Review: Silent Spring: Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War by Patrick Hogan

There are those non-fiction books and memoirs that transport readers back in time, and then there are books like Silent Spring Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War, which change one’s view of both the past and present in one fell swoop. Detailing the personal experience of the author, Patrick Hogan, a Staff Sergeant who served in Vietnam for three years, and the decades of his life that followed, this book is a shocking and eye-opening account of American military tactics and blatant disregard for human rights.

Most readers may already be aware of the stories of napalm and Agent Orange used in the jungles of Vietnam and their devastating effects on both the landscape and the human body. The use of such chemicals has long been a black mark on the history of American warfare, but as Hogan explains, that story merely scratches the surface of what truly went on during those horrific years of the 1960s and 1970s.

Following the death of one of his comrades, and upon the request of his father to apply for disability after his return from the war, Hogan began digging deeper into what had truly gone on in Vietnam, and what he discovered was shocking. Agent Orange had only been one of many types of chemicals dropped nearly at random over the dense vegetation of Vietnam, these were not tactical chemical strikes, but broad sweeping attacks that affected the targeted enemies, as well as American soldiers and their Vietnamese allies. Even though many of the effects have taken years to manifest in veterans from both countries, the long-term damage of such unchecked exposure to toxins has killed or permanently affected hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

This book has the feel of a memoir, with visceral and gut-wrenching passages torn from Hogan’s memory, but it is also an instructive guide to the complex and corrupt systems guiding the fate of American soldiers’ lives. This is not simply an expose on Vietnam, but a damning indictment of how veterans are treated after they finish their tours of duty. Hogan was not a writer before completing this book, but his memory and passion are precious things, and this book could not be published at a more appropriate time. The world seems to be on the precipice of international conflict, and books like these can help shift the public consciousness and attitude towards unnecessary military action.

Granted, there are rough moments in the prose, but the unpolished nature of some passages actually heightens the impact of Hogan’s words – giving it a sense of urgency and raw honesty. A moderate editing sweep could elevate the prose, but the undercurrents of desperation and determination make this book quite difficult to put down.

For those who have read other histories of Vietnam, this one will undoubtedly stand apart, but it’s also written in a straightforward enough way that even a first-timer to military history texts will be engaged. Hogan’s first book is a bold and undeniable shot across the bow, not only in defense of Vietnam veterans’ rights, but for the rights of active soldiers and veterans in every other modern war – and in all the inevitable conflicts to come.