^_Some stories are told to entertain. Others, like The War: 361 Days, 12 Hours, and 27 Minutes in Vietnam by Gerald A. Spence, are written to be remembered. This book isn’t just a recollection—it’s a raw, unfiltered window into one man’s real-life struggle during the Vietnam War. And it’s not romanticized. It’s chaotic, heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious, and always honest.

Drafted in 1966, Spence didn’t just face the trauma of war—he was ripped away from a stable life, a pregnant wife, and the quiet pride of being a firefighter. From Fort Bragg to the bloody jungles of Vietnam, he takes us through it all: the fear, the confusion, the moments of calm before the rockets fly. And then comes the moment that hits hardest:

“I lean over and shout to the driver, “What are the long green boxes that are stacked in between and taller than the hangers themselves?” He replied, ‘Those are caskets man, thousands of them.’”

— The War, Landing in Da Nang, p.10

A War That Changed Everything

This book isn’t about medals or glory. It’s about a guy named Jerry Simpson who never saw it coming, tried to make the best of it, and lived to tell the story. And thank God he did. Because what you’ll find in The War is more than history—it’s humanity at its most vulnerable and brave.

From hilarious mishaps like shooting a water buffalo and calling it “combat” to the haunting trauma of seeing caskets stacked taller than hangars, Spence doesn’t hold back. You’ll follow him from rookie mistakes in boot camp to terrifying night attacks where every rustle in the dark could mean death. There’s a constant tug-of-war between survival and sanity.

And it’s not just combat—it’s the quiet, heavy parts too. The nights writing letters home. The regret of missing a child’s birth. The weird new friendships forged in foxholes. Spence captures the strangeness of going from soldier to stranger in your own country. The pain of coming home to protesters who saw you as the enemy when all you ever wanted was to make it out alive.

Standout Moment: When Spence and his buddies mistakenly light up a charging animal, thinking it’s a Viet Cong ambush. It turns out to be a water buffalo. Hundreds of rounds wasted. The punishment? Paying for the farmer’s buffalo. The real punchline? That might’ve been their only confirmed “kill” in the war. And it still cost them twenty bucks each.

This moment sums up everything this book does right—it’s dark, absurd, tragic, and weirdly funny. Just like war.

About the Author’s Life

Gerald A. Spence isn’t just another storyteller. He’s a retired firefighter, a Vietnam veteran, and a proud father and grandfather. Born and raised in the Washington, DC area and educated in suburban Maryland, Spence brings a lived-in honesty to every chapter. This isn’t some dramatized war tale—it’s his truth, written with zero filter and 100% heart.

His experience in public service, both as a soldier and later as a firefighter, shaped his view of duty and survival. That sense of grounded realism is what makes this book feel so personal. Spence has walked through fire—literally and figuratively—and he’s got the stories to prove it.

The War is more than a must-read—it’s a piece of American memory preserved through one man’s eyes. The book invites you to feel what it was like to be young, scared, and drafted into history.