Ho-B-52 by Eric Carpenter

This is a short story that I requested, and received, from Eric Carpenter via Librarything.com. It's a short story about a very small slice of  the War in Viet Nan. I really don't know how to categorize this story. Usually when I read story, the author has painted a picture and I can visualize and put my own spin on it. THis is not the case here. This was like sitting down with the author and having him tell me the story. It was truly different and I really liked it. I was able to put myself in the cockpit of the B-52 and really feel what he imagined they must have felt. It is one thing to use the first person voice when writing, it's effective and good, but having some tell you what they thought the characters were feeling and doing is really something else.

The story ended with a question for me, which I am sure the author intended. Was the war in Viet Nam, or the American War, worth fighting. I watch travel shows, and the Amazing Race TV show, that showcase Viet Nam, I wear clothing made in Viet Nam, the nail techs in my neighborhood are Vietnamese, For me the answer is no. There was death and destruction, both military and civilian. In the end, no one really remembers what the fighting was all about, but this can be said about any war that has ever been fought. In the end, people become allies, the fanatics try to rekindle the flames and trade goes on. Mr. Carpenters short story made me think, and thatg, I believe, is the point of storytelling. I enjoyed this work. I am going to check out his others stories and see what they make me think about and how they do it.