Wandering Souls: Journeys with the Dead and the Living in Vietnam

"Wandering Souls"; Journeys With The Dead And The Living In Vietnam by Wayne Karlin is one book that belongs to that special clan of authors and Vietnam that go so well together with the name of, Tim O'Brien (and just a few others). "Wandering Souls" is about former 1st Lt. Homer Steedly who turned down a small trail in Pleiku coming "face to face" with a North Vietnamese soldier by the name of Hoang Ngoc Dam. For a split second, the two faced each other unsure of what to do, and then each began to automatically raise their rifles like two gunfighter from some Zane Grey novel. 1st Lt. Homer Steedly fired first and ...Hoang Ngoc Dam was dead before his body hit the ground. The killing incident lasted but a few seconds at most, and yet... the recoil from the 1st Lt's M-16 have lasted him a lifetime. The notebook and papers taken from Hoang Ngoc Dam were sent back to the United States where they were kept for over 35 years, but the psychological demons continued to plague Homer Steedly until he was finally forced to open the cork on the Genies lamp in order to face his many tormentors. This decision ultimately leads Homer Steedly back to Vietnam not only to meet the family of the man he killed, but...participate in his belated funeral services. This is truly a poignant story and at times, I had to put the book down in order to keep from being sucked into the tar pits of deep sadness brought about by Mr. Karlin's superbly descriptive writing and the emotional flaying that it produces. None the less, this is a great read, and a spiritual story that should not be overlooked. The book also carries a myriad of Vietnamese poetry, and cultural antecedents of great interest. To read this book is to help understand the horrors of war, the sadness of physical and psychological pain, and...the beauty of man's spiritual nature.

One of the great books, not just about the Vietnam War but about all wars and their effects on those who fight them and those who lose family members to them; and, perhaps more importantly, about the possibility of forgiveness and redemption for the soldier who has come to sincerely regret his or her participation in war. As a Vietnam veteran, I have read most of the books about that war, and many more on war in general. This is one of the finest. Wayne Karlin, the author and a Marine Corps veteran of the war, recounts the true stories of Homer Steedly, an American infantry lieutenant, and Hoang Ngoc Dam, an NVA medic whom Steedly kills in a sudden encounter, leaving Dam's body in the jungle. Steedly takes a notebook from Dam's body, and sends it home to his own mother. 3 decades later, deeply troubled by his memories of the war and Dam's death, among many others, Steedly assigns himself the mission of returning the notebook, and eventually Dam's body, to Dam's family. The story of Steedly's rapprochement with the Hoang family, and the process of their grieving and forgiving, makes this book absolutely unforgettable. Karlin combines the stories of Steedly, Dam, and their families, during and after the war. The anguish and isolation of many combat veterans, and their loved ones, is depicted in Karlin's narrative. But Karlin also adds the voices of American and Vietnamese poets and authors who have written about the war to tell a story about telling war stories. I am familiar with most of the American, and a few of the Vietnamese, writers Karlin quotes. He has chosen the very best of the voices of the war, not the least of which is Jonathan Shay, whose books on combat and its effects on veterans are among the finest. This is a must read for any understanding of war and war's consequences. Karlin extends his topic from Vietnam to our more recent wars, reminding us that they all carry the same consequences of Steedly's and Dam's stories: suffering that goes on long after the last rounds are fired. The reviewer is an ex-army captain, veteran of service with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam 1969-1970.

I just finished reading Wayne Karlin's remarkable book, "Wandering Souls: Journeys With the Dead and the Living in Viet Nam." Without a doubt, given the broad reach and emotional depth of this book, one that appeals to all veterans from both sides who served there, it is perhaps the finest memoir of the Vietnam War that I have ever read. This book will stand the test of time and become a classic. Thanks to Wayne Karlin for writing it. I was particularly moved by the passage where the author illuminates the writer's need to confirm what happened the way he remembered it, the obligation being to validate our anecdotes and memories without turning those experiences into more acceptable myths, or nostalgia for a falsely idealized past. Wayne Karlin has made our understanding of that war, and what we all went through, more complete through telling the powerful story of Hoang Ngoc Dam's death and of Homer Steedly's redemption. An amazing book! Captain Dan Guenther, USMC

As an infantry soldier in Vietnam, I had an experience similar to Homer's, and the story of reconciliation drew me. But, the book gave me much more. Wayne Karlin delved into the postwar lives of the combatants, and their families. Through these stories I found myself gaining a better understanding of things I had been dealing with for years. It was kind of reassuring knowing that I wasn't the "Lone Ranger". I think reading "Wandering Souls" will give folks a better idea of what combat soldiers deal with long after the nations involved declare a war over.

I cannot recall being moved more deeply by a book than I was while reading Wandering Souls. Wayne Karlin's beautifully crafted account of compassion, grace and forgiveness is made even more amazing in the knowledge that a despairing Homer Steedly somewhow found his way to Karlin -- the one person whose sublime understanding and enormous talent could fully capture the essence of that experience. I have no doubt that this honest and enlightening book will soon rank among the most highly regarded works in the literature of the Vietnam War.