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Pointman
"Pointman is one platoon's story of the Vietnam War and the horrors that most veterans of the conflict would rather keep buried. While most soldiers gritted their teeth, kept their heads down and prayed for their time to be up, some looked at the war as a way to win glory and acclaim. Others took advantage of illicit opportunities for personal gain, no matter the price to others. Sgt. Mike Brooks is counting the days until his tour of duty is up. All he wants is to marry his Vietnamese girlfriend. But butting heads with his lieutenant has put his meager happiness in jeopardy. Lt. Gomez's obsession with promotion and accolades will send the entire platoon on an almost-impossible mission. And high-purity heroin, readily available and dirt cheap, could be the death of them all."
- Renee Struthers, East Oregonian newspaper
"Patrols in the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, the triple canopy jungle of Cambodia, the firefights, the mosquitoes and mud, the Plain of Reeds, Shakey's Hill, Binh Phuoc, Rach Kien, Bien Hoa, Long Binh - I wanted to remember it all. I especially remember the camaraderie and the courage demonstrated by these soldiers. Pointman was originally started as a diary more than 40 years ago and I love the story - it's fictionalized, but it acknowledges the suffering and sacrifices these young men endured."
- Author, Robert L. Owens
- Renee Struthers, East Oregonian newspaper
"Patrols in the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, the triple canopy jungle of Cambodia, the firefights, the mosquitoes and mud, the Plain of Reeds, Shakey's Hill, Binh Phuoc, Rach Kien, Bien Hoa, Long Binh - I wanted to remember it all. I especially remember the camaraderie and the courage demonstrated by these soldiers. Pointman was originally started as a diary more than 40 years ago and I love the story - it's fictionalized, but it acknowledges the suffering and sacrifices these young men endured."
- Author, Robert L. Owens
310 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 8, 2016
In the nearly 40 years since its conclusion, countless books, articles, movies, and documentaries have been produced about the Vietnam War, and for good reason; the conflict remains one of the most controversial events in American history, along political, cultural, economic, and even spiritual lines.
While not necessarily offering anything new about the war and its convoluted legacy, Pointman nonetheless tells a very poignant story about the human aspect of the Vietnam War. Buoyed by his own first-hand experience and knowledge, author Robert L. Owens presents a multi-faceted, complex picture of the war driven largely by living, breathing, three-dimensional characters – not the superficial caricatures so often depicted on the small and big screen. By addressing the frailties and vulnerabilities inherent in us all, Owens crafts a compelling story that proves difficult to ignore, and one that leaves an indelible impression on the heart and mind of the reader, long after the final page has been turned.
A vivid, disturbing, but ultimately rewarding read.
Jeffrey Adams
Apex Reviews
While not necessarily offering anything new about the war and its convoluted legacy, Pointman nonetheless tells a very poignant story about the human aspect of the Vietnam War. Buoyed by his own first-hand experience and knowledge, author Robert L. Owens presents a multi-faceted, complex picture of the war driven largely by living, breathing, three-dimensional characters – not the superficial caricatures so often depicted on the small and big screen. By addressing the frailties and vulnerabilities inherent in us all, Owens crafts a compelling story that proves difficult to ignore, and one that leaves an indelible impression on the heart and mind of the reader, long after the final page has been turned.
A vivid, disturbing, but ultimately rewarding read.
Jeffrey Adams
Apex Reviews
March 9, 2016
Life in the bush
The book cover a composite of grunts complaints at the end of the war and there individual problems. The stats say most volunteered but does distinguish the inevitability of being drafted. The author does. Education level was higher than other wars but not the grunts. They tended to be cannon fodder.
I usually don't read such books having been there but this kept me interested.
The book cover a composite of grunts complaints at the end of the war and there individual problems. The stats say most volunteered but does distinguish the inevitability of being drafted. The author does. Education level was higher than other wars but not the grunts. They tended to be cannon fodder.
I usually don't read such books having been there but this kept me interested.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews