I never had the pleasure of meeting Frank Boccia in person, but I grew to have a deep and profound respect for the man. We became "virtual" friends on the internet, via Facebook, once Frank and I realized how many interests we seemed to have in common. We both loved and pampered our dogs. Frank spoiled Mr. Smith rotten, but I'm no one to talk. When I eat steak, so do my furry babies, sliced on top of their kibble. We're both patriotic Americans and published authors of nonfiction books -- Frank's story was an exceptionally interesting and powerful one. He survived a literal hell on earth, and somehow managed to walk away from Dong Ap Bia, the infamous "Hamburger Hill" battle in Vietnam. Frank was a true American hero. Frank saw the senseless, savage brutality of war, up close and personal. However, his most serious wounds from the war were invisible -- Frank's psyche had been damaged by the carnage he witnessed. After the war Frank struggled to understand how he had cheated death, when so many friends and other good men had not been so lucky. America didn't treat our fighting men as heroes returning from the field of battle after Vietnam. For the most part, we treated those who fought and died for us like dirt. About his book Frank said, "I want to convey the real face of war, both its mindless carnage and its nobility of spirit. Above all, I want to convey what happened to both the casual reader and the military historian and make them aware of the extraordinary spirit of the men of First Platoon, Bravo Company. They were ordinary men doing extraordinary … [Read more...]
Rationalism (written by Frank Boccia)
Editorial note: the content below is unedited. Only format changes have been made to the content to improve readability. This post does not necessarily reflect my own personal views, but those of the credited author. Normally I write everything posted here, but on rare occasions, I've seen fit to make an exception and publish the (properly credited) work of another writer. This happens to be one of those rare occasions...a very pleasant surprise, written and submitted for your consideration by a friend. My friend (and fellow author) Frank Boccia is a very interesting man. His book The Crouching Beast was firsthand account of the Battle in the AShau Valley for Dong Ap Bia -- more popularly known as "Hamburger Hill". Frank's work received rave reviews from the most important critics one can possibly encounter -- people who "have been there" and lived through the experience the writer has attempted to describe. His critics unanimously agreed -- Frank is a great writer with the uncanny ability of being able to put the reader in his shoes. And now without further ado, these are Frank's thoughts on rationalism. I am a rationalist. I was born that way; it's the way my brain is wired. Being a rationalist does not imply that one necessarily has one belief system rather than another. It is simply how we see and evaluate the world. We see cause and effect, in linear paths. But that is all: My father was a thorough rationalist; a man whose occupation involved the formulation of the theories of statistical economics. He was also a devout Roman Catholic to the end … [Read more...]
