The Brutality of War: A Memoir of Vietnam

Gene R. Dark
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595458936
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (1/08)

“The Brutality of War: A Memoir of Vietnam” is one of the most compelling, honest accounts of how the United States sent innocent, vulnerable nineteen-year-olds into a war they knew nothing about.  At a time when patriotism was high, young men visualized honor and fantasies about war and conquering the enemy; little did they know that there was a big difference between fantasy and reality.
 
Gene Dark was one of those innocent nineteen-year-olds who had no direction in his life and due to boredom joined the Marines. His father always told him regardless of what job, you have to do the best you can and never run away from a challenge. He never did, even though he saw his friends die one by one in Vietnam. The Marines taught him to become a killer and he played the role very well. For those who survived Vietnam there was no hero’s welcome-- no one seemed to care what they had sacrificed. These young men kept what they saw and did deep within a hole within their mind. No one offered therapeutic help, compassion or understanding.
 
Gene Dark did an excellent job in this sad but true memoir. He is brutally honest and does not add humor or flowery words to describe his and other Marine’s year in Vietnam.  He does not question what his job was, even when he came close to death. 
 
“The Brutality of War: A Memoir of Vietnam” is an opportunity for those of us who want to understand what happened to these young men-- at least some idea of what they encountered in Vietnam. It will not tell us what is deep within their souls, that which they cannot talk about. It may not be reading for everyone, especially for Vietnam veterans who have yet to come to grips with their tour of duty. It does make you think when we send young, innocent soldiers into war, who are we doing it for? Is it worth the lost lives and heartbreak for families left behind?

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