The Forgotten Soldier: Mortarman

Carroll Durham

July 2010 · Xlibris Corporation

About this eBook

This is a story of Carroll A. Durham becoming a soldier as an African American during the Vietnam War. It is a story that has never been told. Carroll was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 1993. He is a poster child for getting the word out about what it was like for 300,000 veteran casualties who served out of 2, 500,000 troops that served in Vietnam. There are very few books in the market about the African American soldier. This story tells of the trials and tribulations of black male youth growing up during the Civil Rights Movement in the new integrated army. The story is also similar to the 30,000 casualties of the Iraq war who suffer just like the Vietnam veteran along with their families. Carroll dreamed of being a soldier growing up in his fathers footsteps by him being a person in uniform during World War II. Carroll wanted to know what it was like being a soldier in the Vietnam War. He wants this story to get out to the families of the Vietnam Era so they can see what their patriots went through during this period in our American history.

Ratings and reviews

AAA

About the author

As a writer I have experienced what most Americans have not and that is being a member of the United States Army. This is the story of survival during the 1950’s and the 1960’s for a black African American male youth during this period. My primary education was achieved through the American public educational and private educational system in the United States of America. Through my background in receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology, I’ve lived among whites and blacks who experienced the Vietnam War. You can only imagine the era of the Civil Rights Movement. You could only imagine what it was like to be an African American soldier during the Vietnam conflict. This is a story that is being told through a black perspective and point of view. It is a story of truth. The American public has been cheated of not knowing that African American heroes were of notoriety from the Vietnam War. It’s the story of black male youth going into a war that was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 1993. This story entertains, enlightens, and informs the public about a significant part of modern American History. Due to my minor in history and actually living through Vietnam, without a Purple Heart as a combat soldier who lost his virginity in Vietnam at nineteen years old, I am qualified to tell this story. In 1969 I received 3 Bronze Stars and 11 other combat ribbons for heroism in The Republic of Vietnam. In February of 1999, I was honored by the Senate of Maryland and the House of Delegates for Heroism with Resolution 0462 and Resolution 559 for Valor in defense of the Nation.