Right To Kill: A Brooklyn Tale

Much has been written about war, why men serve, how it affects them physically and emotionally, and what happens when they return home. The Vietnam War still plagues us today on many levels, none more painful than the treatment of those who served. In contrast to today’s almost universal outpouring of support for “the troops” and “the vets”, the war years of the late sixties, were not kind to our warriors. The media drum beat focused on the futility of the war, massive protest by young people, and the vilification of anyone connected with the war effort. Much reporting of that time fostered stereotyping of those who served in Vietnam with emphasis on drug use and inability to cope. There were other views of the men who fought in Vietnam, perhaps far more universally felt. These were the thoughts, feelings and actions of parents, wives, close friends, lovers, and neighbors of those who served. These feelings and emotions form the backdrop of this story and address the reasons for this work of fiction -- to make people remember, cry, laugh, and understand, the Vietnam War years from the perspective of tradition bound blue collar people. It’s a timely subject given the world today. RIGHT TO KILL is a Brooklyn tale about romance, street smart characters, gritty combat, brutal murder, and a touch of humor, all contributing to an epic moral dilemma.

Set admit the social turmoil of the late sixties, Sean Cercone puts his life on hold, quits law school, and joins the Marines. On a leave from Officer training at Quantico Virginia, he falls in love with Sandy Gold, a beautiful tennis coed. She confronts an antiwar activist at college, and a cycle of tragedy begins. After an all too brief home leave, Sean leaves Gravesend Brooklyn for the blood –soaked fields of Quang Tri. The crucible of vicious combat in Vietnam and a senseless killing back home crush his moral compass.

Sean makes a clandestine trip out of the war zone back to his neighborhood to carry out a vengeful mission and subsequently returns undetected to Vietnam. Coming home a second time , damaged in body and mind, his family , boyhood friends, a war widow , and a Holocaust survivor all try to help him attain peace and move on with his life.