About book Bloods: An Oral History Of The Vietnam War By Black Veterans (1985)
Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War: An Oral History by Wallace Terry is one of the most powerful and moving books from the point of view of the soldiers who fought the battles day in and day out. Terry is the renowned authority on the African American soldier and experience in Vietnam. He was on the ground with the troops, interviewing them, creating the only documentary from the battlefield entitled Guess Who’s Coming Home: Black Fighting Men Recorded Live in Vietnam, released in 1972.The African American men in Bloods tell their story in their own words, the way they experienced it. Their dialects show through the written speech. Each chapter is more moving and emotional than the next, dragging the reader down into the depths of war, creating an emotional investment in each person mentioned. But the stories are not only about the battle on the front lines but the battle inside themselves, behind the lines, and back at home. Each soldier discusses their views on the Civil Rights movement that is happening while they were away and its impact on them while they are at war. The emotions are still heavy as they tell stories of black, white, Hispanic, Asian, an American soldier is a brother. Others run into different scenarios of racism behind the line and sometimes their abilities to overcome it.Even though Bloods was originally published in 1984, many words of the men who told their stories can still ring true today. Armchair historians, military fans, young adults, and anyone interested in a true horror story should read this oral history, but a minor amount of previous knowledge of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement is recommended for true comprehension. These men should be honored for being willing to share with the world their experiences in such a sensitive and life-changing time period. No doubt the rapport and trust built between the men and Terry while they were in the battlefield contributed greatly to their willingness to be interviewed after their return stateside. It is through that bond of trust that the public is graced with a rich primary resource such as Bloods.For more information, please visit Wallace Terry’s websiteTo purchase Bloods, please click here.
Wallace Terry was a well-known, African-American journalist who interviewed and compiled the accounts of several African-American soldiers in the Vietnam war. These men tell it like it was on a number of topics, but most striking are the stories of how they were treated on arriving home after the war, in the midst of a strong anti-war climate, and the fact that several of them really were down on the powers that be for ending the war and handing Vietnam to the people they'd been fighting against for years. As one person noted (169): "Why wait ten years and thousands upon thousands of lives later to just turn it over to the Communists? We could have done that at the very beginning." This particular sentiment is echoed throughout the book. Many discuss the racial issues both before, during and after their time in Vietnam. The author did personal interviews with 20 vets, officers and enlisted personnel, but it's never really stated whether or not the veterans were encouraged just to tell their stories or if they were being questioned specifically about their experiences. However, the stories themselves were eye-opening, and aside from me wondering about the method of interviewing, the book held my interest until I finished it. Originally published in 1985, and now, some forty years after the Vietnam war, it's still quite worth the time and effort to read this small book, especially for those who maybe want a different take on that conflict. I would most definitely recommend it, especially to those who are interested in the personal side of the Vietnam war and its aftermath. Overall, very well done; at times heartbreaking, especially the reception that these men got when returning home.
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This was a fantastic book. The Black soldiers who served in Vietnam called themselves 'Bloods' and given the current status of U.S. veterans of both the Vietnam and Iraq Wars, revisiting the memories of these Black soldiers some 34 years after the end of the contentious outcome of the fighting was humbling. The twenty soldiers profiled in Terry's book are candid about their experiences-recalling brutal fighting, paralyzing fear, acts of courage, and racism encountered on the battlefield. Many speak eloquently of the lives they left behind as often times impoverished teenagers and the world they returned to as battle-tested adults. The patriotism,bravery and ingenuity of these 'Bloods of Nam' still resonates today.
—Susan
Much has been written about the Vietnam War and the troops who served and died there, Walace Terry lets the reader hear the voices of the African American troops who were there. Th ereader can hear their voices and understand their feelings about the war and why they thought they were there. A must read from high school student to the college scholar. It expands the dialogue about the war from the academic world to the grunts, about something they knew quite a lot about, without the political commentary and spin.
—Theophilus (Theo)
It's important to realize that most of America's classic war memoirs, particularly those celebrating the United States Marine Corps such as WITH THE OLD BREED by E.B. Sledge and A RUMOR OF WAR by Philip Caputo, focus only on white troops. This collection focuses on the experiences of black combat troops in all four branches of the service in the Vietnam War. It is a must read for its truthfulness, tension, poignant honesty, and power. This is the Marine Corps southern die-hards like William Styron didn't want to serve in. This is the Marine Corps modern conservatives ignore. This is the real Marine Corps of today, the "New Breed" that fought in Vietnam and went on to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.
—Carol Storm
