Pop Smoke, Birds Inbound Audiobook By Rick R. Garcia cover art

Pop Smoke, Birds Inbound

The Forgotten Soldier

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Pop Smoke, Birds Inbound

By: Rick R. Garcia
Narrated by: Mike Lenz
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About this listen

The Vietnam War put a once-proud nation in turmoil. During the height of the conflict, the antiwar movement caused civil unrest in America. Young men evaded the draft by fleeing to Canada, claiming conscientious objector status, homosexuality, or marriage with child. But author Rick R. Garcia, the only son born to Hispanic parents, got caught up in the 1969 lottery draft.

Pop Smoke, Birds Inbound chronicles Garcias story as he was shipped far away to the land of hush-a-bye to fight in the most controversial war in which the United States ever participated. He was inducted into the US Army on August 20, 1970, and after the completion of eight weeks of intense advance infantry training, he was issued orders to report to Oakland Army Base, gateway to Southeast Asia. Eventually, Garcia was assigned to Blackfoot Platoon, Company Bravo, Second Battalion, Eighth Regiment, First Cavalry Division.

Pop Smoke, Birds Inbound narrates a factual account of one soldiers triumphs and failures between firefights—a story of survival, from living to loving. It presents a unique glimpse into the life of a grunt, from combat to drugs to sexual exploits, along with incisive portraits of those individuals who fought in a war the United States would never win.

©2016 Rick R. Garcia (P)2022 Rick R. Garcia
Military & War
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An Excellent read

There are so many books written that remind a reader about the Vietnam War and how wrong it was. This story doesn't ask you to think about that right or wrong opinion. The author simply gives a very descriptive account of a year in the life of a young adult drafted into a war he would rather have not heard of. He doesn't go into graphic detail of the ugliness, but chooses to show how boys were put into tough places and could come through the challenge as men, with scares, yet still able to find the good in dark places. This is the first book on Vietnam, which has made me consider visiting the country to see it's beauty. Thank you Rick Garcia, for your service and sharing a little bit of yourself. I highly recommend listening to this story.

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