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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (MMD Newswire) September 7, 2010 -- XO: Into the Ia Drang Valley by Vietnam War veteran Alan Berry chronicles the author's experiences as a young 1st Air Cavalry Division artillery officer during the initial stages of the Vietnam War.

Nothing could have prepared young Alan Berry for the realities of war in Southeast Asia. First assigned as a forward observer and air observer, then promoted to executive officer or "XO," Berry and his 105 mm howitzer firing battery provided ground troop support in major battles from Bong Son on the China Sea to Pleiku, finally culminating in a vicious enemy firefight near the Cambodian border. Not only a record of fighting the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese troops, the book also recounts day-to-day life for Berry as an American trooper in Vietnam - an experience that included boredom, fear, exhaustion and the formation of unbreakable bonds with fellow soldiers.

"The book is intended to show the humane side of normal people who were asked to participate in an abnormal, terrible conflict," Berry says. "Each of them performed ordinary as well as extraordinary feats on a daily basis, often without any knowledge of public opinion at home. And each of them may have flinched when asked to place himself in harm's way, but would unfailingly rise to the cause." The story delves into the urgency of fighting and the boredom of slack time and how the troopers act and react to conflict, and each other. "A lot of the time in the field was spent waiting for something to happen, wondering how you would react under fire," Berry says. "The fact was, you never knew."

In addition to Berry's account, the book includes numerous photographs and maps to explain Vietnamese culture, as well as the character of the unit. Informed by historical research and personal recollections, the book offers Berry's perspective on how the war was conducted and the effect it had on those who were tasked with fighting it.

XO: Into the Ia Drang Valley is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.

About the Author
Alan Berry is a former U.S. Army artillery officer who saw combat service during the Vietnam War. A native of Sacramento, Calif., Berry earned a bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University before being drafted into the Army in 1963. While in service, he attended Pershing Missile School and was later assigned to an artillery unit in Vietnam. Following his service Berry worked as a newspaper reporter and freelance writer before returning to school to obtain both bachelor's and master's degrees in geology from the University of Nevada. He then spent a number of years before retirement employed in gold exploration and geological engineering. Berry is the co-author of Bigfoot and remains a prolific writer.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Alan Berry
E-mail: abear@sbcglobal.net
Phone: (916) 349-1417

REVIEW COPIES AND INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE

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