(Reviewed by Don Jung)
They All Swore an Oath is a collection of interviews between author Christopher Lynch and our unsung American war heroes from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the recent Persian Gulf conflict. Lynch randomly selected men and women from various backgrounds who came to serve in our armed forces.
Some stories are just from everyday people who rose to the occasion and dedicated years of their lives to protect our freedoms and then returned to civilian life while using their military training to become policemen in their local communities.
One of the stories is about Buddy Vantrease, a Kentucky farm boy, who was sent to Vietnam and was trained as a medic. He had many treacherous assignments
before coming home in 1971 to discover he was not a hero and eventually worked
in the mortuary business. It wasn’t until he attended his granddaughter’s school on Veterans Appreciation Day, with the kids waving the American flag that he finally realized he was a hero.
Most of the stories were as equally riveting as this one. Lynch effectively conveys how so many people served in our military and have many untold stories of heroism and it’s rewarding for them to get mentioned in a book for their years of service. Democracy has its cost, and we can’t take their call of duty for granted.
