Compelling History from a Vietnamese American

After reading Backtracking in Brown Water, a friend now serving in the military suggested that I read the book A Thousand Tears Falling by Yung Krall. It is a book I should have read many years ago. If you served in the Mekong Delta during the War, you will find it hard to put down.

Yung Krall, A Thousand Tears Falling

Krall grew up in the Mekong Delta where her father was a leader in the Viet Minh which ultimately became the Viet Cong. Some of her earliest memories were of ducking for cover when her village was being strafed by French aircraft. Her village was described as a “liberated zone” which meant that the French no longer controlled it.

When she was a small girl, her father left to represent the South with the Viet Minh in the North. She didn’t see him for 18 years. Ultimately, Hanoi’s fight shifted from the French to the Americans. Krall and her sisters were raised by their mother. A brother followed his father north to Hanoi. It is a classic story of how families get ripped apart in a civil war. A hundred and fifty years ago, had she lived in a border state like Kentucky, the same kind of thing was happening in this country.

To make a long story short, she couldn’t support the communist approach to governing and the dictatorial way they approached those who lived in the Delta. She eventually moved to Saigon, worked for the Americans, married an American and eventually moved to the United States. Though she loved her father, she couldn’t accept his political decision to leave the family and move to the North. She met him finally in Paris after the war was over, where he was serving as a diplomat for the new Vietnamese government.

When we think about Vietnam and the sacrifices made by those who served there in the U.S. military, we sometimes forget about what happened to the Vietnamese who supported our efforts. This is a good book about that. It was written in 1995 and can be purchased “used” online. I found it to be a compelling and powerful narrative, and would recommend it to Vietnam veterans. It helps “fill in the gaps” of what our own experience was all about.

Rolland Kidder

Endorsement from a Non-military Voice

Two weeks ago I received a wonderful letter from an old friend about the book.  She is an author herself, had purchased the book primarily out of wanting to support a friend, and had set in on a shelf.   When she started to read it, she wrote that “she couldn’t put it down.”  

I have received many letters of support from those who have served in military, but thought that her comments were especially poignant as being one of the many who were affected by the Vietnam War while not being directly engaged in it.  With her permission, I have copied her letter for inclusion on this blog:

Dear Rolly: 

Just had to let you know that I’ve had your latest book for some time but had postponed reading it.  I didn’t really think it would interest me but wanted to support you. 

Instead, I couldn’t put it down! I was glad to learn so many details about your experience in Vietnam, both 40 years ago and more recently.  That was where so many of my classmates found themselves.  My high school love, President of the 1960 Class of Kenmore West, totally disappointed me when he chose West Point over Princeton.  Shortly thereafter, I opted out of our lengthy relationship—a lifelong neighbor committed neighbor committed suicide upon his return stateside.  As you know, it was a time of disillusionment for all of us. 

However, I thoroughly enjoyed your book and your informative, yet personal, writing style.  I found it a page-turner, to be honest. 

You’ve done a great service to your Navy buddies and their families, to be sure.  And, I hope you have a great sense of satisfaction for completing this daunting project. 

The book was quite an eye-opener and I appreciate your taking all of us readers  backtracking with you! 

Sincere congratulations, 

Kathy Crocker

A Book Review from the U.K.

Those who have read the book have seen a photograph of Thu Trung Van, myself, and Gordon Johnston on the Vinh Te Canal. (p.221)

Gordon is an old friend from the U.K. and accompanied Thu and I on our trip back to the Mekong Delta in 2010.  Though not an American, Gordon was moved by the history of the trip and the opportunity he had of comparing Vietnam today to the war years of 1969 and 1970.  Here is what he recently wrote:

“Hello Rolando,

Just to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed your book.  For me it brought back memories of our interesting trip to Vietnam.  I can appreciate that for you the experience must have been much more intense. 

Congratulations on a successful project! 

Gordon”

His comments caused me to reflect that though we often refer to books that we like as having “enjoyed” them, it is difficult to “enjoy” this book in the conventional meaning of that term.  There are a lot of sad stories in it, which can make enjoyment difficult.  

In response to his email, I said that one of my hopes in writing the book was that the reader better understand and appreciate what the 1960’s and 70’s were like living in the United States during the Vietnam War.  If I could convey accurately and with some passion the lives and deaths of some friends I knew, along with an analysis of the war I experienced as an observer and participant, then I would view the writing as worthwhile and meaningful.  

In other words, if those who read the book “enjoy” it in the sense of developing a better understanding of what the Vietnam War was all about and what it was like for those who participated in it or were affected by it… that would fulfill my expectations and hopes were in writing it.

