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Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML: Finalist for the National Book Award: A work that has served as a literary cornerstone for the Vietnam generation The 13th Valley follows the terrifying Vietnam combat experiences of James Chelini, a telephone-systems installer who finds himself an infantryman in territory controlled by the North Vietnamese Army. Spiraling deeper and deeper into a world of conflict and darkness, this harrowing account of Chelini's plunge and immersion into jungle warfare traces his evolution from a semi-pacifist to an all-out combat-crazed soldier. The seminal novel on the Vietnam experience, The 13th Valley is a classic that illuminates the war in Southeast Asia like no other book. It is the first title in Del Vecchio's Vietnam War Trilogy, which also includes For the Sake of All Living Things, about the Cambodian holocaust, and Carry Me Home, which addresses the aftermath of war..… (more)
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This is much more than just about the Vietnam war though. The letters from home--girlfriends missed--their philosophical discussions amongst themselves about the war--about racism often at the urging of Lt. Brooks trying to deal with his wifes rejection--the discussion about the Vietnamese themselves and their history often portrayed through the eyes of their scout Le Huu Minh--somewhat of an anarchist. Much of this is seen through the eyes of Chelini--aka as Cherry--the newest arrival to the platoon. We follow him from the beginning as Egan molds him from a raw almost gormless newcomer into a particularly ferocious and reckless warrior. A lot can be said for this novel. The characterization is excellent. It addresses a whole litany of issues that revolved around the war but also what was happening stateside at the time.
In the end the platoon finds the enemy headquarters--a series of underground tunnels. In the ensuing battle many of them die and many others are maimed. Del Vecchio keeps a tight control over the action--and does not descend into sentimentalism. In this he does his platoon justice and gives us a very fine book.
The 13th Valley gives me a vivid picture of what I might have experienced or might now regret having experienced had the Reds not