My new book "Coming of age in Vietnam"

A memoir of war. 1968-1969

I thought I would share the cover and foreward for my new book which is coming out in January 2025.

Foreword

In all my years of teaching creative writing to veterans, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a student as squared-away as Jamie Boss.

To be sure, there were award-winners, prolifically-published short story writers, and Naval Academy alum—several very squared-away Marines. But no one with Jamie's clear-eyed mechanical curiosity. He is obsessed with how things work, and he likes to “make things.” That is a good trait for a writer—essential, really. When I first meet a writing student of any stripe, I need to gauge how much control they have over their process. If they lack control—what are they doing to remedy that? Reading is essential, of course. But without writing, there is nothing. You have to get something on the page. Be fearless. Jamie did that from the get-go. It just flowed out of him.

His expertise in various areas is a significant clue as to why you’ll probably not put this book down once you start reading. He knows how to engage a reader the same way he knows how an engine engages with a drivetrain. The man not only repaired tanks, but he did it under intense fire and pressure. He was not permitted to leave until the tank was fixed. Lives depended on it. He approaches storytelling the same way. He likes to play guitar. So, instead of just buying a guitar, he figured out how to build them. Then, he taught others because the best way to learn a process is to teach it.

There’s so much more to Jamie Boss than the Vietnam War. I know this because I’ve read all his writing. He covers his childhood, and adult issues—he does not recognize limitations.

My father flew alongside John McCain, first during the Cuban Missile Crisis, then in Vietnam. Later, they served in the Pentagon together. He said McCain hated bullies. So does Jamie Boss. It’s called humility, something in short supply these days. To be so accomplished (and this book is an accomplishment) yet remain grounded? That is a testament to the man this teenage soldier became.

Strap in and get ready. He’s about to take you there.

Robert Morgan Fisher

(aka Gunny)

Founder and Leader

UCLA Wordcommandos Creative Writing Workshop for Veterans

December, 2024