So I have a story that I have been slowly working on for years now. It's a big one - one that in my mind I envision as a movie as my characters go through things. M/M romance/erotica set in the Vietnam War. I like to refer to it as my "Saving Private Ryan meets Brokeback Mountain" story. Anyway, being of the age where I know next to nothing of the Vietnam conflict [I'm 34], I am searching for some input on research sources. My characters are loosely Army, but that can shift if another branch of the military seems to fit them better. I'm just woefully under educated about that era of US History. The last real war that was covered in school for me was World War II. For some reason, Vietnam and after were never taught. Add in to that the opposing views on the war itself and I feel a bit at a loss for input and solid background information. Any leads for information or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!!
You should check out the book "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. It's a biography about a guy drafted into Vietnam. It really delves into the mind of the soldiers who were at the front, and does a great job of describing the surroundings. I had to read it for a history class in college, but I'm glad I did. Be aware, there is a LOT of symbolism in this book. It's a very easy read, otherwise.
Also, in the US on PBS Ken Burns The Vietnam War ten part series premiered tonight. Burns' team did massive amounts of research from all sides of the issue plus did multiple beta screenings for people from both sides who were there (and actually made changes from their notes).
Lots has been written about Vietnam...The 3 six silent men books , chickenhawk , vietnam -a company commanders journal (michael Lee lanning), low level hell , Fields of fire (fiction), sand in the wind (fiction), charlie mike (fiction) , Firefight (fiction) and thats just off the top of my head ... all the books ive listed as fiction are by vietnam vets
Probably the gunner in Chickenhawk, the other chopper guy who never went into town with the pilots, and also the warrant officer.
Second this. I've seen the first two now and it's incredibly detailed with POVs from multiple sides of the conflict.
We Were Soldiers Once is an excellent non-fiction work by Lt-General Hal Moore and war journalist Joseph Galloway, who both saw action in the Battle of the Ia-Drang, the first major battle of the war. It does an excellent job describing the setting and the real-life people. As a bonus, it's also been adapted into a fairly accurate movie, in which both Moore and Galloway had a role in supervising its production. So when you're done with the book, watch the film! Both are excellent mood-setters for a Vietnam War story.