Rolland Kidder / author

Gaspe' Quebec / Canadian Connection

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Eldon Tozer’s niece, Sandra Thompson, sent this “Letter to the Editor” to the The Gaspe’ Spec, and I thought that it would be of interest to those have read the book or who knew Eldon Tozer during his life.   The letter was published on March 5, 2014.   The newspaper’s office is located in New Carlisle, Quebec.

Letter to the Editor:

My uncle Eldon Tozer of Cullen’s Brook served in the U.S. Navy from 1956 until November 1969. On November 20^th, 1969 he was killed while serving on a River Patrol Boat in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.  A funeral service was held in Bonaventure with internment in the Riverside Cemetery in Cullen’s Brook.

Four years ago, Rolland Kidder from Ashville, New York USA contacted my mother Frances Tozer.  He told her that he would like to make a trip to Cullen’s Brook to visit Eldon’s grave and to interview her.

He wanted to write a book about his trip back to Vietnam—and about Eldon and two other men who lost their lives in Vietnam.  He also interviewed two of Eldon’s daughters who live in Michigan.  It was a very emotional time for everyone.

The book—“Backtracking in Brown Water,”  by Rolland E. Kidder is available in hardcover and paperback editions at Amazon.com.  Mr. Kidder journeyed back to the rivers and canals of South Vietnam.  He recounts life aboard Patrol Boats in the heart of the Mekong Delta and interviewed the families of three of his friends lost in the fighting back in 1969.

Mr. Kidder was appointed to the American Battle Monuments Commission by both President Bill Clinton and President Obama, and was a member of the original World War II Memorial Site and Design Committee.

Mr. Kidder is a Navy Vietnam War Veteran who served as a Patrol Boat Officer with River Division 535 in 1969-70. 

We feel very honoured to have Mr. Kidder visit our area and include our loved one in his book.  Eldon’s memory will live on.

A blog was created about the book.  It can be found on the internet at: http://rollandkidder.blogspot.com.”

Sandra Thompson

Flatlands, New Brunswick

Book Review : David Daly

An Insightful Chronicle of Mekong Delta Operations

By 

David Daly

This review is from Amazon: Backtracking in Brown Water: Retracing Life on Mekong Delta River Patrols 
(Kindle Edition)

 

What happens when Rolland Kidder (a former N.Y. state farm boy, theological seminary graduate, U.S. Naval Patrol Boat River (PBR) officer, N.Y. State Assemblyman, oil and gas executive ) writes about the lives and deaths of three of his military friends? I believe the result is a story told with the insight of a “weathered thinker.” We learn how young military leaders take care of their troops. We, also, find the long term impact of the deaths on the families. The daily Mekong Delta events reinforce the author’s observation that “war is no way to solve our problems.” Kidder’s story provides meaning and honor to the fallen men’s lives and deaths. I found the book rewarding and insightful. This book has the substance and perspective of a caring historian.

A Letter from Mike Morris, GMG 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  In Chapter 17, Mike Morris vividly remembers how Chief Tozer died. For his courageous action that night, we put Mike’s name in for the Silver Star. It was an honor earned and awarded. Mike is now retired from a life-long job as a fireman in Portland, Oregon.

Prior to publishing the book, I sent my recollections of that night to Mike for his review. He made some important comments and filled in the details on what happened on PBR #725 after it was hit on the Vinh Te Canal. His comments on the published book are set forth below. 

ROLLAND KIDDER

Book Review: Backtracking in Brown Water

In 1966 I joined the U.S. Navy.  After stints on an ammunition ship and fleet oiler, I was assigned to a PBR (patrol boat river) Division in Viet Nam.  On November 20, 1969, while on ambush on the Vinh Te Canal in the Delta region, my boat was hit by three B-40 rockets and automatic weapons gun fire.  Eldon Tozer (patrol officer) was killed.  Two Vietnamese and three U.S. sailors, including me, were seriously wounded.  After the attack, I was the only one able to drive the boat back to base camp and, because of this, I wasn't able to help any of the wounded.  After being hospitalized for several weeks, I returned to the patrol boat division and was back on the canal.  My tour finished six months later, and I left the Navy as a gunner's mate 3^rd class.

I returned to my home, Portland, Oregon, and resumed civilian life.  In 1974, I joined the Portland Fire Bureau, and served for 39 years on the line as a fireman.  Now retired, I enjoy a wonderful life with my wife, four children, and two grandchildren. 

Rolly Kidder's book brought back a lot of memories for me –some I thought I had tucked away deep into the recesses of my mind.  Most of the time, I know I have a good handle on my years in the Navy.  I did the job I was assigned, and did it to the best of my ability.  Once in awhile, though, a memory will surface in a bad dream that wakes me at night.

