Review of the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
Posted: 08 Dec 2021, 08:50
[Following is a volunteer review of "the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait" by Ray Dyer.]
The REMF: Hurry Up and Wait is a novel centering around Gary Dyson, a young college-age man who was drafted into the Army to serve in the Vietnam War. After flunking out of college, his student deferment expired and within a year he was sent to basic training. Once completing basic training, he was then sent to Helicopter Maintenance/ Crew Member School. After both of these programs were completed, he was forced to wait a brief period before being put on a flight to Vietnam. He was then sent to serve in the War. The remainder of the novel focuses on the many horrors soldiers experienced while overseas. These horrors included the killing and maiming of U.S. soldiers, the Viet Cong, and Vietnamese civilians as well as the rampant alcoholism and drug abuse these men were involved in. At the end of the novel when Dyson beats the statistic and returns home, the novel discusses the after effects all of those experiences had on Dyson and the deep struggles he faced in life as a result.
While the novel comments on many controversial aspects regarding the War, authors Ray Dyer's and Stephen Dwyer's heavy focus on the addictions these soldiers fell into is exemplary. It was no secret that many Vietnam Veteran's fell victim to alcoholism and drug abuse during and after the War. As such, they were often shunned and ridiculed for these addictions. However, not many people would stop to ask why. Rather than follow this pattern, Dyer and Dwyer demonstrated that "why" by detailing Dyson's experiences while serving in the Vietnam War. From the beginning of his time there when the alcohol and drugs were a fun experience to the middle of his tour when it was a coping mechanism to the end when it became a lifeline, the authors, through Dyson, explain to their readers how these soldiers came to be addicts. Through this same commentary, they told their readers soldiers should not be judged without first having their stories told.
Although this novel made many wonderful points and invited its readers to think about these soldiers in a different light, the pacing of the novel is slow. The authors chose to describe Dyson's every day life in Vietnam, the good days as much as the bad. Depending on what the reader is looking for, this slow pacing can be viewed as positive or negative. The focus of this story is not on the action that took place in the Vietnam War, rather the focus is on the soldiers who served. The reader's stance on this front is the determining factor as to whether the slow pacing is good or not.
Due to The REMF: Hurry Up and Wait's focus on the impact the Vietnam War had on individual soldiers and its ability to make readers see these soldiers from a new light, I would rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars . Dyer and Dwyer do not pull any punches when demonstrating what these soldiers experienced and how they coped. As a result, their story may help change the overall opinion society has for soldiers who served in the Vietnam War and regard them with more sympathy.
As previously stated, the authors pull no punches when describing the horrors of the Vietnam War. That being said, those sensitive to or are triggered by graphic descriptions of human death or of detailed accounts of drug highs and overdoses should steer away from this novel. Should these types of scenes not bother the reader, anyone interested in finding out what life was like for soldiers in the Vietnam War would find this novel a must read.
******
the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The REMF: Hurry Up and Wait is a novel centering around Gary Dyson, a young college-age man who was drafted into the Army to serve in the Vietnam War. After flunking out of college, his student deferment expired and within a year he was sent to basic training. Once completing basic training, he was then sent to Helicopter Maintenance/ Crew Member School. After both of these programs were completed, he was forced to wait a brief period before being put on a flight to Vietnam. He was then sent to serve in the War. The remainder of the novel focuses on the many horrors soldiers experienced while overseas. These horrors included the killing and maiming of U.S. soldiers, the Viet Cong, and Vietnamese civilians as well as the rampant alcoholism and drug abuse these men were involved in. At the end of the novel when Dyson beats the statistic and returns home, the novel discusses the after effects all of those experiences had on Dyson and the deep struggles he faced in life as a result.
While the novel comments on many controversial aspects regarding the War, authors Ray Dyer's and Stephen Dwyer's heavy focus on the addictions these soldiers fell into is exemplary. It was no secret that many Vietnam Veteran's fell victim to alcoholism and drug abuse during and after the War. As such, they were often shunned and ridiculed for these addictions. However, not many people would stop to ask why. Rather than follow this pattern, Dyer and Dwyer demonstrated that "why" by detailing Dyson's experiences while serving in the Vietnam War. From the beginning of his time there when the alcohol and drugs were a fun experience to the middle of his tour when it was a coping mechanism to the end when it became a lifeline, the authors, through Dyson, explain to their readers how these soldiers came to be addicts. Through this same commentary, they told their readers soldiers should not be judged without first having their stories told.
Although this novel made many wonderful points and invited its readers to think about these soldiers in a different light, the pacing of the novel is slow. The authors chose to describe Dyson's every day life in Vietnam, the good days as much as the bad. Depending on what the reader is looking for, this slow pacing can be viewed as positive or negative. The focus of this story is not on the action that took place in the Vietnam War, rather the focus is on the soldiers who served. The reader's stance on this front is the determining factor as to whether the slow pacing is good or not.
Due to The REMF: Hurry Up and Wait's focus on the impact the Vietnam War had on individual soldiers and its ability to make readers see these soldiers from a new light, I would rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars . Dyer and Dwyer do not pull any punches when demonstrating what these soldiers experienced and how they coped. As a result, their story may help change the overall opinion society has for soldiers who served in the Vietnam War and regard them with more sympathy.
As previously stated, the authors pull no punches when describing the horrors of the Vietnam War. That being said, those sensitive to or are triggered by graphic descriptions of human death or of detailed accounts of drug highs and overdoses should steer away from this novel. Should these types of scenes not bother the reader, anyone interested in finding out what life was like for soldiers in the Vietnam War would find this novel a must read.
******
the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon