During the mid-20th century, the Vietnam War pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. According to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), approximately 2.7 million American men and women served during the 20-year war.

The Vietnam War began in November 1955. By April 1975, communist forces seized control of South Vietnam, ending the war and unifying the country as a Socialist Republic of Vietnam the following year.

Of the 2.7 million serving, 58,220 U.S. soldiers died during the war, and 153,000 were wounded. As of 2023, 7.8 million living veterans call the United States home, with 30% of those being Vietnam War veterans, several of whom live in the Peak to Peak region.

Veteran Jim Drevescraft is the author of Ignorant Army: How the Draft Made a Nice Young Man into a Leftist Radical. The book is a memoir of his experiences during the Vietnam War.

Drevescraft wrote the book as a promise he made to all the guys he was stationed with. He vowed to make sure their experiences would not go unrecorded. Though he never went to Vietnam, what he witnessed impacted his life drastically.

In particular, Drevescraft focuses on the “pointless harassment by incompetent officers and NCOs, OYNK radio, the dehumanizing effect of the draft, and how it became a leading PTSD cause.”

OYNK radio was Drevescroft’s version of the radio station in Good Morning Vietnam (though there’s no known connection with that more famous pirate radio), playing the music the troops wanted to hear, and ultimately experiencing the wrath of the officers in command.

“How the United States Army in Europe (USAREUR) failed to accurately communicate with NATO, which, if a war broke out, would result in serious losses, in sum the waste of time, energy, and money that made a mockery of preparedness,” are other topics Drevescraft touches on.

He confesses to having never stopped resenting his government for what happened. “While it was far worse for those who ended up in Vietnam,” continues Drevescraft, “I have thought about my service stint every day since,” also stating, “PTSD is not solely the result of violence.”

Writing this book was an extremely emotional journey for Drevescraft, not only because of his experiences but also because it took him “so long to write it.” Health kept Drevescraft off his feet for some time, instilling a sense of guilt for not telling his story.

Some of Drevescraft’s closest friends mentioned in the book have since passed. He says, “Looking at the suffering that continues to torment humanity, the environment, the climate, looking at the deterioration of American society into polarized opposing tribes, and the difficulty in staying optimistic about the future gives me plenty to deal with.”

He’s considering writing a second book, focusing on his activism in ocean conservation, local politics, and Native American issues. He has already started part of a potential book about his career in the wine trade.

Drevescraft has been living in the Gilpin County area and enjoying a small-town community life since 1997. He ends with, “I hope that, in some small way, the book may help others never face involuntary military service.”

Ignorant Army: How the Draft Made a Nice Young Man into a Leftist Radical can be ordered from Lulu Books, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Apple Books.

To learn more about the Vietnam War, please visit https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War.

If you are a disabled American Veteran seeking help and resources, please visit https://www.dav.org/.