Thank you,  Rolly, for not only writing about your experiences, but following up with the families whose lives were so profoundly affected by the events described in your book.  I recommend this book to all who are interested in our war and the U.S. Navy.

Mike Morris

GMG 3 (Gunner's Mate Guns Petty Officer 3rd Class)

River Division 535

September 1966-June 1970.

Lunch at the Mekong Restaurant

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  When people ask me to try and sum up what the book is about,  I usually refer them to Mike Connolly’s statement which is printed, in part, on the back cover.   Mike was our tactical commander on the Vinh Te Canal in 1969, and he also became a friend.   However, I had not spoken with him since the war… until I got involved in writing this book.

I knew that to complete the story about Jim Rost, I needed to seek Mike out.   I found him living in Lynchburg, VA and arranged to meet him one day in Richmond for lunch.  Much of what we talked about that day is now in chapter 11, “Engineer.”  The place that Mike suggested we meet couldn’t have had a better name—it served Vietnamese food and was called “The Mekong Restaurant.”

I hope that his comments in the book and in this review, help the reader better understand what my goals and aspirations were when I undertook the writing of it.

Rolland Kidder

A Review of Backtracking in Brown Water  

In Backtracking, Rolly Kidder has delivered a brilliant chronicle of a part of the Vietnam conflict with which many may not be familiar. His own tour of duty on the rivers of Vietnam brought him in contact with two sailors and one soldier who would lose their lives there. Forty years later, he revisited Vietnam and began to track down the families of the three men, and evaluate the impact of the loss on those families.

For anyone who served in the Delta, this account will evoke a full spectrum of memories. For those who did not serve there, it presents a superb study of the many facets of the Army and Navy activity in 1969 and 1970. Using his journal entries of the period and interviews with fellow combatants, he builds a compelling picture of what was happening in the Vietnam Delta. His follow-up visit to Vietnam forty years later is deftly presented without taint – neither remorse nor bias. 

Kidder’s recounting of his visits with the families of the three servicemen is a poignant reminder of the continuing grief, as well as pride, extant amongst many and is a fitting memorial to the Army and Riverine heroes and an honor to those who mourn them.

Captain M.B. Connolly, USN (retired)   

Commander, River Assault Division 132 / River Assault Squadron 13, 1969-70

Comments from Sandra Thompson, Eldon Tozer's Niece

It was in the nineties when I had access to a computer that I started searching for someone who knew my uncle Eldon Tozer. Someone who could fill me in with some details about the night he died and what his role was in the war. I connected with Butch Jarvinen and Gary Holmes and they were able to give me some information but I still wanted to know more.

Forty five years have passed since Uncle Eldon's death. Rolland Kidder has answered so many of my questions in his book "Backtracking in Brown Water". He has helped me learn what everyday life was like for Uncle Eldon and what role he played in the war. There were times in the book that I felt like I was in Vietnam. I know now that without a shadow of doubt that Uncle Eldon was hoping to help give the people of Vietnam a better and safer life.

A quote from the book. "There is a knowledge or experience gap between what is going on at home, and what is happening in combat. The world between the soldier and his family proffers silence."

For me Rolland Kidder has broken that silence. I will read the book a second time. Thank you Rolland for all your efforts in keeping Uncle Eldon's memory alive.

Sandra Thompson

Harry Hahn Book Review - RivRon 13

Rolland: I just finished your book last night. I would have finished it sooner, if I had not been so busy travelling on business. Retirement for me is less than a year away! If you remember, we were in contact with me when you were writing your book. I was a radioman with Mike Connolly in RivDiv 13. Also a friend, til this day, of Doc Rather. Doc and I just had breakfast last Sunday morning as all of us "boat guys" in the Chicago area do once a month.

It might interest you that about every four years we take a PBR that is sitting in the Military Museum near me out of storage and run it on lake Marie. We had a great time doing it a couple years ago. I had 150 PBR sailors and their families on board during multiple trips when I gave them rides that June day.

I just wanted to say that you did a great job of capturing the story of what we did in Nam, the mix of history of that country, and the back stories of the people that were KIA you came in contact with. Thanks for doing such a great job. I had my sister that was most interested in what I did in Vietnam read the book and she said that, for once, she understood what I did and what I went through. I have made an attempt over the years to start a book and tell the story of what we did from a Monitor sailor's perspective. Never finished it. I am glad you got to tell your story and we appreciate it!

Harry Hahn

RivRon 13

Letter of Paul Rost

Rolland,

It is with great thanks and appreciation that I write you about your book. After receiving it, I had held off reading it until I could focus on it completely.

