‘Across the Pond’, based on the life and experiences of author Michael McCormick, tells the harrowing story of a young GIs rejection by society when returning from combat in Vietnam. While lived through the eyes of McCormick himself, his story is a microcosm of the struggles nine millions GIs faced when the country that drafted them threw them back onto the streets and into normality. This celebrated novel is available free in an attempt to keep the collective story of each and every American hero of the 1960s alive.
Oakland, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2015 -- It was 1969, U.S. Marine Michael McCormick was returning from Vietnam to an America he thought would see him as a hero. While he did receive a Purple Heart and Silver Star for his service, society blatantly rejected him. McCormick quickly became aware that it wasn't just him, that millions of other young men would be treated as misfits when trying to pick back up the life they had been torn from.
But McCormick did what no one else was brave enough to do – put the whole experience on paper so it would never be forgotten. The book, 'Across the Pond', has since garnered critical acclaim and will be available free, forever, so the world will know what the Vietnam War really was.
Synopsis:
Across The Pond by Michael McCormick is the story of a young American who fights in Vietnam for his country, but is rejected when he returns from the war. The author, based the story on his experience as a U.S. Marine who served in combat in Vietnam. In the foreword for the book, Ron Kovic, author of Born On The Fourth of July wrote, "This book with its deeply compelling narrative grips the reader from the very beginning and does not let go. I believe it will be recognized as one of the important books to come out of the Vietnam war."
"What really brought me down at the time, aside from PTSD, was that "the system" ignored and rejected GIs, which is especially hard to swallow when you consider that most of us fell under the tractor beam of the draft and had no choice but to go," explains the author. "I felt it was vital to keep this story alive, before it gets lost to the folds of time. It's a darker hour of U.S. history, but something we mustn't run away from."
Continuing, "My sole goal is to make sure that the GI story isn't ever glossed over, and that future generations will always know who we were and what we did. To that end, it's a free book. I'll never take a penny for it."
Since its release, the book has garnered a string of rave reviews. Natasha Moore comments, "I have always been fascinated with the Vietnam War and I was extremely excited to find Across the Pond. This is a work of fiction about a young soldier that would do anything for his country, yet like many soldiers upon his arrival home he has a hard time fitting back into society. This book was full of emotion, drama and suspense. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam War, the era surrounding it or just a plain good novel."
Regina Comaitch adds, "I agree with Ron Kovic, that this little book grips the reader from the beginning and does not let go. It is written with the violence and fury of Leon Uris's Battle Cry, and the tenderness and compassion of a simple poet."
'Across the Pond' is available now: http://bit.ly/1AbwEnh.
Copies can also be downloaded from free-ebooks.net, obooko and Open Library.
About MICHAEL MCCORMICK
MICHAEL MCCORMICK, who grew up in Jackson, Ohio, based the story told in Across the Pond on his own personal experiences as a U.S. Marine serving in Vietnam. Upon his return to the States in 1969, he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. Since that time he has gone on to earn his B.A. and his M.A. in clinical psychology at John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California. He now works as a psychotherapist, in which capacity he has actively worked with other Vietnam War veterans.