GI Diary is among the first editions of the Howard University Press Library of Contemporary Literature. The Library makes available works that received critical acclaim when originally published but are not now available to the general public. These books are memorable for their social, political or literary significance. GI Diary is photo-journalist David Park's record of his maturation as a soldier and coming-of-age as a man during the escalation of the Vietnam War and his encounter with racism and corrupt military brass. While much of America was vociferous about the U.S. presence in Southeast Asia, Parks chose simply to chronicle, through photographs and journals, what he saw and felt there, His story is the hue and cry of thousands of American troops who felt trapped and disillusioned by their government's undeclared war. This edition of GI Diary also contains a postscript in which Parks looks back to the events that contributed to his growth during and after his tour of duty. He reveals as much about the character and flavor of the decade of the 1960s as he does about himself, a black soldier in an era of contradiction. Mel Watkins, an editor of The New York Times Book Review, writes a penetrating introduction that places GI Diary in the context of the times in which it was written. This edition of GI Diary also contains an appendix of reviews the book received when first published. - Cover.