Reader Comments
Darkness of War“I just finished your book and wanted to take the moment to express my sincere appreciation for the service you have rendered. The service comes in helping those of us who have not experienced war firsthand to appreciate the purity and impenetrable bond you've described, born of shared horror, sacrifice, camaraderie, and survival in the face of indescribable carnage and numberless perils. Your own summary shows that in all spaces of human endeavor, no matter how horrific, there are moments where the qualities of essence, clarity, purity, worship, oneness, light, meaning, non-meaning reveal themselves amidst the mystery that ever endures to challenge and baffle us. This is exemplified by one of] the most profound portion[s] of your book … the recounting [of] your feelings deep into the siege of Con Thien, burrowed ever deeper in your foxhole, stripped of identity and willing to accept whatever came next thus “catapulted into the light” in spite of the oceans of utter darkness that engulfed all of you. Thank you for [your efforts in conveying] the meaning [of war and life] from inside the horror." Peter Schenck, Business Strategist and Editor Digital Humanities: http://wordpress.chapman.edu/dh12/2013/11/12/subtlety-of-humor-in-war-letters/ http://wordpress.chapman.edu/dh12/2013/11/04/154/ |
Both Sides of the Wire"I enjoyed your book very much and felt it was very well written.It's amazing how even the little things can spark memories from your own experience. I have updated the library page of my site [with your book] and the link is below:
http://www.326marines.com/Library.htm The history of our country has been irrevocably shaped by the wars that have been fought. A singular irony is that only a small percentage of our citizens experience these wars directly. Vietnam was an unpopular war, still 80% of those who served were young volunteers like 18 year old Daryl Eigen, fresh out of highschool driven as much by a sense of adventure as his duty to his country and a future he believed in.The next 18 months of his life would lead him to a remote, little known outpost on the DMZ known to the locals as the "Hill of Angels" where success on either side were measured the number of survivors. Through letters written home to his family during the war and his thoughtful reflections years later, we get the opportunity to hear both voices in this narrative. It is a book that will tug at the memories of all those veterans who served, because as a young Marine in 1967, Daryl Eigen experienced war from both sides of the "wire" and found there were no safe havens in that hellish place called Con Thien the "Hill of Angels." Bill Ward Web Administration. Veteran of 3/26 in Vietnam,and keeper of the 3/26 torch and traditions. www.326marines.com |