Through a Soldier’s Eyes: The Vietnam Memoir of Lieutenant Alan Hansen by Alan John Hansen is an intensely personal recounting of First Lieutenant Hansen’s year of service in Vietnam. The author was not sent to Vietnam as a frontline combat soldier; he was one of the many support troops there to supply those fighting the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong. Although not in the direct line of fire from enemy troops, that doesn’t mean his tour of duty was without danger and risk. Lieutenant Hansen’s tour of duty was toward the end of the United States' direct involvement in the war at a time of plummeting troop morale, reported rampant drug and alcohol use by U.S. troops, and a general disillusionment with the war back home. The story takes the reader right inside the author's role as a supply officer as well as his romantic involvement with a young Vietnamese woman who provided much-needed emotional support during a difficult time. 

Through a Soldier’s Eyes was a fascinating read as it chronicled the daily life, trials, and interactions of soldiers not necessarily on the frontlines but critical to the successful imposition of a military strategy. Author Alan John Hansen does not try to sugarcoat the reality of a war fought far from home in a harsh and unyielding alien environment. Although the time spent in Vietnam amounted to just one year, it would be fair to say that this year shaped and influenced a large part of the author’s future life. I particularly appreciated that even soldiers not on the frontline in combat roles frequently came back from Vietnam with an immense burden of guilt, and the author was no exception. In many ways, the author was lucky to have the constant companionship of his Vietnamese partner, who played such a major part in lifting his morale and keeping him positive during this difficult period. I liked that the story did not end with his return home and that what had happened in Vietnam would influence his actions for years to come. This is a memoir of an ordinary soldier who was changed forever by his Vietnam experience. I highly recommend this book.

The role of support troops in the Vietnam War has not received the publicity that it deserved, nor has the interaction of the American soldiers with local women seen much attention, perhaps to downplay the obvious and appease moralists at home. The impact of the American forces on the daily lives of the Vietnamese people, the culture, and the economy was immense. Lieutenant Alan Hansen specialized in logistics. He served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971 in the Radio Research Group, a cover for a secret army intelligence gathering outfit that monitored enemy radio traffic. This did not mean that he was exempt from the danger of enemy ambushes, rocket attacks and booby traps, as well as tolerating the harsh climate and poor facilities. There were also personality clashes, corruption, and intrigue to contend with. By 1971, troop morale was low, and discipline suffered. The author shares his perspectives in Through a Soldier's Eyes: The Vietnam Memoir of Lieutenant Alan Hansen. It is a candid tale of his youth, army career, dating, and love life. While in Vietnam, he formed an intimate and enduring relationship with a local woman. There was obvious chemistry between the two, and they achieved an unusual degree of mutual support. She fell pregnant shortly before he returned to the USA. A year later, he journeyed to Thailand with the dual intention of finding work and seeking his former girlfriend and their child in Vietnam.

Many books have been written about the Vietnam War, and yet, while they all tell harrowing tales, there are subtle differences and widely varying points of view. From an individual perspective, the war was about survival and the coping mechanisms the soldiers adopted to ease the pain of lost comrades, as well as being far from home in a hostile environment. For some, it was about comradeship, drugs, alcohol, and sex, with the latter duo featuring prominently in this memoir. Alan Hansen provides a vivid account of his escapades and those of his fellow soldiers. The US discouraged its members from forming long-term relationships with Vietnamese women, but turned a blind eye to short-term associations, and nightlife flourished. For many Vietnamese women, it was a question of clinging to life in a war-torn country with its economy in ruins, by whatever means were available. They should not be judged harshly. Readers of Through a Soldier’s Eyes will reflect on the futility of war in general and this conflict in particular. It changed lives, but not in a positive way, neither did it serve the general population nor achieve its objectives. Photographs of the author’s environment provide an additional window into life in Vietnam during the war. Such personal images are rare and add depth to the narrative.