeal to broader readership. Bartlett took the advice to heart and spent two years reworking the volume. Finally, after twelve years of writing and rewriting, Vietnam Combat was ready for the public."
Focusing on the volume itself, as highlighted above, Bartlett devotes much of his memoir to his infantry platoon...