The Night is Dark and I am Far from Home: A Vietnam veteran's trip forward into the past Paperback – 28 July 2014

I bought it few years ago, and I read it again and again. An empowering real-life story that changes the way we look at everything!

I recently finished The Night is Dark and I am Far from Home. I needed a break from the raw emotion I experienced in the early going. It took courage to return to it. Howell has a way of bareing his soul that puts you there with him on the hill that has been such a focus of his battle - during the Viet Nam war and almost daily since. He has now dealt with this demon, and he brings you along in his fight that is emotionally exhausting and at the same time exhilarating. Part narrative, part letters to home - it is a book not to be read, but experienced. A journey to repair his tattered soul. It has changed my perspective on my trivial issues, and I admire his courage to deal with these issues and share them with me. It needs to be experienced in total. Not a casual read.My life experiences pale in comparison and I am truly in awe of the deepness of Howell's spirit. He has experienced things in life with a depth that few people have experienced - and with his skillful prose, he is kind enough to bring me along.

interesting!

In 1966 the author was a corpsman with India Company, 3/5 Marines in Vietnam. On 24 July his unit was ordered up Hill 362 to set up a communications link. There were hundreds of NVA soldiers in the area, and India Company came under heavy and relentless attack for a day and night in the claustrophobic jungle. Approximately 180 Marines started up the hill; fewer than 70 walked out after the battle."The Night is Dark..." is Doug Howell's account of the long after effect of the action on his life. This is an intense and emotional book, the story of a man coming to understand what he lived, and having the courage to create from it an admirable life and career. *You should read this book.*

Viet Nam was 'before my time' but it touched many of the lives of those I know and love.The author in exceptional in his description of the Viet Nam he experiences upon his return and conveys the pain and loss of his original trip there. He is honest about the pain and difficulty in returning to 'normal' life stateside in an era when it was so difficult.The camaraderie of the shared past, and the bond which transcends all the years in between, is palpable and enviable. One understands this bond which is forged by warriors in the throes of life and death, and we share their past pain and their current hope.