Two Times Dead in Vietnam: To My Lost Friend Jack

The battle to fight for a better world started for me on March 31st, 1970. I have asked many, many times why I was given the gift of life but not my friend Jack Rae Smith. I have concluded that it is to tell the truth while fighting for fairness for all of us who are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy the beauty of our world, and for all those that will follow us.
I first had to fight for my life, then overcome the many injuries I received in Vietnam, on March 31st, 1970, to make it back home, to fight to be considered disabled by the Army while overcoming numerous grand mal seizures, struggle to graduate from college, fight to become a permanent employee of the state of New Jersey, and not leave a man behind. I had six articles published in local newspapers about my fight to become a permanent New Jersey state employee. I lead the way to help other disabled individuals to be able to become permanent New Jersey State employee.
The book is broken into seven parts and they are: 1st part: My battle to become a permanent NJ state employee. 2nd part: Stories of some of my missions. 3rd part: Make My Point that War and Violence Are Not the Answer. 4th part: Is devoted to keeping my lost friend’s, Jack Rae Smith, story alive. 5th part: Are pictures taken by me, as well as photographs of Vietnam. 6th part: Examples of my other writings. 7th part: Is About the Author. Some of the chapters about my tour are: ＂Welcome to Vietnam＂, ＂The Bob Hope Christmas Show＂, ＂Christmas New Year’s Eve＂, ＂My Twenty-first Birthday＂, ＂The Sun at Last＂, ＂My First Purple Heart＂, ＂ Top of the World, Ma!＂, ＂Swimming in the Saigon River＂, ＂With Me Still＂, ＂First Last Rites＂, ＂Second Last Rites＂, ＂Going Home＂.
While in Japan recovering from my injuries, I saw the physical consequences of war as I was walking around the Neurology Ward helping other injured soldiers. The loss of Jack along with the other 58,219 young Americans who did not make it home also demonstrates the consequences of war, where you had to live life at its most primitive state. The book is about family, friendship, courage and loss. The author was able to use a near death experience as inspiration, to fight for a better world.