The Saigon ZOO

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This comic true adventure follows the outrageous experiences of one Redondo Beach loafer who is tricked into enlisting in the U.S. Army during the height of the Vietnam War. Suddenly Pete Whalon is thrown into a bizarre, harsh and alien world where "the rulers devour their young." Yet keeping his wits about him, Private Whalon carves out a very different sort of military career. Using youthful cunning, he transports his laidback So-Cal mentality to the Army structure with hilarious results! From Hawaii, to Saigon, to Long Binh (the largest U.S. military base in Vietnam in 1970), this reluctant soldier tests the patience and nerves of the lifers in command. Joining him in the rebellion is a motley crew of malcontented GIs, the core of which become his closest friends and the primary characters of this memoir.