Condemned Property?

MWSA Review

There’s no such thing as a little war, declares Dusty Trimmer. He uses his and others’ experiences during and after Vietnam to prove it.

Condemned Property? is an impassioned account of Vietnam. While one may or may not all his views, Trimmer presents an honest and well documented account, replete with photos, biographies, statistics, newspaper clippings, and graphs. He cites the “brainwashing” received at Tiger Island that left men hyped but ill prepared for the realities of the war they fought. He vividly portrays the sense of duty and responsibility American soldiers felt for each other and for the Southern Vietnamese they fought to defend. Then they came home and discovered just how unpopular the war and the men who fought there had become.

“Delay, deny . . . till they die,” that’s how he sums up the Veteran’s Administration’s attitude toward dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome and the host of debilitating and puzzling diseases from which they later suffered--and died. Trimmer is brutally forthright about his own experiences with PTSD and health problems, which may have resulted from exposure to Agent Orange. Of having to endlessly wait to get an appointment with a VA doctor, get shuffled through paperwork and then have to wait again and again, literally spending whole days to see one doctor. Of having to repeat this process with each VA visit. Ultimately, he was one of the lucky ones who persevered and got help. Many veterans, homeless and unaided, exist to this day.

Although Trimmer seeks to shed glaring light on the ongoing plight of the Vietnam vets, Condemned Property? duly praises the good Samaritans along the way. People like Bob Hope and the many stars who entertained the troops. Chris Noel, an actress who gave up her career to become a female disc jockey in Vietnam, married a Green Beret who committed suicide because of PTSD, and to this day runs the Cease Fire House in Florida to help suffering veterans. Then there is Trimmer’s second wife, Ginny, who lavishes love and ongoing support for her husband.

And these are only are few of the many who deserve praise. Trimmer also extends his narrative to include the Gulf War and Iraq. All our veterans deserve support and care once they return.

A longish read, Condemned Property? proves well worth the time. It leaves one with a greater empathy and respect for those who fought and died in Vietnam, and who still continue to die and suffer because of what they encountered all those years ago. It’s not just another Vietnam rehash. It’s a challenge for us all to do more to help them. All the more so with even more veterans soon due back from Afghanistan.

Reviewed by: B. N. Peacock(2014)

Author's Summary

"Dusty" Earl Trimmer's "Condemned Property" is an extremely personal and comprehensive outline of multiple aspects of the Vietnam War. While written primarily for the benefit of his fellow veterans, he has captured the essence of those multiple aspects of the war for all readers. From his experiences in the jungle of Vietnam to dealing with his own post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and physical ailments, returning to the hostile environment of the population, betrayal by the government in accepting its role of caring for and compensating those affected veterans, "Condemned Property" presents a journey from pre-war innocence to today's political circumstance. "Condemned Property" is in the spirit of the philosopher George Santayana's saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
- William E. Cornell Jr.; Author
President, Cornell & Associates

Dusty, this is such a great book. Your memories and stories are very moving an I am sure that writing this book has been a great catharsis for you. I applaud you for having the courage to actually put it in a written format (after actually writing it in your head for all these years!). These stories need to be told. This book needs to be published.
- LaDonna Herrera; President/CEO
Marketing Ideas & Designs

"Dusty" Earl Trimmer came down to see me in Columbus, Ohio in March 1968, just a couple days before he was scheduled to leave for Vietnam. I was at Ohio State University and living in the Delta Chi Fraternity House. At the time I thought that I was a little something just because I was pledge class president and a member of the Ohio State wrestling team...that was before I received letters from Nam, from Dusty...before he earned his many military medals/accolades. Then I saw how small I was in comparison...and how small some of my buddy All-Americans at other universities were in comparison to what Dusty and his Nam-mates were doing. I have known "Dusty" Earl Trimmer, who is the author of Condemned Property? Soldiers of the Vietnam War for over forty years. If I could only use three words to describe him, they would be: passionate, fearless, and straightforward. This description and more is why I recommend his book as "must reading" for anyone...veteran and non-veteran alike that wants greater insights into the truths about the Vietnam War, it's devastating aftermath, and how combat soldiers and those who love them are coping with both...today. I have read it twice. It will move you, teach you, motivate you and it may change you because you read it.
- Gary Ockunzzi; Lifelong Friend
Korean DMZ Conflict Veteran, U.S. Navy

Condemned Property? was an eye opening and emotional read for my entire family. Never having been exposed to the raw truths of the Vietnam War, it was heart wrenching to learn of the ultimate sacrifice made by Vietnam Combat Vets to protect OUR freedom, the horror and trauma they endured, their strong bond of brotherhood, sheer determination to survive and lack of respect by our citizens upon their return. We owe a debt of gratitude to the author for putting pen to paper to create a powerfully true vision of the life of a Combat Infantry Warrior in the Vietnam War and his continued fight for survival today.;
- Cheryl Strenk, Wife & Mother