13 Moons Over Vietnam

13 Moons over Vietnam—1st Moon: Innocence Why another memoir on Vietnam? There are already hundreds of publications on the Vietnam War. 13 Moons over Vietnam captures a unique perspective of a soldier’s experience of war, juxtaposing more than 150 stories between the lines of 280 uncensored letters to his wife, who was pregnant with their first child. These stories, describing actual experiences, are conveyed with raw emotions of anxiety and fear, refuting the nonchalant tone of his correspondence home. The effect is a stark and unsettling contrast between what is written home and what actually happens. 13 Moons over Vietnam is organized as a series segmented by lunar cycles that symbolize the author’s struggles with identity and faith as he confronts progressive incidents of social and emotional violence. Begin with 1st Moon: Innocence, and witness a metamorphosis that spirals through a moral and spiritual minefield.

Military Police serving in the Vietnam War faced danger and challenges from not only the Viet Cong but also from an unexpected enemy. 13 Moons: Anticipation reveals the inner war encountered by one policeman and the moral and emotional turmoil because of his responses. Ben Thieu Long struggled with intense, conflicted emotions in the final month of his tour. Anxiously anticipating his return home, he reacted erratically to threats to his safety. When he crossed the line, his actions left him with a weight of rage and guilt that he would carry long after his tour ended.

13 Moons Over Vietnam: 8th Moon Strife If love is a drug, then the separation from love can be an unbearable misery. Numbness, anger, recklessness, and self-loathing are typical emotions during this period. A person is vulnerable to erratic impulses, and their life may feel it's spinning out of control as they struggle to maintain mental and emotional stability. The 8th Moon finds Ben torn between clinging to the joyful memories of his R & R love rendezvous and worrying about the six months remaining in his tour. Heartache demoralized his spirit and sparked erratic behavior. Ben believed it was necessary to emotionally separate his two worlds and concentrate on his physical safety. He resolved to set aside his longing for home and focus on his immediate environment. Thirteen Moons over Vietnam is a thirteen-volume series describing a military policeman's moral and spiritual struggles during the Vietnam War. Although this is one soldier's story, these experiences reflect what veterans across generations have had to contend with during war. Ben Thieu Long (pseudonym) was unprepared as a young soldier for the conditions of war and faltered in the face of powerful temptations. A devout individual, his responses to moral dilemmas shattered his confidence that he would sustain his commitment to his values.

This book is the third volume in a memoir series describing a military policeman’s moral and emotional dilemmas in the Vietnam war. Stories of actual experience are positioned sequentially among actual letters sent home to his new wife. He tries to censor his daily experiences in the letters in an effort to protect their relationship from the contradictions of his behavior and progressively disturbed thoughts.The soldier’s responses to temptation trigger an inner battle over values, identity, and spiritual well-being. His actions and subsequent turmoil prompt a transformation from naïve innocence toward alienated detachment. 3rd Moon: Discord highlights his responses to temptation that challenge his moral convictions. His journey through a minefield of ethical trials undercuts his strength of commitment and precipitates a metamorphosis of mind and spirit.

Military Police enforce regulations and laws. However, some situations in war zones don't fit perfectly inside the lines. Follow the ongoing challenges that one MP faces as he grapples with gray areas between right and wrong in Vietnam.

War conditions test the courage, faith and resilience of people. One's ability to cope and adapt is crucial to survival, both physically and emotionally.

Military Police are typically hard-core and very disciplined. However, after nearly a year in Vietnam, even the most dedicated began to show signs of wavering. Follow one soldier's experience down the rabbit hole of war. Another argument over the war. We see more conflict in the hooch lately than outside the wire. “I’m with Luke,” Sergeant Kaminsky declared. John insisted, “This isn’t your fight.” The Sergeant stepped closer. “People like you are undermining our government.” “I don’t believe that ‘my country right or wrong’ crap!” Tucker scoffed. “Anybody in uniform who doesn’t support this war is a traitor. You’re worse than those anti-war assholes back home,” the Sergeant countered. “It’s a free country. I have the right to free speech." “You don’t have any rights. You follow orders – period!” the Sergeant bellowed. “You’re lucky that bullshit letter from the commie-loving Senator hasn’t been ripped up, Ben,” Luke interjected. Ben cringed. “That's private. It’s inside my footlocker.” Sergeant Kaminski pointed. “THAT isn’t private property. It belongs to the U.S. Government.” “Well, I still have the right to my opinion.” "Only if you keep it to yourself. We don’t want to hear it!”

This is a memoir addressing the emotional and ethical effects of war. The format folds a soldier's stories of actual experiences in Vietnam 'between the lines' of letters sent home to his new wife. The stark contrast between those experiences and the content of his letters home reveals a tension between openness and self-censorship. The soldier's focus is to protect their love relationship, but he struggles with his own behavior in an environment of moral challenges. As he encounters social and emotional violence, his own actions trigger inner turmoil and weaken his spiritual well-being. This book is the second in a series, organized by the thirteen months of his tour of duty. Read 2nd Moon: Temptation and follow a soldier's drift into situations that challenge his moral convictions. These encounters begin his metamorphosis from faithful innocence toward detachment, as an internal battle rages for his heart and soul.