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Flashbacks: A Vietnam Soldier’s Story 50 Years Later
Dean returned from Vietnam in January, 1969 to a country torn apart by the war. Sadly for Dean, the anti-war sentiment targeted the warriors as well. Seeking refuge with veterans from previous wars, he was rebuked for not having won his war as they had theirs in Germany, Japan, and Korea. So Dean buried that one year, one month, and ten days in Vietnam deep within his psyche and made sure never to speak of it in the next fifty years—not to his wife, his sons, brothers, or even the closest of friends. In retirement, Dean’s PTSD returned with a fury, first during the night, then taking over his waking hours.
260 pages, Paperback
Published October 7, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 30, 2026
I’ll admit I don’t usually read military memoirs, but Flashbacks caught my attention because of how it promised to look at the Vietnam War fifty years later. What I found was so much more than a war story. Dean Jerde’s journey from a young soldier in Vietnam to a retired man suddenly overwhelmed by memories he’d buried for half a century is told with such honesty that I felt like I was sitting across from him, listening to a close friend finally open up. The way the book moves between past and present is seamless, and it made me understand, maybe for the first time, why so many veterans came home and simply never spoke about what they’d seen.
If you’re an author, especially one writing memoir or narrative nonfiction, this book is a masterclass in structure. The chapters are short and tight, but every one carries emotional weight. Dean and his co writer don’t rely on dramatic language; instead, they let the details the smell of the jungle, the cold silence when he returned to America, the confusion of being rejected even by older veterans do all the work. I finished the book feeling like I’d learned something important not just about the Vietnam War, but about how to tell a difficult story with grace. Highly recommend to any writer looking to handle trauma and memory with authenticity.
If you’re an author, especially one writing memoir or narrative nonfiction, this book is a masterclass in structure. The chapters are short and tight, but every one carries emotional weight. Dean and his co writer don’t rely on dramatic language; instead, they let the details the smell of the jungle, the cold silence when he returned to America, the confusion of being rejected even by older veterans do all the work. I finished the book feeling like I’d learned something important not just about the Vietnam War, but about how to tell a difficult story with grace. Highly recommend to any writer looking to handle trauma and memory with authenticity.
March 30, 2026
I picked up Flashbacks: A Vietnam Soldier’s Story 50 Years Later on a whim, and I honestly couldn’t put it down. Dean Jerde’s story is one that so many families will recognize: a loved one returns from war, locks that experience away, and tries to move on only to have it all come crashing back decades later. What struck me most was how the book shows the cost of that silence, not just for Dean but for his wife, his sons, and his friends. There’s a tenderness here that I wasn’t expecting, a quiet courage in finally speaking the words that had been buried for fifty years.
For anyone who writes, this book is a gem. The pacing is perfect each flashback lands exactly when it needs to, pulling you deeper into Dean’s world without ever feeling confusing or gimmicky. The prose is straightforward and unpretentious, which makes the emotional moments hit that much harder. As a reader who also dabbles in writing, I found myself taking mental notes on how the authors balanced the past and present timelines, and how they showed the slow unraveling of PTSD in retirement. This is the kind of book that stays with you, and it’s a must read for any author wanting to see how real life can be shaped into a powerful, page turning narrative.
For anyone who writes, this book is a gem. The pacing is perfect each flashback lands exactly when it needs to, pulling you deeper into Dean’s world without ever feeling confusing or gimmicky. The prose is straightforward and unpretentious, which makes the emotional moments hit that much harder. As a reader who also dabbles in writing, I found myself taking mental notes on how the authors balanced the past and present timelines, and how they showed the slow unraveling of PTSD in retirement. This is the kind of book that stays with you, and it’s a must read for any author wanting to see how real life can be shaped into a powerful, page turning narrative.
March 30, 2026
I’m always looking for books that teach me something about craft, and Flashbacks did that in spades. But more than that, it moved me. Dean Jerde spent fifty years not speaking about his time in Vietnam not to his wife, his sons, his brothers, or his closest friends. When PTSD finally surfaced in his retirement, it came with a fury, and this book is the result of him finally breaking that silence. The honesty in these pages is breathtaking. You can feel the weight of those decades in every sentence, and yet the book never feels heavy or preachy. It’s just one man’s story, told with clarity and heart.
If you’re an author, especially one working in memoir or historical narrative, I can’t recommend this enough. The structure alone is worth studying: the way the book weaves between Vietnam and Dean’s later life, showing how trauma doesn’t stay neatly in the past, is masterfully done. I also appreciated how the book handles the emotional arc there’s no neat, tidy resolution, but there is a sense of release, of a burden finally being set down. That’s hard to pull off in writing, and this book does it beautifully. Read it for the story, but also read it to learn how to tell a story like this with dignity and power.
If you’re an author, especially one working in memoir or historical narrative, I can’t recommend this enough. The structure alone is worth studying: the way the book weaves between Vietnam and Dean’s later life, showing how trauma doesn’t stay neatly in the past, is masterfully done. I also appreciated how the book handles the emotional arc there’s no neat, tidy resolution, but there is a sense of release, of a burden finally being set down. That’s hard to pull off in writing, and this book does it beautifully. Read it for the story, but also read it to learn how to tell a story like this with dignity and power.
March 28, 2026
Flashbacks is the kind of book that doesn’t just tell a story it makes you feel it.
From the very first page, you’re pulled into a life shaped by war, silence, and the weight of memories carried for over fifty years. What makes this book truly powerful is its honesty it doesn’t dramatize, it reveals. And in doing so, it gives a voice to countless veterans who have carried their stories in silence.
This isn’t just a memoir it’s a wake up call, a window into the unseen cost of war, and a reminder that some battles never really end.
If you’re looking for a book that is raw, real, and deeply moving, Flashbacks is one you won’t forget.
From the very first page, you’re pulled into a life shaped by war, silence, and the weight of memories carried for over fifty years. What makes this book truly powerful is its honesty it doesn’t dramatize, it reveals. And in doing so, it gives a voice to countless veterans who have carried their stories in silence.
This isn’t just a memoir it’s a wake up call, a window into the unseen cost of war, and a reminder that some battles never really end.
If you’re looking for a book that is raw, real, and deeply moving, Flashbacks is one you won’t forget.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews