Blaze of Light by Marcus Brotherton

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Blaze of Light: The Inspiring True Story of Green Beret Medic Gary Beikirch, Medal of Honor Recipient

The Inspiring True Story of Green Beret Medic Gary Beikirch, Medal of Honor Recipient

Courage for Battle, Faith for Crisis

I really knew nothing about the Vietnam War when I started this book. I did know it was a controversial war in the US, but other than that, not much.

Gary is a Green Beret medic, committed to the Montagnard people he was there to protect. They became his friends and he loved them. When April 1, 1970 dawned and the siege of Dak Seang began, Gary was all in. Even though he was badly injured himself, he persisted in being dragged around in the midst of the battle, to help others who were injured. What he saw and what he endured was unimaginable.  This is not a spoiler, it's in the prologue of the book.

But this doesn't end up being Gary's biggest battle, he has his own internal demons to fight and they are determined to win. I don't want to give more of the story away, but to say this, Jesus gave him the answer to his hurts and struggles, but it wasn't an instant change. It still took time and grace.

I was appalled at the way Vietnam vets were treated; again I think this is pretty common knowledge, but to hear someone's personal experiences, it is really sad. It doesn't matter what my own feelings are about something another person did, they still deserve respect and kindness. And as an army man, Gary didn't have control over where he went and what wars the army was involved in and yet the vets were the ones who were treated so disgracefully. 

This was just a really compelling story that pulled me in and held me to the last page. First, the gripping tale of Vietnam and then Gary's own personal battles, it was all engaging and gripping and I would recommend reading the book. I want to end with a quote from Gary at the end of the book.

"My story is God's story, this medal is not about me. This medal is about him. Without God's grace, I wouldn't have been able to survive Vietnam. Without his forgiveness in my life, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. Without his love, I wouldn't have healed from my wounds. This medal is ultimately about him, and I wear it for his honor."

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah and NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

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