YELLOW GREEN BERET, VOLUME II

More accounts about the life and making of a U.S. Special Forces officer from author Wong (Yellow Green Beret: Volume I, 2011).

In a follow-up to his first installment of essays on being a Green Beret, the author digs deeper into his own thought process behind attending West Point, completing the multiple obstacles in the process to becoming a Green Beret, and the mission of the Special Forces. The author admits frequently that he never seems to have held any particular knack for military duties. Overcoming failure through discipline works as a general theme in mastering arts from the deadly (close-quarter pistol shooting) to the humorous (karaoke singing in the karaoke-crazed culture of the Philippines). Other adventures include tank maneuvers near the DMZ in South Korea and live combat in Iraq. Even though the author has obtained an elite level in the U.S. military, he almost always seems like a regular joe. Occasional pop-culture references may fall flat for some readers, particularly as time goes on (will readers 10 years down the road know, or care, who Justin Beiber is?), but they have the effect of reminding the reader that the author is not a caricature of military recruitment; he is a real person. Outlining the thoughts and actions of a real person gives the book its value. In a time where any discussion in the media about the military tends to polarize, it’s refreshing to encounter a readable collection of personal stories from a Green Beret who seems to have no motivation (political, boastful or otherwise) outside of telling his own story. Though the prose isn’t always polished, it is by all accounts honest and worthwhile.

Required reading for those interested in the Green Berets or life in the U.S. Army.