LEXINGTON, Ky., Oct. 18, 2007 — Imagine being just 21 years old and finding yourself 13,000 miles from home, in a strange, war-torn land where you live in mud, eat food packed almost 30 years before, witness unspeakable hostility and must constantly be on the lookout for those whose mission it is to take your life. It's the kind of life that most can only try to envision, but for Richard W. Hudson, it was everyday reality during his time of service in Vietnam. He shares the experience, both physically and emotionally, in his new book, "The Dirty Thirty" (published by AuthorHouse – http://www.authorhouse.com).
Beginning with his plane's touchdown in Vietnam, Hudson shares the sometimes humorous, sometimes difficult details of his 14 months as a Gun Bunny, trucker, thief and solider in the jungles and hills of Vietnam and Cambodia from 1969-1970. With its spot-on dialogue and odd and endearing characters, "The Dirty Thirty" gives readers a chance to feel exactly what it was like in the boots of a Vietnam War soldier.
v From the moment he steps off of his plane and onto the first foreign land he has ever seen, Hudson is overwhelmed. Readers are shown the sights, the smells, the sounds and the feelings of trepidation that Hudson experiences. A small town boy nicknamed "Mouse" for his 5 feet 5 inches tall, 115 pound frame, Hudson only has one goal: keep a low profile and stay alive for the next year.
Hudson begins his journey in Vietnam assigned to a fire base. The first half of the book, however, ends with him in the grip of a digestive disorder that sends him to the rear for testing. The second half of the book finds him diagnosed with an allergy that prevents his return to the fire base, so he is reassigned to the 1/30 Headquarters Battery and becomes a jeep driver, sign painter, ration supplier and all-around gofer. As the story weaves on, readers see Hudson as part of a helicopter crash and subsequent rescue, ground attacks, a truck wreck, and a multitude of other potentially deadly encounters.
In "The Dirty Thirty," Hudson gives readers action, adventure and an inside look as he learns to navigate the ropes of war. Most of all, though, he gives readers many reasons to be proud of the men and women who served on both sides during the Vietnam War.
Hudson graduated high school in 1967 and went to college briefly before being drafted in January, 1969. After basic training at Fort Knox and AIT at Fort Sill, Hudson served in Vietnam from June 7, 1969, to Aug. 10, 1970. He married his wife, Shirley, in 1972 and has been a small business owner since 1986. His hobbies include music and art. "The Dirty Thirty" is his first book.
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