Fallen Angels

Walter Dean Myers

I’ve been on a Vietnam War kick lately, and I have such admiration (a big word for me to use) for those guys who served during this conflict. These men who went to Vietnam literally picked up their balls and walked with them. They faced some stuff that I don’t think has been written about or could be written about. 

First, I read The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and now Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers; both were really good. The Things They Carried was more poetic or more symbolic with the words he used. 

Fallen Angels was a great story all around. It had combat scenes that showed how soldiers felt in Vietnam with emotion, how scared they were, friendships, and loyalty to the unit. From start to finish, it showed how soldiers lived in Vietnam and how they handled themselves in combat. The story focuses on a young kid from Harlem named Richie Perry and the guys in his unit. 

My favorite part was near the end of the book. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but it showed the bond soldiers have for their buddies in combat. 

I would put this book on any recommended reading list for Vietnam or any soldier wanting to read about what combat might be like. I know today’s wars are not fought the same way wars were fought back in Vietnam, but you never know. “Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

My last note: To be a good writer, you must be a good reader. I always try to pick something up when reading and learn from that. In Fallen Angels. This book is about war; sometimes, people come and go quickly in combat. Just like in life, one day, they are here, and the next day, they are gone (UGK reference). In Fallen Angels, a few soldiers showed up one day, and they were gone. I did the same thing in my first book, Cortez a Texas Tale. I wrote about a couple of characters, and then the characters vanished. They all had reasons to disappear from the story but were not there long enough to learn about them. I understand what both stories were trying to show, but for a reader, it’s essential to ensure they know why they are gone. In Fallen Angels, the people who were gone were killed in combat, and in Cortez, they were sent away somewhere, either in jail or rehab. 

The second note is that I always capitalize the Army when I write. Well, in Fallen Angels, the army is never capitalized. Which one is right? In my upcoming book, “The Veteran,” I capitalized it, and then my editor went through and changed it. But I read that it was supposed to be capitalized. So we changed it back. I am not an English major in college and have never taken a specialized writing class, so I don’t know how it’s supposed to be. If you are an editor or professional, please comment below or shoot me a message and let me know what you think it should be. 

Please pick up a copy of Fallen Angels, you will like it. You can also pick up my book "Cortez A Texas Tale" on Amazon or you can find the link on my website, www.dustincarter512.com