Touched by the Dragon - Experiences of Vietnam Veterans from Newport County, Rhode Island

Touched by the Dragon details wartime accounts of average servicemen and women-some heroic, some frightening, some amusing, some nearly unbelievable-extracted from interviews with Vietnam War veterans residing in Newport County, Rhode Island. The work is a historical compendium of fascinating and compelling stories woven together in a theme format. What makes this book truly unique, however, is its absence of literary pretentiousness. Relating oral accounts, the veterans speak in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way. As seen through the eyes of the veterans, the stories include first-person experiences of infantry soldiers, a flight officer, a medic, a nurse, a combat engineer, an intelligence soldier, and various support personnel. Personalities emerge gradually as the veterans discuss their pre war days, their training and preparation for Vietnam, and their actual in-country experiences. The stories speak of fear and survival: the paranoia of not knowing who or where the enemy was; the bullets, rockets, and mortars that could mangle a body or snuff out a life in a instant; and going home with a CMH--not the Congressional Medal of Honor, but a Casket with Metal Handles. The veterans also speak friendships and simple acts of kindness. But more importantly, they speak of healing-both physical and mental. Touched by the Dragon is a collection of gripping narratives of Vietnam veterans from Newport County, Rhode Island. We learn of the experiences of men and women, the enlisted and officers, those in combat and those behind the lines, in a way that resonates far beyond Rhode Island. What makes this book truly unique is its absence of literary pretensions. These oral accounts speak in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way. Personalities emerge as the veterans discuss their prewar days, their training and preparation for Vietnam, their in-country experiences - some heroic, some frightening, some amusing, some nearly unbelievable - and their return to a country that didn't value their sacrifice. As a tribute to all those who served in Vietnam and to the families whose sons and daughters lost their lives in the war, the proceeds from this text are used to fund scholarships in Newport County, America.