Glyn Haynie

I did enjoy reading Glyn Haynie's book, When I Turned Nineteen, and could relate to many of the events he experienced. Two criticisms I have is that the letters seemed to disrupt the flow of the story and in most instances duplicate what has already been said. The second is that the sun does not set into the South China Sea from the shores of Vietnam. The author stated this a few times in one chapter when he relaxed on his deck and enjoyed watching the sunset.

All in all, the story is more of an overview and does not go into detail where it might have been warranted. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a glympse of what it was like for an infantryman during the Vietnam War.… (altro)

The Vietnam War was an unpopular war. This war memoir gives a young soldier’s view of that unpopular war in a way that really touches the reader. The narrative is engaging and well written in a format the non-soldier can easily understand. The photographs are also fantastic and add greatly to the feel of the narrative. The author is fair and non-judgemental in his recounting his experiences. But, the reader can feel the fear, frustration, resentment, and anger that grows … seeing friends killed in a war with no clearly defined mission or purpose, and a war that, in the end, they are not allowed to win.

When I Turned Nineteen: A Vietnam War Memoir chronicles Glyn Haynie’s long journey as a nineteen-year-old that was sent by his country to fight in an unpopular war. In 1969, Haynie served with the U.S. Army in the First Platoon Company A 3rd Battalion/1st Infantry Regiment 11th Brigade Americal (23rd Infantry) Division. Haynie eloquently tells of his experiences in a manner that is easy to read and understand. Almost any reader can identify with and connect with the narrative. Whether running all-out to escape a jungle fire set by artillery fire on a hill they had just choppered in to or being blown into the air by a command-fired 250-pound bomb, or even a weekend of R&R in Bangkok, Thailand; the reader will enjoy the narrative and identify with the characters.

Author Glyn Haynie tells his story in a cohesive and easy to read style which is easy to follow even for those not familiar with military jargon and history. I also loved how the author used letters provided by other platoon members and their families to flesh out and add variety to the narrative voice. I highly recommend this book.… (altro)