Long Daze at Long Binh

By Submitted by: Steve Donovan
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Two Vietnam medics have recently published "Long Daze at Long Binh," a humorous memoir about their experiences with the 24th Evac Hospital. Legionnaire Steve Donovan and fellow Vietnam vet Fred Borchardt met the day they were inducted in 1965 and proceeded to follow identical paths for the next 24 months. During their 16 months with the 24th Evac, they managed to perform the duties of more than a dozen different military occupations including hospital orderly, Jeep driver, prisoner guard, emergency room assistant, armed sentry, construction worker, translator and headquarters clerk.

Two Vietnam medics have recently published "Long Daze at Long Binh," a humorous memoir about their experiences with the 24th Evac Hospital. Legionnaire Steve Donovan and fellow Vietnam vet Fred Borchardt met the day they were inducted in 1965 and proceeded to follow identical paths for the next 24 months. During their 16 months with the 24th Evac, they managed to perform the duties of more than a dozen different military occupations including hospital orderly, Jeep driver, prisoner guard, emergency room assistant, armed sentry, construction worker, translator and headquarters clerk. Whatever Uncle Sam needed at the time, Steve and Fred were there to answer the call.

Their book has been getting excellent reviews, with the Vietnam Veterans of America online magazine calling it "the best book about REMF (Rear Echelon) life in South Vietnam during that time period. Nobody will top it any time soon, if ever," Mike Day, past commander of VFW Post 10556 in Boca Raton, writes in his Post newsletter (August 2018) that the book is "a witty expose of behind-the-scenes military life in Vietnam... it's neither pro-war nor anti-war, so regardless of your personal views you should find it hard to put down."

Maria Beltran, reviewer for ReadersFavorite.com, calls Long Daze "a witty, entertaining and hilarious roller coaster ride" and "a unique take on the infamous Vietnam war." Gordon Long, reviewer for Airborn Press, says it's "a fascinating picture of a historical event... not your usual memoir." In addition, the Midwest Book Review (Feb. 2018 issue) calls Long Daze "a unique and valued contribution to the growing library of Viet Nam War histories and memoirs." You can read all about the book at longbinhdaze.com where you'll find reviews, photos and sample chapters. Available in paperback or e-book at the website or at Amazon.com.

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