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STAND TO ...:: A Journey to Manhood
E. Franklin Evans had watched every war movie John Wayne ever made, sometimes several times over. When the "Duke" led his men, war was exciting and heroes were made as they ruggedly fought and predictably won each battle. But when Evans' high school friend and real-life hero Glenn was killed in Vietnam, war became real and personal for Evans, and he felt a tremendous obligation to the buddy who gave his life in that faraway jungle.At the tender age of nineteen, Evans voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army and left for basic training in early December of 1966. Before long, he was deeply entrenched in a treacherous war, far removed from his innocent and carefree youth. He had to learn not only to survive, but also to muster the bravery to lead others in combat as he was thrust from adolescence into adulthood.It has taken Evans more than thirty-five years to begin to heal the physical and emotional wounds that kept him from sharing his intensely personal story. From his depiction of the picturesque aerial view of Cam Rahn Bay to that of the barbed wire, metal planking, and squat huts housing weapons of death and destruction, Evans' Stand To provides a vividly detailed glimpse into what it was like to become a man on the battlefields of Vietnam.
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 8, 2010
A Journey that Needed to be Shared, July 3, 2009
Reviewed by W.H. McDonald, Jr. for Military Writer's Society of America
Vietnam veteran and author E. Franklin Evans has captured something very special in his personal war memoir, "Stand To...A Journey to Manhood". We get a good glimpse back into the life and times of a "young man" caught in the vortex of war. The reader is treated to a well written accounting of his experiences surviving both the traumas of battles and people. It is historic, personal and entertaining.
This is one of this decade's "Top 10 Best Memoirs" on the Vietnam War experience. The story is emotionally presented through the eyes of a young Army officer - but it is clearly written with the introspection of a much older author. He looks back at that time and place in his life in an attempt to understand and come to grips with these events. It is truly a journey and one that most readers will find well worth taking with this author.
The book gives us some insights on what it was like in one of the remote Special Forces Camps. The readers will find themselves fully engaged and on the edge of their seats as they read about the heavy fighting that took place in and around these camps. The book is about life and death and about those brave young men who lived and died a long time ago. But it is obvious that these events for men like Evans, will never seem that long ago. In their hearts and minds it is just like it happened yesterday.
This book gets my fullest personal endorsement and recommendation.
Reviewed by W.H. McDonald, Jr. for Military Writer's Society of America
Vietnam veteran and author E. Franklin Evans has captured something very special in his personal war memoir, "Stand To...A Journey to Manhood". We get a good glimpse back into the life and times of a "young man" caught in the vortex of war. The reader is treated to a well written accounting of his experiences surviving both the traumas of battles and people. It is historic, personal and entertaining.
This is one of this decade's "Top 10 Best Memoirs" on the Vietnam War experience. The story is emotionally presented through the eyes of a young Army officer - but it is clearly written with the introspection of a much older author. He looks back at that time and place in his life in an attempt to understand and come to grips with these events. It is truly a journey and one that most readers will find well worth taking with this author.
The book gives us some insights on what it was like in one of the remote Special Forces Camps. The readers will find themselves fully engaged and on the edge of their seats as they read about the heavy fighting that took place in and around these camps. The book is about life and death and about those brave young men who lived and died a long time ago. But it is obvious that these events for men like Evans, will never seem that long ago. In their hearts and minds it is just like it happened yesterday.
This book gets my fullest personal endorsement and recommendation.
May 21, 2016
Great commentary on the Vietnam War and with some flashes of the conflicts at home.
Well written personal experiences with minimal casualties and battle damage that make most recollections too bloody for most readers. Factually accurate for events while observing the comradeship of military brotherhood. Good mix of situations of tension and laughter keep the story moving as the author gains experience toward combat maturity.
I love military history and tradition, but do not usually read personal accounts, but this one caught my attention and kept it. I received my draft notice in March of 1969. This made the war too personal for me, but I survived through luck and very hard work for a 34 year career. Many of my friends did not. This book helped with my slow healing from the scars of this war that still barely cover the social, economic, family, and political wounds suffered by all at home as well as the combat troops doing the fighting
Well written personal experiences with minimal casualties and battle damage that make most recollections too bloody for most readers. Factually accurate for events while observing the comradeship of military brotherhood. Good mix of situations of tension and laughter keep the story moving as the author gains experience toward combat maturity.
