The Unopened Letter: A Dose of Reality Changes a Young Man's Life Forever

by Richard W Herman

Overview

A coming of age story of a young man facing his draft notice during the Vietnam Era, and how his decision shaped his life, and that of his family. Told through a series of letters sent to his mother, the story covers an era when 27 million young men faced possible conscription into the armed services. It is replete with the emotions of the era when the U.S.A. was a country in turmoil Readers who remember the 1960's, or knew someone who lived during that period will find relevance in this tumultuous period. The joy, humor, and heartbreak of the times, told through a teenager's experience as he grows into a man.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780999051474
Publisher:	Giro Di Mondo
Publication date:	03/15/2021
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Commander R.W. Herman (USN-Ret.) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While attending the University of Minnesota in 1965, he received his draft notice and chose to enter the United States Navy for four years, three of which were spent on the USS Cambria (APA-36). Two years after his return, he reentered the service and continued a career spanning over thirty years.
Following ten years of enlisted service, he was commissioned through the Limited Duty Officer Program in 1979. He was the senior submarine communications officer in the Navy at retirement, having led the silent service into the twenty-first century maintaining connectivity superiority. He and his wife now reside in Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Visit the author at www.rwherman.com.

Editorial Reviews

"R.W. Herman brings the Vietnam-era Navy to your doorstep. As a fellow mustang officer, I can say this book is {extremely accurate and } a must-read for all history lovers. Buy two, then give one to a veteran."

-J.R. Sharp, CDR. (ret), award-winning author of Feeding the Enemy series

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"A simple letter catapults Herman into a life-defining adventure for which he was unprepared. How he deals with his predicament will capture your soul and cause you to compare his experiences with your own... While reading this book, I felt compelled to compare it to various works of historical significance. Alexandre Dumas' "Three Musketeers" came closest. D'Artagnan and his adventures with his new friends, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, matched well with "Rich" Herman and his compatriots, Ethos, Pathos, and Erroneous. Swashbuckling? Well .... sometimes. But positively engaging, as only a few written works are capable. Herman's story is heartwarming, at times humorous, exciting, chilling ..."

- Emmett Henderson, Lieutenant Commander (USN-Ret.) - five stars

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" I was blown away by the intensity of the story... one of the most unique memoirs I had ever read... the most entertaining as well. The narrative was magical...transported me into his life when he was 18 and how the war shaped him ... I could experience the confusion he went through and how he tried to make the best of what was handed to him. It provided a great first-hand look at the war era and how it affected the lives of these young men. a brilliant and moving story that had me hooked until the end."

- Rabia Tanveer, Readers' Favorites - five stars

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"... Although it reads like one-way epistolary fiction, this is the true-to-life autobiographical story... His coming-of-age tale begins in the winter of December 1965 in Minneapolis. As the whole country witnesses the turmoil over the conflict in Southeast Asia, he receives a letter from the U.S. Selective Service System...Herman's accomplishment is not about depicting the horrors of war, but to make the men of his generation and this present generation understand that the war that did not meet expectations is never lost in vain. It allowed young men like him to grow wiser from the experience. A precious insight into a wartime account ...."

- Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorites - five stars

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From the Publisher