About Face/the Odyssey of an American Warrior by David H. Hackworth, Julie Sherman (1990, Paperback, Reprint)

I originally read this book when it first came out in the late 1980's and then closely followed its author's career as a correspondent for Time Magazine. He featured largely in identifying some senior officers who were wearing medals that they had never been awarded as well as being responsible for outing some stunning military lies and deceptions. He knew the Army inside and out beginning his career as a 16 year old who lied about his age, joined the Army and found himself in occupied Italy at the end of WWII. He became one of the soliders who came home and was promptly tossed out of the military to make a life in the civilian world. Recalled to serve in Korea he was horried by what he saw happening there and showed himself to be a hero and a soldiers soldier as well as a brilliant logistician. He served three tours in Viet Nam and was one of the most decorated soliders the United States had. He was destined to wear stars until he tired of the lies and went home on leave, went on Face the Nation and blew the whistle on the exaggerated body counts and corruption that was rife there -- most of all he showed why the war was fought to benefit the huge military industrial complex rather than any high falutin cause that leadership championed. The lessons he speaks of were as necessary then as they are today. So I bought the book to revisit the things he spoke so eloquently about concerning poor and cowered military leadership and constant blunders that turn patriotic youth of America into sacrificial lambs of the military industrial complex. It is an inforgettable story, written in an unflinching style and full of messages American voters should understand. Buying the book used was great too! A wonderful deal!