The author was drafted just before he had completed his PhD in French history in November 1966. He entered the army in February 1967, and, after his stint in Officer Candidacy School was cut short, became a non-commissioned officer and arrived in South Vietnam in April 1968. This memoir relates his experiences during the Vietnam War.

The author of this Vietnam War memoir was drafted in November 1966 just before completion of his Ph.D. work in French history and entered the army, age 26, in February 1967. He arrived in Vietnam in April 1968. Serving as both pointman and sniper, he experienced six weeks of frontline duty, averaging a firefight each week with heavy casualties. With his advanced degree and a $2.50 case of beer for a bribe, he then transferred to the 19th Military History Detachment and spent the remainder of his tour of duty traveling the Mekong Delta, Plain of Reeds, and areas near Saigon. His memoir is the result of a tour of intense fighting, careful documentation, and an illicit diary.