Official Review: Up-Close & Personal In-Country, Chie...

[mmm17]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Up-Close & Personal In-Country, Chieu Hoi, Vietnam 1969-1970" by Robert C Bogison.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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“As naive as it might appear now, I volunteered three years of my life by enlisting in the US Army because I believed it was the right thing to do.”

The author of Up-Close & Personal, Robert Bogison, enlisted in 1968. In June, he graduated from the US Army’s Military Police School at Fort Gordon, Georgia. His first assignment as a military policeman was at the Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Fort Riley, Kansas. After much insistence to ship out to Vietnam, which annoyed his superiors, Bogison finally got what he wanted. But as punishment for disrespecting the chain of command, he gets assigned to serve at the Long Binh Jail. This infamous incarceration center housed Army malcontents and criminals, as well as Navy and Air Force prisoners. After a few terrible months there, the author gets transferred to the 720th Military Police Battalion, where reconnaissance and ambush platoons are called “Bushwhackers.”

Many of us have watched our fair share of movies about Vietnam. However, in my opinion, this candid, straightforward, and striking first-person account of events is fundamentally different from anything one has seen in the movies. The author argues that Hollywood cannot possibly replicate the horrible sights of an actual war, and there are several disquieting examples of this throughout the book. Bogison even categorizes a well-know, award-winning Hollywood movie about Vietnam as ridiculous.

I found the prose surprisingly well-crafted for a non-fiction book. The author is a talented storyteller and does an extraordinary job of describing the atmosphere. It almost feels like we’re there with him. I appreciated the descriptions of the nonstop noise – “the constant drone of dozens of portable electric fans,” jungle noises, firefights, and explosions. Bogison provides unsuspected details that greatly enrich the narrative and distance it from your garden-variety war tale. On one occasion, after suffering from a rash on both sides of his neck, he realizes he’s got his bandoleers on backward. I chuckled when his buddy Lozano warned him that the points of the bullets should be facing away, not digging into his neck. Several pictures also help readers dive into the narration.

Additionally, Bogison masterfully conveys his thoughts and feelings. I particularly liked his comments about time seeming nonexistent: “All that existed was the moment.” The detailed explanation of the various states of mind he underwent before and during a firefight was just marvelous, as were his impressions of life after he came back home.

In closing, there were many positives in this captivating book. The only negative is that it needs another round of editing. Although the mistakes weren’t egregious and didn’t distract me, they were numerous. If it weren’t for this, I would surely give this book the highest rating. As it is, I give it 3 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy war stories. If you’re bothered by ghastly scenes and profanity, this is not the book for you.

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Up-Close & Personal In-Country, Chieu Hoi, Vietnam 1969-1970
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[Meg98]

This sounds like a wonderful, well-written book. It is a shame about the editing... hopefully there will be another round of editing! Thanks for the great review.

[mmm17]

This sounds like a wonderful, well-written book. It is a shame about the editing... hopefully there will be another round of editing! Thanks for the great review.

Thank you for reading and commenting!

[Nisha Ward]

Okay. The bandolier stuff had me chuckling. It sounds like an excellent account of the Vietnam war and what it was like in the army prisons. Thanks for bringing attention to this one.

[kdstrack]

Soldiers kept their stories to themselves for so many years. These true stories help people understand the truths about the war. It makes us appreciate their sacrifice even more. This looks interesting. Thanks so much for the recommendation!