Soldier By Chance

In 1966, Thomas White was a nineteen-year-old surfer living an idyllic life in Marin County, CA. His sheltered world was shattered when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. At the moment the Vietnam War was ramping up, he found himself on the front lines. Tom arrived in Da Nang with the 8th Battalion, 4th Artillery, to begin a fourteen-month tour of duty. The journey took him to the DMZ, the border separating North and South Vietnam, and the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the war. In addition to searing memories, Tom returned from Vietnam with a portfolio of candid photographs that bear witness to his life-changing experience. In this dazzling first book, Tom shares insights about relationships formed, experiences encountered, and the horror of war during this brief moment in a historic time. His words and pictures illuminate a harrowing tale and the transformation of a soldier by chance.