Writing the war

Stephen E. Atkins was drafted just before he had completed his Ph.D. in French history. After Officer Candidacy School he became a non-commissioned officer and arrived in South Vietnam in 1968. He became both a pointman and a sniper and experienced six weeks of frontline duty. He spent the remainder of his tour as part of the 19th military history detachment traveling the Mekong Delta, Plain of Reeds, and areas near Saigon. His memoir is the result of careful documentation and an illicit diary.