Run Between the Raindrops

Loved it, brilliant book by Dale A.Dye who is Vietnam veteran, actor, writer, presenter and businessman. 

The book was actually published in 1985 but has now been revised by the author. Dale A. Dye was a photojournalist but during a particularly hard battle around the retaking of the Imperial City in Hue' City during the Tet offensive in 1968, he grabbed a weapon and became a squad leader.

Highly recommended.

I glance at his helmet. He's drawn a detailed depiction of the Marine Corps eagle, globe, and anchor emblem on the camouflage cover and modified the Semper Fidelis motto to Simply Forget Us

This is a grueling, disorienting, completely engrossing read about the experiences of a Marine journalist who was assigned to get to know his fellow grunts so he could send back articles and photos to their hometowns. 

There's a contrast between the cynicism and bitterness and confusion in the novel, and the self-reflection and perspective in the author's note, which was written twenty-odd years after the book was originally written. If you pick this one up, I suggest getting the newest release, and definitely read what Mr Dye has to say before you read the book. 

I wanted to write something different with trappings and observations on the gonzo model of first person, experiential screeds that would convey the surreal, often hallucinatory images I recalled from fighting in the mean streets of Hue.

This book is surreal to the point it's frightening. I've never read a book before that gave me chills the way this one did. I've never read any account of war that made me think I understood even a little of what that hell is like. Until I read this book. It's so painful and bleak and frightening and sickening to read that I had to take breaks. And then I inevitably thought about how I was taking a break from just reading about a battle, and I thought about how my beloved uncle lived it day in and day out as a soldier, then came home and relived it every day until he died. I wanted to understand the things that haunted him a little better, and I think I finally have an inkling now.

One thing I noticed is that if you stripped out the references to outdated machinery and location, you could still spot a Vietnam-era novel like this one in a lineup with Iraqi War novels. The soldiers in Vietnam were angrier, were frequently abusing drugs or alcohol, they used prostitutes as openly as they used C-rations, and they referred to the enemy almost exclusively by racist epithets. (Be warned if you read this: racism. All over. Everywhere. Every page.) Vietnam-era soldiers talked about the ways the government lied to them and to the media, with no patriotism at all to temper it. And they talked about the lies they told in return, like about looting the homes and shops of the people they were ostensibly there to liberate.

In an Iraq War novel, there are still disturbing behaviors, of course there are...but the overall tone is different. The enemy in a modern war story is an "insurgent" and there's a strong effort to state that an insurgent is not the same as the vast majority of the people in the region. There's still alcohol use, but it's not referenced as a daily thing that you smuggle into your water canteens. I'm certain there's drug use because God knows my cousins who served over there have said there is, but in the novels it's not painted as part of the accepted culture. 

Maybe a part of that is that modern men and women all freely choose to enter the military. In the 60's, if you were male you could be picked against your will. And then you could try to get the money to run away and still ultimately risk prison time, or you could go to Vietnam. What choices! 

This novel talks about the battle for a citadel. It was not a strategically important structure, but the Marines were not allowed to damage it. It had an NVA (North Vietnam) flag flying, and so the higher ups ordered the Marines to storm it. The integrity of the building was considered more important than the lives of the men on either side, because damaging the citadel would make them (more) unpopular.

Imagine going to your death knowing it was all for the enemy's flag. Literally.

Who knows what stories about the Iraq/Afghanistan wars will come out with time. It took decades for some of the Vietnam stories to be told. I only hope that they will reflect that we have learned something from the mistakes made in past wars, especially Vietnam. As far as war novels go, I consider this to be one of the most important I've ever read.

Having read a couple of Dale Dyes other books it is very interesting to see his growth as an author. The action of Run Between the Raindrops is the over powering element of the work, as it should be in this case. The Tet Offensive was filled with heroism and struggle by those who were caught up in it. The characters in this book are not as fully developed as his later writing, but in this edition it is mostly because of circumstances way beyond the authors control. The purpose of the novel is to show the quick and haphazard changes that occurred during the battle for Hue City during this time. As a combat correspondent he moved from unit to unit during the siege to gain control of the Imperial Palace. If you are interested in the fast paced quick moving battle this is a read for you.