Tracks: Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran

 Author's Summary

This book is a remarkable account of a piece of American history that is rarely talked about: My name is Sergeant Clyde Hoch of C Company, First Tank Battalion, First Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. I served in Vietnam from February of 1968 to April of 1969. When I was eighteen, I had a fast, hard lesson on how to become a man. It is called the United States Marine Corps. My life, like all of our lives, has been a series of trials and tribulations, triumphs and failure. We have many memories, thoughts, and stories that make up our history. This is a part of my history.

MWSA Review

Tracks is an interesting account of the author's experiences as a Marine who served in Vietnam during the most intense years of that war, 1968-1969. While the author provides a brief introduction to his life before entering the Marines and a similarly brief summary of his life afterwards, the book focuses primarily on the author's military experiences. I found his description of his life during the war as an M48-A3 tank crewman and later as a tank commander fascinating. His was a niche of the war that I had not previously read about. I was glad I had the opportunity to do so in this book. The author's reflections on many of his personal experiences during the war ranged from the humorous to the sad and contributed to this book being a fast, easy read. I recommend Tracks to anyone who enjoys reading military nonfiction, reading about the Vietnam War, and especially anyone who enjoys reading about the U.S. Marines.

Reviewed by: Bob Doerr (2011)