Beatles Books, Bombs, and Beyond

“Beatles, Books, and Bombs” is a true story tracing the lives of three young men who walked on the campus of what has been called the most liberal university in America at the start of the decade and signed up to become United States Marines before the Vietnam catastrophe had even become a blip on the radar screen. Their lives as ROTC students became more and more tumultuous as they strived to swim against the flood tide anti-establishment sentiment. It is a story of fast friendships, boys becoming men, and college life in the 1960s.  It is laced with humor, love, determination, and the rambunctious adventures of these young men as it became clearer every day that the ugly cloud of Southeast Asia was destined to take hold of their lives after graduation.

              On 6/6/66 with degrees in hand they all became USMC second lieutenants, who enthusiastically marched on to infantry officer training in Virginia. Never did their resolve and commitment to duty waiver. All newly married, they were processed through an accelerated six month program designed to prepare them for the inevitable combat tour of duty to come. It was a bittersweet time as new marriages struggled to coalesce with everyone fully aware that separation was soon to be at hand. Two went off to fly jets and managed to put off their departure overseas for as much as two years. The other was sent to Vietnam almost immediately and returned home before the others has even left the states. He was stationed in Philadelphia, where he heard catcalls and was spit upon when anyone caught site of his uniform. Forty years later he heard his first “Thank you” for your service. But he was the lucky one. His F4B Phantom pilot buddies never came home at all