Out of the Blue
A novel of one man’s transition from Vietnam War soldier to a new career in forest management—the characters, the dangers, the memories.
Ben hops aboard the Greyhound on a journey from his hometown of Sisu Bay on the coast of Oregon to one of the most rural areas of the West. Drafted into the Army and a fourteen-month veteran of the Vietnam War, he is glad to begin his career in a western national forest, but the dangers that he will face far surpass anything he has seen.
You will meet Ben’s crew, city slickers, dudes, and greenhorns, from all over the US who are thrown in with some locals whose families worked this same land for decades. Ben’s journey with this oddball group will test him, as this will be a different journey involving different battles. Ben and his new buddies will experience their own personal wars against forest fires where close calls are the norm, and murder accusations which are not, along with other life-changing events that only the end of the sixties could bring.
Ben’s story is a journey, but also a reminder of the nightmares and daydreams of being in a war zone; some bad, some good, but memories that are forever lurking in the mind’s shadows.
Ken Palmrose
This book took five years to write. For decades, I rarely admitted to anyone that I was a Vietnam Vet or what I did during my tour of duty. As a non-combatant, it was hard, if not downright embarrassing for me to talk about the easy times I enjoyed the first seven months of my tour. This was especially true considering my friends, colleagues, and classmates that experienced the horrors of combat, several of which were wounded not only physically, but mentally as well. and of course, those who never came home. But for me, the war itself finally did become a stark reality as the attacks of the 1968 Tet and May offensives hit close to home. There were many people I worked with during my 36-year with the USDA-Forest Service career that knew me, some for 25 years, and didn't realize I was a Vietnam Vet. I chose to ignore, maybe even forget my service, and never admit it. Now, after much discussion with many whom I consider real heroes and thanks to their heartfelt expressions of appreciation for my service, I am actually proud of being a Vietnam Vet and what I accomplished. This book is a fiction piece but at times is loosely based on actual events and incidents. It is a reminder that no matter what happens in a war zone, the memories do not fade away---- ever.
Pen It! Publications, LLC
