Review of the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
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Shelby Cozzens
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- Latest Review: the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer
Review of the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
[Following is a volunteer review of "the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait" by Ray Dyer.]
REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer and Stephen Dwyer is an insider’s view into the war in Vietnam of the 1960’s and the repercussions that followed the participants through the rest of their lives as a result of the constant immersion in violence.
Gary Dyson, or Mister D as he is so dubbed by his peers in Vietnam, finds himself drafted into the Army after failing out of college. After receiving basic training, he is sent to the war-torn country of Vietnam as a helicopter mechanic. Already familiar with drinking and the effects of marijuana Dyson finds fast friends who also use substances to relax and escape their surroundings. Working and playing hard leads Dyson to become a gunner in the very helicopters that he was trained to repair. The rest of his time in Vietnam is spent reveling in the beauty of a bombed countryside and being repulsed by the violence in which he is constantly required to participate. After watching many around him die horribly and falling further into his own internal battles Dyson completes his tour of duty and is sent back home. The next decades are not kind to Gary Dyson as he struggles with disability, alcoholism, heavy drug use, as well as his (later diagnosed) PTSD. After a bitter divorce and losing ties to his family, his son, and his self-respect Dyson is able to find himself a group of individuals who support him in his efforts to find healing. Leading to a beautiful resolution, ending in love, acceptance, and peace.
Dyer and Dwyer wonderfully evoke the thoughts and feelings of these regular men who are forced into such dramatic circumstances. As readers, the authors take us along Dyson’s journey of pain and healing masterfully, leading us all to question what we would do, or how we would handle such circumstances. Each reader can find their own type of healing in these pages, and I know that I felt a desire to be a better person and a better citizen of my country after finishing this book.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was how the relationships form between the characters. As Gary grows to love the soldiers in his barracks so do we. Their nicknames for each other (Gator, Floaty, Super Chicken, Spook, and Florida to name a few) and personal idiosyncrasies make them real to us as readers. The beginning is rather slow, as each event passes more and more of Dyson’s optimism and innocence disappears and so does ours as the reader. We lose our hope that there will be a happy ending for these characters that the authors have made us love so fiercely. And we revel in the relationships that bring light, joy, and healing into Gary Dyson’s life.
I would not necessarily say that there are things about this book that I disliked but I would state that it is a very real telling of the unsavory underbelly of any country’s fighting forces but particularly those of the United States and Vietnam. Readers should be advised that there are graphic descriptions of death, war, protestation, drug usage, and mentions of suicide.
I have learned a lot about the military engagements in Vietnam that I did not know before and that I believe should be of a more public knowledge. Those who are interested in learning more about the United States involvement in the war with Vietnam from something other than a history text should definitely read this book. Overall I would rate the book 4 out of 4 stars, personally I found it well written, well edited, and incredibly engaging and I recommend it.
******
the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer and Stephen Dwyer is an insider’s view into the war in Vietnam of the 1960’s and the repercussions that followed the participants through the rest of their lives as a result of the constant immersion in violence.
Gary Dyson, or Mister D as he is so dubbed by his peers in Vietnam, finds himself drafted into the Army after failing out of college. After receiving basic training, he is sent to the war-torn country of Vietnam as a helicopter mechanic. Already familiar with drinking and the effects of marijuana Dyson finds fast friends who also use substances to relax and escape their surroundings. Working and playing hard leads Dyson to become a gunner in the very helicopters that he was trained to repair. The rest of his time in Vietnam is spent reveling in the beauty of a bombed countryside and being repulsed by the violence in which he is constantly required to participate. After watching many around him die horribly and falling further into his own internal battles Dyson completes his tour of duty and is sent back home. The next decades are not kind to Gary Dyson as he struggles with disability, alcoholism, heavy drug use, as well as his (later diagnosed) PTSD. After a bitter divorce and losing ties to his family, his son, and his self-respect Dyson is able to find himself a group of individuals who support him in his efforts to find healing. Leading to a beautiful resolution, ending in love, acceptance, and peace.
Dyer and Dwyer wonderfully evoke the thoughts and feelings of these regular men who are forced into such dramatic circumstances. As readers, the authors take us along Dyson’s journey of pain and healing masterfully, leading us all to question what we would do, or how we would handle such circumstances. Each reader can find their own type of healing in these pages, and I know that I felt a desire to be a better person and a better citizen of my country after finishing this book.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was how the relationships form between the characters. As Gary grows to love the soldiers in his barracks so do we. Their nicknames for each other (Gator, Floaty, Super Chicken, Spook, and Florida to name a few) and personal idiosyncrasies make them real to us as readers. The beginning is rather slow, as each event passes more and more of Dyson’s optimism and innocence disappears and so does ours as the reader. We lose our hope that there will be a happy ending for these characters that the authors have made us love so fiercely. And we revel in the relationships that bring light, joy, and healing into Gary Dyson’s life.
I would not necessarily say that there are things about this book that I disliked but I would state that it is a very real telling of the unsavory underbelly of any country’s fighting forces but particularly those of the United States and Vietnam. Readers should be advised that there are graphic descriptions of death, war, protestation, drug usage, and mentions of suicide.
I have learned a lot about the military engagements in Vietnam that I did not know before and that I believe should be of a more public knowledge. Those who are interested in learning more about the United States involvement in the war with Vietnam from something other than a history text should definitely read this book. Overall I would rate the book 4 out of 4 stars, personally I found it well written, well edited, and incredibly engaging and I recommend it.
******
the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer
