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MWSA Review
James Hubbard, Jr. and Deborah Nylec have given us an up-close and personal look at the life of Hubbard in their book, From Michigan to Mekong. The style is somewhat unique in that the vast majority of the book is a collection of letters from James, or Jim Jr. as he referred to himself back then, to his parents and later to his wife. The letters run from the time he was away for college to shortly afterwards when he was away in Vietnam. The college letters portray a young man struggling to get through college but determined to do so. The ones from Vietnam give us insight into his loneliness, his sense of humor, and a definite desire to shield the extent of danger he faced from those back home in the U.S.
The book did make me interested in Hubbard's life, and I would have loved more backstory detailing his actions, which resulted in his receiving a Silver Star, and his observations regarding the Tet Offensive. His not going into detail in his letters is, of course, understandable. This book is an easy read and could be a cherished heirloom for generations to come.
Review by Bob Doerr (February 2022)
Author's Synopsis
This is a collection of correspondence from me to my parents and my wife beginning my freshman year in college in 1961 and concluding with my return from Vietnam in late 1967. It details the struggles of a young man not quite ready for the discipline of a college regimen through a combat tour with the 9th Infantry Division in III Corp and IV Corp in Vietnam to include the Tet Offensive and the award of a Silver Star. The book concludes with an epilog of what the experiences of the better part of a decade taught me.
ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-7373024-0-7, 978-1-737024-1-4
Book Format(s): Soft cover, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 231