John McKay was born into a military family, and grew up at an American copper mine in Peru. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 “to get out of the house.” A few years later he entered the Naval Academy. During the summer of his third year, he deployed to Vietnam with a special program on the USS Ault (DD-698), and was set ashore for a month with a U.S. Marine Corps Combine Action Platoon in I Corps, and then a stint with on a U.S. Navy Swift boat. He graduated in 1968, received his commission as a Marine second lieutenant, and was promptly sent back to Vietnam as an infantry officer with Hotel Company, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines at An Hoa in I Corps. While not in favor of the war, he was curious and looking forward to it. McKay remembers the sights and smells, the danger, the ambushes, the snipers, and taking casualties every time they left the wire. He recalls primitive living conditions, sleeping in mud, a machine gunner who did his best work high on marijuana, whiskey in baby bottles, hot beer, a friendly fire napalm incident, and losing an eye when a bullet entered his left temple, travelled downward destroying his sinuses, his nose, and his jaw, before settling into his right shoulder. And he offers his thoughts on war, military service, PTSD, the Marcinko Affair, and many other interesting topics.