Copyright 1985.
David is a young doctor who gets assigned to the 40th a base on a plateau in Vietnam. He is responsible for a program to go among the surrounding villages and dispense pills. He is assigned Tom a veteran soldier to guard him. A powerful friendship develops between the two. Tom starts to get caught up in bringing medical help to the villagers. He even starts to take an interest in medicine. David encourages Tom to apply for medical school after the war. Then just before Tet the two are ambushed and Tom sacrifices his life so David can escape. David is later wounded and transferred to Camp Zama in Japan.
Every Christmas I read a Vietnam book or series. This book was written by a doctor who served from 1968 to 1970 at Camp Zama, Japan the major evacuation center for the wounded from Vietnam. While not in the country I am sure he heard many stories from the war. This book has a good feel for being in Vietnam. A subdued book that is light on action and more on characterization. You get some interesting insights into the war. The friendship between the two main characters is what this book is all about. The two start out mistrustful but develop a strong bond. David goes so far as to arrange for Tom’s application to a medical school. It is a sad development that Tom dies. Tom actually extended his tour to be with David until his end. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.