LUTZ, Fla., Oct. 14, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Many soldiers survived the horrors of the Vietnam War only to face a lifetime of suffering once they returned home. In his new novel, A Time to Remember: A Tale of the Viet Nam Conflict (now available through AuthorHouse), Cecil Barr Currey continues the haunting story of Douglas MacArthur Andrews.
During a doomed attack on a tiny Vietnamese hamlet, Douglas is critically wounded and his comrades lie slain among the huts. When enemy soldiers discover he is still alive, they take him prisoner, and a Viet Cong doctor heals his wounds. He recovers, only to be imprisoned in the filthy confines of a POW compound.
Tortured repeatedly for months, Douglas' mental faculties are pushed to the brink of insanity. He discovers that his platoon sergeant, Jan Lech Szigmond, is also a prisoner in the camp, and the two plot an escape. After killing the commandant who took so much pleasure in their torment, they break free from the compound.
Jan and Douglas slowly travel toward the American zone more than 200 miles to the south. After many adventures through hostile territory and dense jungles, the two reach friendly ground. They finally return to the United States where Douglas receives the Medal of Honor and Jan is awarded the Silver Star.
For Douglas, however, the nightmare is not over. During a day of hometown festivities planned in his honor, he is arrested by military police for his role in the devastation of the Vietnamese village. Now, after enduring unimaginable horrors at the hands of his enemy, Douglas faces punishment from his fellow citizens.
Currey delivers an exciting, historically accurate account of Vietnam combat in A Time to Remember, a story that addresses strength, courage and the complex effects of war.
An acclaimed historian, author and university professor, Currey has more than 20 books to his credit. These include historical writings, genealogical studies and fiction for both children and adults. His biography of Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap, Victory at any Cost, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. A husband, father and grandfather, Currey is a retired Army Reserve colonel and chaplain. He is listed in "Who's Who in America" and "Who's Who in the World." His books and articles have been translated into Portuguese, French, Spanish and Chinese. A Time to Remember is the riveting sequel to Currey's first novel, Innocence Dies (also available through AuthorHouse). He currently lives with his wife, Laura, in Lutz, Fla.
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