Walking Point by Robert Kunkel
Posted on March 19, 2019
Midwest Book Review
Walking Point
Robert Kunkel
www.walkingpoint.us
Thunderbrook Publishing
thunderbrookpublishing.com
9781513639222 $18.95 amazon.com
Synopsis: Bob Kunkel grew up in a large, Catholic family on a dairy farm in central Minnesota. Although he was older than some draftees, at 22, he was still young and relatively innocent. But not for long.
Kunkel recounts his experiences with so much detail that the reader can feel and smell the steamy jungle. He brings you right along with him. His story is much more than a collection of details, however. His military experience was largely mundane routine, spiced with dramatic and dangerous moments and anecdotal incidents, recounted with a dry sense of humor. Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster of a read.
Kunkel spent parts of 18 years working on this memoir. It began as general notes he wrote down in order to free the haunting details from his mind, as therapy for PTSD, It evolved into a full-fledged memoir. "Once I opened up, I could deal with it," he says. Initially, his plan was to share this painstakingly written account with family, as a sort of legacy. His story deserves to be shared much more broadly, though. It is a story of drive and tenacity, of survival, and of the power of faith and family.
Critique: Walking Point: A Vietnam Memoir is a candid, honest, and sobering firsthand account of the author's military training, tour of duty in Vietnam, and return home only to encounter a heartrending amount of public scorn, as well as the harrowing effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. A handful of black-and-white photographs enhances this vividly descriptive (and sometimes horrifying) "must-read" contribution to Vietnam biography and testimonial shelves. Highly recommended, especially for public library collections.
Posted on March 19, 2019
Midwest Book Review
Walking Point
Robert Kunkel
www.walkingpoint.us
Thunderbrook Publishing
thunderbrookpublishing.com
9781513639222 $18.95 amazon.com
Synopsis: Bob Kunkel grew up in a large, Catholic family on a dairy farm in central Minnesota. Although he was older than some draftees, at 22, he was still young and relatively innocent. But not for long.
Kunkel recounts his experiences with so much detail that the reader can feel and smell the steamy jungle. He brings you right along with him. His story is much more than a collection of details, however. His military experience was largely mundane routine, spiced with dramatic and dangerous moments and anecdotal incidents, recounted with a dry sense of humor. Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster of a read.
Kunkel spent parts of 18 years working on this memoir. It began as general notes he wrote down in order to free the haunting details from his mind, as therapy for PTSD, It evolved into a full-fledged memoir. "Once I opened up, I could deal with it," he says. Initially, his plan was to share this painstakingly written account with family, as a sort of legacy. His story deserves to be shared much more broadly, though. It is a story of drive and tenacity, of survival, and of the power of faith and family.
Critique: Walking Point: A Vietnam Memoir is a candid, honest, and sobering firsthand account of the author's military training, tour of duty in Vietnam, and return home only to encounter a heartrending amount of public scorn, as well as the harrowing effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. A handful of black-and-white photographs enhances this vividly descriptive (and sometimes horrifying) "must-read" contribution to Vietnam biography and testimonial shelves. Highly recommended, especially for public library collections.