Mekong Meridian: A Novel of the Vietnam War

“A gritty reliving of 1LT "Mondo" Carney’s personal, no-Bullshit war” In 1969’s Mekong Delta, Reconnaissance Platoon Leader Gavin “Mondo” Carney, faces ominous dangers and bullet-quick dilemmas. A jungle infested with lethal booby traps and determined communist soldiers, combust in his every thought and feeling. Replete with the infantry’s dark humor, Carney also confronts challenges inside the wire: the battalion XO’s machinations, uncertain trust in key NCOs, and perplexing changes in his fiancée back home. Wounded, Carney recuperates in Vung Tàu, and discovers the painful shortcomings of a misconceived solace. Stranded in Saigon, he meets a Vietnamese woman whose purity of heart, promises to reorder his trip-wired, death-imbued existence. He struggles to understand her vow of love, but tragedy and soul-contorting truths play out for both in a startling aftermath. Carney’s authenticity derives from Maguire’s own days as a reconnaissance platoon leader with the 9th Infantry Division. Twice wounded in combat, he is a member of the U.S. Army’s Ranger Hall of Fame.