Patrol: an American Soldier in Vietnam.by Walter Dean Myers collages by Ann Grifalconi HarperCollins, May 2002 $16.95, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-06-028363-7 Before Walter Dean Myers became an award-winning author of books for urban boys, he served in the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. at the young age of 17; his brother died there. In Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam, Myers' spare narrative poetry illustrates the harrowing experiences, inner turmoil and raw emotions that one soldier faces on the battlefield. Amid Anna Grifalconi's mixed-media collages of lush green forest, colorful wildlife and mountainous terrain, the soldier and his nine-man squad move steadily toward the enemy. The agonizing and tiring journey is filled with startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. moments. As the protagonist gets closer to his target, rifle in hand, he is frightened by the enemy lurking in trees, gunfire and exploding bombs. ("My body shakes. /I tell myself that I will not die on this bright day.") When the solider and his squad reach their target, a Vietnamese village, he is surprised that the enemy is "A brown woman with rivers of age etched etch v. etched, etch·ing, etch·es v.tr. 1. a. To cut into the surface of (glass, for example) by the action of acid. b. deeply into her face. /An old man, his eyes heavy with memory. /And babies." Finally, looking eyeball-to-eyeball eye·ball-to-eye·ball Informal adj. Face to face. adv. also eyeball to eyeball Face to face. with a Vietnamese soldier, he's shocked that the "real enemy" is a kid, just like him. Myers' gripping soldier's story, for mature readers, grapples with the complexities, contradictions and ultimate tragedies that define war. It is a haunting A Haunting is a television series on Discovery Channel that, according to its website[1] chronicles the "terrifying true stories of the paranormal told by people who experienced real-life horror tales. tale that captures the weary soul of one black American soldier. |
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