Leaving the Alamo: Texas Stories After Vietnam

Dick Stanley
Cavalry Scout Books (2009)
ISBN 9781847286420
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (12/09)

Reads like non-fiction but is fiction – that’s how I would quickly describe Dick Stanley’s “Leaving the Alamo.”  A compilation of sixteen touching, poignant, and moving stories could easily depict any veteran, whether from the Vietnam War or any other combat situation.  The author himself was in Vietnam, was trained in Special Warfare, and received the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal.  I assume most of the stories in his book are gleaned from real-life circumstances.

Emotions run high in the stories but are often suppressed by the characters.  The thoughts are there, the actions show it, and the results are heartrending.  Stanley’s writing brings the passion for each veteran while we delve into their thoughts and remembrances of situations. Flashbacks are prevalent and often triggered by what we would think as minute. Relationships are jeopardized, grudges are invoked, memories are suppressed, and minds are altered.  Yet, somehow these people survive and don’t end up as panhandlers, in prisons, or sleeping under bridges.  The strength they show is a lesson to all of us; a lesson of perseverance, direction, and control.

Stanley’s writing is superb as he brings us into the lives of each personality. It’s not easy to put the reader into the main character’s situation and thoughts in a short story, but Stanley is able to do it.  I felt I was right there with the characters either sitting with them on the sofa, or in the flashback watching fellow soldiers die in combat.  After reading these stories I am looking at veterans with a different viewpoint.  I am also reflecting back to my father’s and uncle’s stint in WW II.  They never talked about what was going on in their minds, possibly because they suppressed what they felt or saw.

“Leaving the Alamo” is highly recommended to anyone that wants to delve more into the lives of combat soldiers and to understand the trials and tribulations each goes through after the return to civilian life. I’m very happy I had an opportunity of a better understanding by reading Dick Stanley’s literary work.

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