Year in Nam: A Native American Soldier's Story (North American Indian Prose Award Series)

About this book

In 1968 Leroy TeCube left his home on the Jicarilla Apache reservation to serve as an infantryman in Vietnam. Year in Nam is his story of that long terrifying and numbing year of combat one that profoundly affected the men in TeCubes platoon and tested the strength of his own Native American heritage. Tecube was a respected point man and leader of his platoon. His memoir provides an intimate glimpse of the daily lives of infantrymenthe monotony of camp the oppressive heat the deceptively dull routine of patrols the brief but furious eruptions of combat the forging of platoon squads on the crucible of trust a pervasive sadness and indifference and a growing acceptance of the imminence of death. Particularly powerful are Tecubes observations and experiences from the perspective of a Native American soldier. Many aspects of TeCubes cultural heritagehis traditional religious beliefs the farewell blessing from an Apache medicine man the memory of special powwow dances held back home for soldierswere a source of strength to him.