I Remember Quan Loi


Non-Fiction - Military
156 Pages
Reviewed on 03/13/2009
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

David L. Bedard served in Vietnam in for one year, returning home in 1970. He knew he was a different person even though no one else seemed to notice. Quan Loi had changed him. Years later, he decided to find a quiet place in which to write this book. He chose Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas. It was the perfect place for solitude; a place where he could confront the ghosts of the past. Bedard readily admits that his “experiences are not unique other than he has put his on paper.”

Bedard shares his memories of his stint in Viet Nam. Quan Loi was once a rubber plantation, with a golf course, swimming pool, and house. The war had turned it into a military base with a runway. The hootch was made livable by utilizing empty ammo crates as desks and shelves and mosquito netting to protect the soldiers from the insects. The outhouse was sanitized daily by burning the barrel of feces with kerosene. The soldiers at Quan Loi were warned to “wear their helmet and carry their rifle with them at all times.” There were rats. The creatures were bold in their search for food. Dr. Bedard recalls watching them night after night. The soldiers did not always know whom to trust. Even an innocent looking barber could turn out to be the enemy.

During the Viet Nam era, young adults were sent to fight a war. Those that returned would never be the same. Dr. David L. Bedard shares his poignant memories. I Remember Quan Loi stirred deep felt emotions in my soul. I had friends that also served. When these brave soldiers came home, they were not welcomed as heroes. Nevertheless, I will digress no farther into that topic. Bedard is a talent writer, in I Remember Quan Loi. He reminds us of what life was like for the many military persons that served their country. The photographs enhance the pictures he paints with words. I found one story particularly stirring. Bedard and his unit had just returned to the states. They saw a unit of young soldiers ready to ship out, obviously scared, yet they did not reach out to each other. I intend to pass this book on to my husband. I recommend I Remember Quan Loi to all Americans, for we have tried too long to forget.

Scout77

As a mom you rarely find books that tell the history of an historical event such as Vietnam that families can read together. The memoirs and
description of stories make you feel your eyes are that of the solider in
Vietnam. The book is captivating and enlightening. At the top of my list
for great book finds!

Book Critic

I started reading this book and couldn't put it down until I was finished. It is a fascinating and powerful story of one soldier's year in Vietnam. Although the book describes the complexities of war and its terrors; it left me with a renewed faith in the strength of mankind. The author has written a well-constructed insightful memoir that entertained, inspired, and upon completion haunted my thoughts for days afterward.

Good reader

This book tells the true story of what a Vietnem veteran felt and how he lived as we were safe here in 1960's USA. Read this if you want to feel how a soldier dealt with fear and other unbearable circumstances. This a true story that doesn't emit fear but explains it.