I love military history and tradition, but do not usually read personal accounts, but this one caught my attention and kept it. I received my draft notice in March of 1969. This made the war too personal for me, but I survived through luck and very hard work for a 34 year career. Many of my friends did not. This book helped with my slow healing from the scars of this war that still barely cover the social, economic, family, and political wounds suffered by all at home as well as the combat troops doing the fighting
May 17, 2012
I highly recommend this book for those who were young and beautiful and innocent during those crazy, difficult years of Vietnam War, for those who don't remember it but are going through the impact war has on a soldier, and for those who need to be inspired to start anew. Evans' book received the 2009 Military Writers Society of America Founder's Award for good reason. It's a keeper!
February 7, 2014
It was a very good and engaging book. The author really took you with him.
I enjoyed it because of that.
I enjoyed it because of that.
April 16, 2020
Great read
This book is well written by a man that lived the life of combat soldier. I like the way he gave us dates by year and month. The time period was during the TET offensive in 1968-1969. I was in country during that time. I will always remember January 30, 1969 at 3:25 am. The night I became a man.
This book is well written by a man that lived the life of combat soldier. I like the way he gave us dates by year and month. The time period was during the TET offensive in 1968-1969. I was in country during that time. I will always remember January 30, 1969 at 3:25 am. The night I became a man.
June 23, 2019
Good Officers View of his war
Nice to read an account by a junior officer. Balanced views of the war. Enjoyed it. The Tank on Tank aspect was news to me.
Nice to read an account by a junior officer. Balanced views of the war. Enjoyed it. The Tank on Tank aspect was news to me.
February 23, 2013
I wanted to like this book. I really did. I came of age during the Vietnam war. I wanted a heroic story. What I got was more akin to the diary or travel log of E. Franklin Evans experience in Vietnam. If he had spent a little more time working on the plot rather than making sure he used every acronym ever used in Vietnam he would have had a much better story.
According to one review I read, “E. Franklin Evans had watched every war movie John Wayne ever made, sometimes several times over.” I only wish he would have developed his story line and plot more like a movie than a diary.
The story is helped out at the start when Evans' high school friend and true hero Glenn was killed early in the Vietnam war. At that point the war became real and personal for Evans and he felt a tremendous obligation to his friend who had given his life in that faraway jungle. So, at the age of nineteen, Evans enlists in the U.S. Army and leaves for his basic training in December of 1966. And thus begins the long recitations of where he went and what he did at each place. We are told of some of his patrols and some briefly exciting descriptions of combat. But there is no compelling thread or plot that drives you to the next page.
By Evans on words, it has taken him more than thirty-five years to complete this story and to begin to heal the physical and emotional wounds that kept him from sharing his story. And I am sure it is a deep and intense personal story that you or I cannot understand if we did not walk the jungle trails that he walked. But I wanted a war story that was gripping and gritty. Many such stories have been written about this time and about this war. Unfortunately, this was not one of them.
According to one review I read, “E. Franklin Evans had watched every war movie John Wayne ever made, sometimes several times over.” I only wish he would have developed his story line and plot more like a movie than a diary.
The story is helped out at the start when Evans' high school friend and true hero Glenn was killed early in the Vietnam war. At that point the war became real and personal for Evans and he felt a tremendous obligation to his friend who had given his life in that faraway jungle. So, at the age of nineteen, Evans enlists in the U.S. Army and leaves for his basic training in December of 1966. And thus begins the long recitations of where he went and what he did at each place. We are told of some of his patrols and some briefly exciting descriptions of combat. But there is no compelling thread or plot that drives you to the next page.
By Evans on words, it has taken him more than thirty-five years to complete this story and to begin to heal the physical and emotional wounds that kept him from sharing his story. And I am sure it is a deep and intense personal story that you or I cannot understand if we did not walk the jungle trails that he walked. But I wanted a war story that was gripping and gritty. Many such stories have been written about this time and about this war. Unfortunately, this was not one of them.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews