UNT Press

About Herrick's No Good War

The war in Vietnam and the draft put a great black cloud over an entire generation of Americans during the 1960s and ’70s. Many resisted the draft, many even fled the country, but most, when called, went into the military and served. This is the story of one man who was drafted, spent a full year in combat as an infantry soldier, and describes what life has been like for that veteran since coming home.

John D. “Jasper” Herrick served in the US Army 1st Cavalry from March 1967 to March 1968. During that time, day to day, he depended on his fellow grunts, like Chief, and on letters from home to stay alive and maintain some degree of sanity. He did the usual activities of the grunt in this war: search and destroy missions and ambush patrols, always remaining alert and looking for the enemy. He fought in one large battle, the Battle of LZ Pat, during which his company was decimated and brought down below half its intended number, largely due to the incompetence of officers. Because of events like this, he developed a great disdain for officers and REMFs (rear echelon mother f——ers). Herrick was promoted three times, achieving a final rank of sergeant E-5, and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, Air Medal, two Bronze Stars, and the customary service ribbons. He was able to turn down a Purple Heart.

There are plenty of memories in No Good War that might stir fellow veterans who served in the infantry in Vietnam and perhaps elsewhere. Herrick’s story will also inform readers who have never experienced war but may have wondered what it was like for someone close to them. You can take the soldier out of the war, but you can’t get the war out of the veteran.