The Foreign Service Journal, March 2009

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 71 surname by helping others. At the same time, the young medic accepted a duty to protect himself, his fellow soldiers and his supplies at all times, even when that required using deadly force. The author explains how he and his fellow medics operated in the field and recounts the deeds of U.S. sol- diers who not only saved the lives of fellow soldiers but those of the enemy. He places a great deal of emphasis on the camaraderie that forms among soldiers on the battlefield. Along the way, Noble describes the daily rigors of army life with colorful interjections of humor. There are also inspirational stories about overcoming fear, as well as horrific battle scenes in which he and his comrades endure in- sane conditions and must overcome overwhelming obstacles. A quarter-century after complet- ing his own service in Vietnam, the author watched with dismay as Amer- ican troops were ordered to invade Iraq in 2003. That connection explains why I recommend this book so highly to my Foreign Service colleagues, six years after that war began. Noble raises troubling but impor- tant questions about the visibility and effectiveness of the “do-gooders” in our country. Where is this genera- tion’s version of the street protesters who rocked cities with outcries against the Vietnam War? What pa- triotism do we display other than “Support Your Troops” bumper stick- ers on the random vehicle? In short, whatever happened to social respon- sibility? Noble also touches on the subject of the media that played such a critical role during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s in challenging traditional views of the Vietnam War and of the Vietnam vet- eran. In his opinion, today’s media out- lets have surrendered to the political regime. And he challenges our national leaders’ reasons for supporting (or op- posing) the Iraq War, and the credibil- ity of their commitment to supporting and caring for its veterans. As his memoir’s title implies, he draws a series of disturbing parallels between the two conflicts — evidence that some things never change. Dave Howard, an FSO since 2004, is currently a financial management offi- cer in Bangkok. B O O K S