Gi Diary

David Parks is a black man from an affluent family. After dropping out of college, he is drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965. He goes because he feels it is his duty to serve. His father tells him to make the best of it. What he finds is racism in the U.S. Army. Not only do the officers send him on guard and KP duty more times than the others, but once in Nam they send him on more dangerous duties. He finds the Army divided between Souls, white men, and Hispanics. Not only does this prevent the units from fighting more effectively, but it causes a hatred toward his fellow soldiers rather than the enemy. He finally gets out and heads home to a divided land. I think this book points out a unique perspective. America was divided in the sixties, and blacks and others did not have equal rights. However our nation put them at risk in foreign lands to back up our foreign policy. This is a good perspective of the black soldier in Vietnam.