Looking at the Vietnam War Through the Eyes of A War Vet

February 24th, 2023 1:00 am | by Blog Contributor Posted in Guest Blog

Photo by Jakson Martins

War is not for everyone, but in Stormrider, an action thriller, retired air force pilot Captain Gordon Leslie Bocher shows readers what it’s like to be in one.

Tersely written like a commanding officer’s orders, Stormrider by a war veteran, retired Captain Gordon Leslie Bocher, is a tightly-packed narrative that takes readers on the ground, up the sky, and over the jungles of Indochina during the Vietnam War. It is both a revelation and celebration of being a soldier who has followed one of the noblest aspirations a man can make: to sacrifice themselves for their country and uphold its cause, no matter the weather, the location, and the foe.

Lessons from the Vietnam War

Unlike similar novels, Gordon Bocher’s Stormrider is not a meditation on the morality or philosophy of war but merely a depiction of it through the eyes of a soldier. It is, first and foremost, a portrayal of how a soldier becomes who they are—why a 27-year-old would want to give up a disability pension, having just survived cancer, and willingly enter the war. 

Stormrider provides a detailed account of numerous military engagements during the Vietnam War, from strafing runs and rescue operations, while offering a perspective that is often forgotten in favor of the words of official non-combatants (e.g., politicians, journalists, etc.).

Throughout the novel, Gordon Bocher paints a harrowing but insightful picture of life as a soldier, the thrills and the laughs, the highs, and the lows, starting from the bottom as a plucky recruit with deep convictions and returning home as a veteran amidst divisive protests objecting the government’s role in a war fought overseas.

Why Stormrider was Written

As an awardee of the Distinguished Flying Cross for his merits during an armed reconnaissance mission at night, Captain Gordon L. Bocher has differentiated himself from your average citizen and displayed professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty. He has gone above and beyond for his country, providing important and much-needed assistance during the war. While acting as an AC-130 Gunship Navigator over mainland Southeast Asia during the February of 1973, his actions have been confirmed to have led to the damage of supply vehicles and the destruction of munitions, disrupting enemy supply lines and ambitions. 

With an accolade and a host of achievements like that, why did Mr. Gordon L. Bocher of the United States Air Force see a need to write down his experiences of the Vietnam War?

The accounts and personal testimonies of soldiers have always been an important source for record-keeping when trying to establish an accurate picture of an armed conflict, especially one that is fought between nations. If it were not for the dedicated journaling and advocacy of the many rank-and-file soldiers of the Allies, there might never have been a concrete account of the horrors of the Nazis and the Axis Powers during the Second World War. It is through the personal stories of soldiers that the fog of war is cleared away, and the true scope of the battle is seen.

As he grew older, Mr. Gordon Bocher was bewildered by the sheer amount of misinformation about what actually happened during the Vietnam War. After watching the ten-part PBS documentary, the Vietnam War, directed by Ken Burns, which was full of factual errors, unfounded assumptions, and false conjectures, especially in the last two episodes, Mr. Gordon Bocher was prompted to take up the pen and commit to writing his experiences. 

For democracy to function properly without hindrance, the electorate, the voting body, must be informed and educated. They should have a clear idea of how the world works and how society thrives. The people should have an adulterated look at the history of their country and its relationships with the citizenry and other countries. It is only through knowledge that they can make an informed decision and accurately choose who should represent their interests.

In Mr. Gordon Bocher’s view, the blunder that was the Iraq War happened because the American people were not educated on what happened in Vietnam.

It is his hope that Stormrider offers a more transparent view of the war so that the general public becomes more knowledgeable.