Situation Normal A.F.U.: A Flatfooted Soldier Tells All
Brand: North Stream Publishing



Dimensions: 6 x 0.37 x 9 inches
ISBN-13: 978-0998310954
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0998310956
Publisher: North Stream Publishing
subtitle: Paperback
review: Editorial Reviews From the Author Situation Normal A.F.U.has been over fifty years in the making, commencing with my three-years in the United States Army,from his enlistment in September 1965 to his discharge in August of 1968. The book traces the ups and downs of everyday Army life, outside the war that raged in Viet Nam. While few will see anything humorous during that period of death and national discord, I found myself, by chance or perhaps divine intervention, the recipient of one good piece of luck after another, if one can characterize being color blind, having flat feet, the soul of a prankster, and a hot temper, having kept him from becoming a casualty of war and one step ahead of the sheriff, or in this case,the MP's, as such. The reader may ask why I waited so long to write a story about my time in the service. Certainly, the statute of limitations for any offenses I might have committed had long since been rendered unenforceable. And since this book was written as a comedy, you may wonder what was so funny about being in the Army at the height of the war in Viet Nam. The first part of the answer lies in the fact that my desire to write did not reveal itself until the meaning and direction of my life underwent a radical change, following the premature death of my wife at the age of 58. The long and dark path my grief followed after her loss, some howled me to a personal Renaissance, which Hillel Gibran described so eloquently - "the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy it can contain". That line was the basis for one of the poems I later wrote, titled simply "Joy" As for the reason I chose to enlist, I wanted to follow in my brother's footsteps, who had enlisted in the Navy. So why did I enlist in the Army, instead? Apparently, the Navy didn't think I was sea-worthy because of a childhood case of Rheumatic Fever, had left me with as light, but detectable Heart Murmur. Thankfully, the Army wasn't as selective, as this book would have never been written, otherwise. While virtually all books written about war are somber, the author would remind the reader that one of the great books of the 20th Century, Joseph Heller's Catch 22 ,was an acclaimed, truly humorous, account of the real-life experiences of a WWII Army Air Force Combat Veteran. While the author is not attempting to compare this to Heller's, I'm sure readers can look back and laugh at events in their earlier life that did not seem funny at the time.However, if you don't see the humor in flat feet being responsible for writing a comedy, then you may not find this book as funny as the author did, as I relived three of the most hilariously evocative years of his life. From the Back Cover "Nordstrom's wit is comparable to that of the TV series M*A*S*H or even Joseph Heller's Catch-22" KIRKUS REVIEWS "Engrossing reading!" MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS "Humorous and atypical" FORWORD REVIEWS If you're looking for War and Peace this isn't it. But entertaining, humorous, touching and amazingly accurate it most definitely is! About the Author Oscar R. Nordstrom is the author of two prior books; Pleasant Surprises - Inspiring Rhymes for Special Times and the criticallyacclaimed Fountain of Change - How the Life and Ideas of Jesus Shaped theWorld, a treatise written to promote a better understanding among religiousand secular groups. Oscar, a student of History, Science, and the Arts, expoundedhis wide-ranging views and philosophies on a podcast show, Off the BeatenPath , he hosted on Talkradionyc.com. Oscar, a recipient of numerous awards andtestimonials is the owner of a contracting and consulting firm and lives inCongers, New York. Read more