Book Description

Pointman is one platoon s story of the Vietnam War and the horrors that most veterans of the conflict would rather keep buried. While most soldiers gritted their teeth, kept their heads down and prayed for their time to be up, some looked at the war as a way to win glory and acclaim. Others took advantage of illicit opportunities for personal gain, no matter the price to others. Sgt. Mike Brooks is counting the days until his tour of duty is up. All he wants is to marry his Vietnamese girlfriend. But butting heads with his lieutenant has put his meager happiness in jeopardy. Lt. Gomez s obsession with promotion and accolades will send the entire platoon on an almost-impossible mission. And high-purity heroin, readily available and dirt cheap, could be the death of them all. - Renee Struthers, East Oregonian newspaper Patrols in the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, the triple canopy jungle of Cambodia, the firefights, the mosquitoes and mud, the Plain of Reeds, Shakey s Hill, Binh Phuoc, Rach Kien, Bien Hoa, Long Binh - I wanted to remember it all. I especially remember the camaraderie and the courage demonstrated by these soldiers. Pointman was originally started as a diary more than 40 years ago and I love the story - it s fictionalized, but it acknowledges the suffering and sacrifices these young men endured. - Author, Robert L. Owens EDITORIAL REVIEWS One of the finestwar novels I ve ever read. - author Robert Lowry, Writer s Digest Criticism Service This book has it all: love and hate, fear and courage, revenge and redemption. - Renee Struthers, East Oregonian newspaper I realized this Vietnam War novel was trying to do something very different We get something unusual: well-realized characters, an involving plot, and a story that is compelling and interesting from the first page of the book until the last. - David Willson, Vietnam Veterans of America, Books in Review ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Owens received the Combat Medical Badge, Purple Heart, and Bronze Star medals for service with the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta, as well as the Cambodian invasion in 1970. After the 9th Infantry Division returned home, Mr. Owens was transferred to the 1st Cav. Division where he served with the 15th Medical Battalion. A graduate of the University of California-Davis and California State University-Chico, Mr. Owens served as a teacher and school administrator for 36 years, before retiring as the Lassen Co. Supt. of Schools.Mr. Owens is an American Legion member and a lifetime member of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA).