Review of One February Morning

[ciecheesemeister]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "One February Morning" by John Gachich.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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How would your life change if you were sent to fight a war that nobody really understood the purpose of in a remote region of the world? John Gachich reveals his experiences as a soldier in the Vietnam War in his brief memoir, One February Morning.

The author and his mother and sister immigrated to the United States from Yugoslavia on October 29, 1959. His father had defected four years previously. After struggling through high school, Mr. Gachich departed for Fort Ord in California to train for combat. In this memoir, he details many fascinating experiences from his training days to his time as a soldier to his journey home.

The book is written in a straightforward fashion. While combat is described realistically, there are no overly gruesome details. There is surprisingly little profanity for a book about war. I particularly appreciated the author’s attention to detail. The scenes where he learns to become an effective gunner on a platoon gunship were both informative and exciting. The men in the 281st Wolf Pack developed unbreakable bonds with one another. Their motto was “Death on Call.” As the author himself notes, there was nothing subtle about the message.

Through the author’s narrative, I came to care about the soldiers in the 281st Wolf Pack although I have never met any of them and likely never will. I watched as the author transitioned from a naïve youngster just out of high school to a seasoned combat veteran. I was impressed that although he toughened up, he never lost his sense of compassion.

I was born in 1965, three years before Mr. Gachich shipped out to Vietnam. I have never understood the cruelty displayed towards soldiers returning from Vietnam. I am sure those who were subjected to such cruelty understand it even less than I do. My father participated in anti-war protests, but he always told me that the soldiers weren’t to blame, the politicians were.

I believe that the book was thoroughly proofread as I only found one real error in the text. I am not sure that it was professionally edited as there were several instances of incorrect comma usage. These instances did not impact the readability of the manuscript.

Although there was nothing I disliked about the book and the story is educational and enjoyable as is, I feel that adding a little more detail regarding transition back to civilian life would bring a sense of completion. In its current form, I give One February Morning three out of four stars.

This book is an excellent choice for readers interested in war stories. Because of the lack of profanity and graphic violent detail, it is an appropriate choice for both teenagers and adults.

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One February Morning
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[Umesh Bhatt]

War books are not everyones take but some of them having a linked civilian story are liked by many readers. I remember one such book by Jeffrey Archer. Thanks for an interesting and and elaborate review.

[litho007]

War without a concrete motive do have side effects that might last for ever.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

I enjoyed reading every bit of this review. This is a work well done by the author. Thanks for the review.

[Aisha Yakub]

Thank you for the review. I now know what to expect of this read.