Vietnam - Soldier Stories and Songs
By: Jim "Doc" Purtell / Narrated by: Andrew Baldwin
Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
A MUST for veterans, a MUST for the rest of us…
How to say it?
You will NOT be able to listen to Vietnam—Soldier Stories and Songs at one go, in one day, probably even in one week. Me? It’s what I do, Listen. And what stories Jim “Doc” Purtell has to share.
Sometimes a person’s life goes down a rabbit hole, one that p’raps that person signed up for (In Purtell’s case, but certainly not for everyone), but more often, the person is simply swept up in a horrific tide that takes all the good in an entire generation, changes the very DNA and marks them clearly.
One such person is Jim Purtell. Tho’ you can Listen to the whys and wherefores of his early life in Vietnam: There & Back, let me just say that he did not know what he was getting into when he joined the military and was sent to Vietnam just shy of his 19th birthday. He became “Doc” the medic, treating other young men who were just boys, really.
This rather made him the guy all the others told their troubles to: Kids breaking down and sharing with other, really, just kids. But “Doc” was the guy who carried it all, the heartbreak, the fears, and he became the collector of stories. And over time, healing through music, those stories became songs that truly told of the Experience of War(s), whether it was simply of being That Guy, the loner who didn’t fit in before Vietnam, then somehow just disappeared, never to come home (“Eternity”) FROM Vietnam, or it was the part of, oh yes, an entire generation who came back to no fanfare (Many songs), where “Thank You For Your Service” has come about, oh yes, 50-years too late.
One of the most prolific veteran songwriters, Purtell’s Vietnam—Soldiers Stories and Songs is a Must Listen for the country, especially as we transition from years-long wars and perhaps ask more from our warriors as time goes on. While it’s very good for the country as a whole to immerse themselves in the experience of loss and grief and isolation and PTSD and even what it means to be a wife of a serviceman (“She Married the War”), I think it would be of immense, no: Possibly THE Best, help to veterans. Purtell’s songs, the music of talented musicians coming together, the stories, the lyrics, the sometimes sound effects, without a doubt touch the soul.
My favorite is “Honor Guard” which reminded me of a documentary I saw of a man who served at Arlington National Cemetery; of his pride and passion, of ironing his uniform exactly. I was very happy to listen to it, and I felt even more when I saw Purtell’s video that has a snippet of the precision, the dignity, the reverence (Complete with veterans in the background, watching, feeling honored) of the Changing of the Guard.
And I was somewhat taken aback by the jaunty music of “Night Patrol” juxtaposed with the lyrics that tell us that as much as Vietnam was NOT where the young men wanted to be? Well, there were even greater Hells, and one of those was the Night Patrol, where you just didn’t know if you’d be coming back, or if you’d just be gone. This is made even more poignant by the video that shows jeez, just how young they were, gathering ammo, testing the sharpness of their knives, ready to kill, desperately hoping not to be killed themselves.
The stories of the songs are equally as compelling, showing us just how much music can do to give voice to that which was hidden, remained unspoken for so long. Purtell’s friendship with Al Torsiello reaches a milestone when they realize, and speak openly about, the torments of the mind, the dreams, the sudden terrors, the difficulties in Coming Back Home and not fitting in seamlessly as they’d so longed to do when in Vietnam. And I’m so very happy to hear that Purtell has been active in sharing his music, making it available for use in productions, and short films; he’s an advocate, a true healer and friend to his buddies from their war, to veterans of all wars.
Andrew Baldwin has quite a bit of potential as a narrator; I did appreciate that he threw himself into the performance, adding such enthusiasm and drama. I would caution him, however, to truly read the text and give each statement proper moderation. The phrase, “All the joy,” deserves the enthusiasm; the phrase, “All the fear,” deserves somberness. There is great sadness, great pain, great dignity to be found here—it merits careful consideration.
Expect some fine musical performances and some emotionally evocative lyrics that’ll have you sitting back caught in reveries, some hellish, some enraging, some exceedingly sad. This wasn’t even 5-hours, but it took me the full week to sincerely contemplate each song. I was only two-going-on-three when Purtell served in Vietnam, but when I was (A trifle) older, I would look upon soldiers with awe and respect.
Oh how differently it all now rolls through my head. They, all veterans, any war, still have my awe, have my respect. But now, I hope that Purtell’s offerings can give them what I cannot give them: Healing, songs from one of Their Own…
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