From Army Regulations to Novels: A Writer's Journey

by Don Helin

In less time than it takes to run a hundred-yard dash, Don Helin's life is shattered with the stun-ning news of an illness―triggering numbness, shock, confusion, and despair. In a fast-paced memoir that reads more like one of his thriller novels, Helin leads us through his journey while weaving into the narrative of his military life the chaos of Vietnam, Watergate, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and political intrigue in the Pentagon. Finding himself on the threshold of the five steps of grief, he considers the different roads he might have traveled. He enters a National Cancer Institute study protocol designed for Vietnam veterans with health issues caused by Agent Orange. Will the results of this study help the many veterans who suffer from Agent Orange-inflicted diseases? With the help of his wife and others and his own strength of human spirit, Helin considers changing priorities in his life, which might lead to a different conclusion. Is it too late to make changes, or must he simply play out the hand he's been dealt?

112 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2022

About the author

Don Helin had a career in the U.S. Army and he worked as a lobbyist for the chemical industry. He lives outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Karl Loewe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have known the author since we were in grade school. After high school we went our separate, very different ways, he to the military, I to the academic world. I have read and enjoyed a couple of his novels, but I wanted to read this memoir to learn more about the decades we hadn’t seen each other.
I was fascinated by his recall of his career during a time of war, but it takes a back seat to his description of diagnosis and treatment of a potentially fatal illness caused by exposure to Agent Orange. Some of the treatments seem worse than the disease, as doctors sought to halt the progress. His emotions through the whole fight are expressed clearly and draw the reader into an intimate sense of his situation.
Aside from some truly shocking editorial lapses, I strongly recommend this book. It is a quick read with depth and candor.

[Joseph H Newberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I served with Col. Helin in the Army. He was a good officer, and he is an excellent author. I have read several of his books and enjoyed them all. He never mentioned his physical problems, and I was surprised when I read in his book about his medical stress. Joseph Newberry, Col. Ret.