ROMANCE

Three Tastes of Nuoc Mam: The Brown Water Navy & Visits to Vietnam

by Douglas M. Branson
Hellgate: PSI Research. Oct. 2012. c.312p. illus. ISBN 9781555717087. pap. $19.95. autobiog
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Branson (law, University of Pittsburgh) is a veteran of the U.S. Navy in Vietnam, where he served in Phan Thiet, Vietnam's nuoc mam (fermented fish sauce) capital. He made two subsequent trips to Vietnam (thus the title) and recounts his experiences in this entertaining memoir. Branson readily admits that he was no hero, and this is no hero's tale, nor is he a veteran suffering from any of the maladies that have plagued many Vietnam veterans. He believes his story is more common, an irreverent tale that reveals the "human and funnier side of things military," one that continues on his subsequent trips to Vietnam.
VERDICT Branson tells a story that's more M.A.S.H. than Platoon, although he loses some momentum in the middle chapters when he offers a brief history of Vietnam and the war. Readers who want a lighter look at the Vietnam experience will enjoy this memoir.
Reviewed by MM , Nov 15, 2012
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