Voices of War by Tom Weiner Gives First-Hand Accounts of Front Line

Voices of War: Stories of Service From the Home Front and the Front Lines. Edited by Tom Wiener for the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project. National Geographic. 2004. 317 pages plus brief biography of contributors and index. Available from Amazon.com

"Attention must be paid." That's the final line of the Arthur Miller play, Death of a Salesman, but it applies equally well to the men and women who have sacrificed so much in answering their country's call to serve. What is tragic is that it was not until the year 2000 that the Veterans History Project was created, in order to collect oral histories - "their unique stories, memories and experiences."

Beginning in 2000, a "small but dedicated staff" at the Library of Congress has collected thousands of stories from our nation's veterans and those who served with t hem, both on the home front and the war front.

It doesn't matter what you think of the justifications for certain of the wars in which Americans fought, suffered and died. It's not the politicians and the big brass that are covered here, but the average individual, the men and women who were called on to serve or volunteered, but did their best to serve their country in the roles in which they found themselves.

The reminiscences come from every war from World War I onward: the average soldier in the field, the nurses who did their best to save lives so far from home, the women on the home front who dreaded every knock on the door, fearing it would be a message that their husband or son was dead.

Some of the thousands of stories are collected in this book.. Although World War II is the main focus, there are memories from World War I, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War as well. The memories vary from a single paragraph (excerpted from longer stories, obviously) chosen to illustrate a single theme, to several paragraphs, to a couple of pages to profile a certain individual.

This is the face of war. Forget the movies, which alter the truth for the sake of dramatic license. Forget the techno-thrillers and war stories. If you want to know what it's like to face the fire, you must read this book.. The days of boredom followed by moments of extreme terror. The camaraderie. The injustices - not only the prejudices against African Americans and Japanese Americans serving t heir country, but the. rivalries between the services - Army, Navy and Marines, which sometimes resulted in a man not getting medical help for some time until he could be moved to the 'right' hospital. What it's like to come home with a maimed body or a maimed mind. What it's like trying to put your life back together after the most cataclysmic time of your life.

Max Cleland, (former Democratic Senator) who wrote an Introduction for this book, and who lost an arm and both legs in Vietnam, is featured in several sections, in particular Home on a Stretcher. "The shipping back was a hellish thing. I was moved very quickly from the field hospital to one right in Danang. I wanted to stay in the Navy hospital in Danang, because I knew I was going to get better treatment there. But they said, "No, you're an Army guy," and they sent me to some place in Saigon that was a hellhole. I was there for seven days, and I almost died. They almost killed me..."

After his return to the United States: "I can remember sitting there in my mother and daddy's living room and saying, "Well, no job, no future, no girlfriend, no car, no apartment, no money - this is a great time to run for the State Senate."

The book is divided into seven sections, each with lots of photos to put a face to many of the names.

1. Answering the Call
Deciding to Serve, Basic training, A New Life at Arms, and Making the Adjustment.

2. A Day in the Life
Close Quarters: the Daily Routine, Word From Home: Mail Call, A Matter of Rank: Officers and Enlisted Men, Taking a Break: Recreation and Leave.

3. Under Fire
This section is divided into wars - World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War.

4. They Also Serve
The Specialists, The Nurses and the Red Cross

5. World War II Home Front
The soldiers, The Wives. One woman's story.

6. Coming Home
War is Over, Home on a Stretcher, No Parades,

7. Reflections
Aftermath

You can't read this book without being moved. Highly recommended.