At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey
Thomas offers a raw and poignant memoir of his nightmarish Vietnam experience, postwar depression and ultimate discovery of peace through Buddhism. He spares no anguish in describing his tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967-68, where he had to dehumanize the enemy and himself in order to be a good soldier. Upon his return, he hoped for a hero’s welcome but was instead greeted by a young woman in the Newark Airport who spat in his face. Tormented by the memories of killing and of seeing his fellow soldiers killed, Thomas suffered from addiction, suicidal tendencies and post-traumatic stress syndrome. In 1990, after more than 20 years of misery, he attended a meditation retreat for Vietnam vets led by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, and it changed his life. Through Buddhism, he learned that healing could never come through the avoidance of more suffering. After spending years trying to sleepwalk through life, he experienced joy in becoming what the Buddha called "awake"—mindful of the gift of the present moment. Now a monk himself, Thomas leads retreats and talks with other victims of violence all over the world.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.