Book Summary:
What would you say if I told you there are disturbing things the US Government hasn’t told you about the Vietnam War and doesn’t want you to know? Things such as all the rainbow-colored pesticides and the disabling effect they had on US service personnel.
Silent Spring – Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War, is an account of war – a tale of anger and determination – a chronicle written in sorrow and hope. It’s the story of countless veterans who served in Vietnam and could even be your story.
While the book is categorized as a memoir, it’s also an investigational voyage into all the issues the U.S. government hasn’t told you and doesn’t want you to know about the Vietnam War. The work isn’t just another rehashing of the war or Agent Orange. Rather it’s a “silver bullet” which cuts through to the heart of the circumstances and chemical used in Vietnam—enduring toxic herbicides and insecticides—which in some cases are still being used to this very day all over the globe, even right here in America. Now I’m sure many of you will find that fact hard to believe. Nevertheless, it’s true.
So, forget everything you’ve heard from the government and what you think you know about the Vietnam War because you will be absolutely stunned by what the US government had willingly dumped on Vietnam—their allies—and even their own troops.
What happened in Vietnam … didn’t stay in Vietnam. It came home with us!
Amazon Link – https://amzn.to/2KR2MFe
Review:
Between the years of 1955-1975, The Vietnam War impacted lives across the world. Patrick Hogan, a former staff sergeant, has dedicated his novel Silent Spring: Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War to exposing the public to the horrors that the United States government consciously inflicted upon its own people—soldiers who were fighting for the United States, and never gave their government a second thought as to the motives for their actions. He also wrote this for future generations to not forget some of the fallen soldiers that served during the Vietnam War—too many for Hogan to name.
Hogan covers all of the bases with his research on the ill-effects of the pesticides and herbicides used on the soldiers serving in South Vietnam. Reading thousands of research papers and looking through declassified papers, he has found an abundance of information to help him, personally, explain his many ailments and bodily problems he has experienced since his time in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, our government released highly toxic pesticides into the air, with the U.S. soldiers present to soak in every molecule of the poison into their bodies, of course, unbeknownst to them. Pages and pages of chemicals are listed, including the infamous Agent Orange and Agent White, with all of poisons combined being referred to as the “Rainbow Herbicides.”
To imagine what the soldiers had to go through during the war itself would be hard, but to imagine what they are still having to go through, even after the war has been over for forty-plus years, is sad. The way that Hogan describes everything pertaining to the DVA and the military, especially with their unwillingness to completely comply to the overall healthcare that veterans did, and currently do, need reminds me of a spoiled child who won’t accept responsibility for their actions. Deep down they know what they did, but they are too stubborn to admit it out loud at the risk of losing money and power. The amount of time that had to have gone into this book was extremely evident, and for that, it is very credible. Hogan’s style of writing was easy to read, and, personally, I loved how he incorporated uplifting words, such as Bible verses and the doxology into his book. As this is a story focused on so many negatives, it definitely needs some positivity included. The information included will be valuable for many generations to come to help us not forget this time in history and use it as a learning tool.
Reviewed By: Rachel Dehning
https://manhattanbookreview.com/product/silent-spring-deadly-autumn-of-the-vietnam-war/
Author Bio:
The author was stationed in Vietnam from September 1966 through June 1969. While there he earned the rank of Staff Sergeant E-6 and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal by the Secretary of the Army Stanley Resor. Shortly after being discharged, in August of 1975, he was appointed to the Teaneck Police Department as a law enforcement officer. During his police career, he attended Fairleigh Dickenson University’s where he earned an Associate in Arts Degree with honors. He has completed police training programs at law enforcement educational facilities such as John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the NJ State Police Training Academy and the New England Institute of Law Enforcement and Management (Babson College). In addition to his educational accomplishments, he is a certified State of New Jersey Police Training Instructor.
Initially, writing a book about the Vietnam War or being an author was the further thing from his mind. However, after he started his research journey into Agent Orange, things changed. He never suspected what his investigation would discover. The deeper his exploration took him, and the more he saw all the lives which had been taken and damaged by the rampant use of pesticides during the war; the more determined he became to try to set the record straight. So, starting with the death of his friend and fellow veteran, Larry White the concept for Silent Spring – Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War was born, and a reluctant writer emerged out of sheer exasperation and sorrow.