PTSD ON THE FRONT LINES
This book, “100 Monkeyz,” was written in a jail cell by a
PTSD sufferer. A memoir and collection of short stories, it chronicles the life
and times of T.A. Drescher, who takes us from the rice paddy fields of the Viet
Nam war to the deserts of the American Southwest. With engrossing you-are-there battlefield scenes, Drescher presents in chilling detail how the PTSD afflicted
soldier, whether returning from Viet Nam, Iraq, Afghanistan or any other
military engagement is like a ticking time bomb unless given the proper help
and support in the critical times of their readjustment. 100 Monkeyz presents a poignant, critical study of American culture through the memoirs of its author. It is an honest, graphic and at times disturbing story of a man whose life seems destined for tragedy. It details the perilous struggles of a fractured adolescence and later, the savage battlefield experiences of Viet Nam, therein setting the scene to explore the far reaching effects of PTSD and the abandonment of thousands of soldiers of his kind by the American government. The story begins in 1969 with the main character’s discharge from the Army at Ft. Hood Texas. Here the vulnerability of the wounded psyche is examined and the debilitating effects of PTSD are brought to the fore through the author’s own first-hand accounts. For the next several chapters the story unfolds in reverse, taking the reader through the emotional turmoil of his troubled past. The story progresses
through a succession of flashbacks that give meaning and context to the story
line.
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This is the author’s first book. Drescher has little formal education. He received a New York State High School Regents diploma in 1965. Otherwise his life experience (decorated combat soldier in Viet Nam and traveling around the world several times) serves as his guide and inspiration to write this book.
Read his stories for free here www.100monkeyz.com and to order on Amazon, go to “Click here to buy 100 Monkeyz.”