Thank you. Your words about my brother Jimmy while sad to read, and again reminding me of our loss, are also comforting in that I saw that the Jim you knew was the Jimmy I remember so fondly. He was a very special person to us. For years after his death, my eyes would water whenever the Star Spangled Banner would be sung at an event. It reminded me of his service to our great country that our flag represents and that he served so honorably, yet did not return to be able to enjoy such events. The pain has diminished over time, but is never gone.

Vincent Tobin, retired attorney, New York State Power Authority

Book Review: Backtracking in Brown Water

Rollie,

Just finished your book, and I thought it was terrific. It captured the reality and all of the conflicts of the Vietnam war in a way that I found unique and moving. I'm normally not big on military history, but this was wonderful --I'm going to buy a few more copies to give to friends who went through it.

While reading it I was continually haunted by the fact that at the very period you were there, late '69 and early '70, I was finishing college in Washington and participating nearly every weekend in some sort of antiwar activity -- our house would be a beehive of activity with friends and complete strangers in town for the latest demonstration. We gave virtually no thought to the realities and experiences of the men on the ground over there, which I regret.

Gary Holmes, Five Days One One Two, EN2, R/D 535, USN

Book Review: Backtracking in Brown Water

I served with Lt(jg) Kidder on the rivers of Vietnam.  I had greatly respect and admiration for the man then, and even more so now.  The period for our times in country were essentially identical - mid 1969 to mid 1970.  Rolland's book describes experiences on and about the rivers of Vietnam while at the same time gives the reader a sense of being there.  His writing style is precise, informative but not labored by heavy technical terms or with slang used on the rivers which might mire the story for a reader who was not there.  It is an uplifting book - of how people got on with their lives after the horrors of war. 

There are several incidents told in this book that brought me back there.  I knew Chief Tozer, but not as well as I would have liked to.   We were all shocked, for lack of better words, when he returned to our division to finish his tour of duty after his wife died.  He was a very nice man and whenever he was our patrol officer we would talk about our times in the Navy.  We were both "snipes" - Navy Engineers.  

Mike Paluda, COL, USA, Retired

Book Review: Backtracking in Brown Water

Once I started reading Backtracking in Brown Water, I could hardly put it down.  Damn you Rollie, you succeeded in taking me back to Vinh Long and Advisory Team 68, after a more than 40 year absence.  I thank you for honoring all who served, but especially patriots like Bob Olson and Walt Gutowski, Army guys you worked with that were members of Team 68 and that I knew well.  They were great men whose spirit and professionalism you captured well.  I highly recommend the book, especially to those who served in any capacity in the Mekong Delta. 

Mike Paluda
Marquette, Michigan (COL, USA, Ret.)

Letter from Jim Rost's Sister

Rolly -

Your book arrived about an hour ago.  I immediately turned to the chapters about Jimmy.  It was very moving to read those chapters in the book, even though I had read them in draft mode last year.

Right now I am so emotional that I feel like I can hardly catch my breath.  And I remember that that was the way I felt for months after Jimmy was killed. I would start to wake up each morning, and at a certain point, when I was awake enough, I would feel like someone had punched me in the stomach and knocked all the air out of me. The power of your written words has made me feel like that again.

But the feeling is not completely the same; it is different now, too.  There is something about reading a book that talks about my brother Jimmy's life that is very powerful.  I know that those chapters about him are a permanent memorial that someone could read 50 or 100 years from now.  So Jimmy will never be forgotten; the story of his life will always be there.  That is a new and wonderful feeling to have about Jimmy.  Again, thank you for taking the time and effort and talent and love to write about him.

James M. Wall, editor of The Christian Century magazine

Book Review: Backtracking in Brown Water

In this remarkably informed, and deeply moving, book, Rolland Kidder takes the reader back to the Vietnam War where he served as a combat naval officer. He weaves personal stories of friends who died with his own experiences as the skipper of a naval boat on river patrols. He also writes of his surprising encounters with a rich Vietnamese culture, a way of life sadly little known by those who waged the war from far away Washington, DC.

Captain M. B. Connolly, USN Commander, River Assault Division 132 / River Assault Squadron 13 (retired)

Book Review: Backtracking in Brown Water

In Backtracking, Rolly Kidder has delivered a brilliant chronicle of a part of the Vietnam conflict with which many may not be familiar. His own tour of duty on the rivers of Vietnam brought him in contact with two sailors and one soldier who would lose their lives there.  Forty years later, he revisited Vietnam and began to track down the families of the three men, and evaluate the impact of the loss on those families.

For anyone who served in the Delta, this account will evoke a full spectrum of memories. For those who did not serve there, it presents a superb study of the many facets of the Army and Navy activity in 1969 and 1970. Using his journal entries of the period and interviews with fellow combatants, he builds a compelling picture of what was happening in the Vietnam Delta. His follow-up visit to Vietnam forty years later is deftly presented without taint - neither remorse nor bias.