[i] Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War and Its Aftermath [/i] is a historical fiction book that tells the story of how the Blue Water Navy sailors were exposed to a chemical called Agent Orange in Vietnam. After the war ended, the Veterans Administration failed to treat them when they got sick. Zachariah Martins or “Zack” is the main character in the story who served two tours in Vietnam with other Navy buddies on the USS Hawke and USS Providence to fight the Viet Cong. They were mainly stationed at the Subic Naval Base, where they would plan their missions to attack the enemy located inside the villages of Vietnam. During the war, Zack sent and received letters from his girlfriend, Tally Goodwin, who is back in America. One of the missions involved spraying Agent Orange to destroy the green vegetation in Vietnam. Even though the chemical agent was deemed not dangerous to humans, Agent Orange would later cause illnesses to the war veterans. After serving in Vietnam, Zack returns to Vermont and marries Tally. However, he starts having growths in his arms and legs, which was later diagnosed to be a type of cancer called Soft Tissue Sarcoma. This prompts Tally, who is a nurse to assist her husband to get medical attention from the Veterans Administration’s hospitals. To their surprise, the VA refuses to treat Zack and other ill veterans for free because they denied the alleged connection between Agent Orange and the disease. Due to the difficulties associated with the treatment, Zack loses hope and shoots himself to death. Meanwhile, the VA, the media, Congress, and the White House become involved whereby they pass laws that later facilitated the compensation of the ill soldiers who served in Vietnam.
One of the things I liked about the book is that it is based on true stories because the author notes down some factual events towards the end of the book. The other positive aspect is that the book is a mixture of war, love, humor, and even irony. In the midst of the war, Navy men pursue romantic relationships with their girlfriends, wives, and local girls in Vietnam, and this keeps their spirits appeased despite the hardships brought by war. Also, we read stories of humor from the Navy chiefs, the professor, and other characters in the story. The book is enjoyable to read because it is organized into distinct parts and chapters such that you can easily follow the storyline. Lastly, the story immerses you in the often untold experiences of soldiers, which are mixed with cry and laughter.
Regarding the negative aspects, I would indicate that the slang language used by the chiefs and apes on the ship was too much. This implies that people who don’t understand it would need to read the glossary of terms several times. Another weakness is that the book has countable spelling and grammar mistakes. The use of foul and sexually explicit statements is also evident in the book.
On a scale of 1-5, I would give the book a rating of [b] 4 out of 5 stars. [/b] The rationale behind the rating is that the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, the book is professionally edited, and the story is mostly based on factual events.
I would recommend the book to lovers of historical fiction but more importantly, to executives in the military and government. The lawmakers in government who are concerned with matters of security and the welfare of war veterans would be greatly informed by the contents of the book.
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