TOO YOUNG FOR A FORGETTABLE WAR

About the Book

History shows that the world avoided World War III, partly because of the impact of the Korean War.  That standoff war led to “rules of engagement,” which guided the West and the Soviet Union for nearly forty years, ending with the Soviet collapse.  The protagonists had decided that they would allow no regional conflict to set off a worldwide nuclear war between them.

Too Young for a Forgettable War follows the journey of an eighteen-year old, fresh out of high school and activated for duty in a distant war.  His is a coming-of-age story in the most dangerous of environments.  The dangers turn out to be not only from the enemy’s weapons but even those of a United Nations ally, whose soldiers mistakenly arrest him as an “enemy agent,” clearly a justification for his execution.

Returning to America, he hopes to forget the trauma of his experiences.  Decades later, he travels back to Korea and is finally able to come to terms with his wartime experiences.

Readers will find parallels between that war’s veterans and those of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  The author and his fellow veterans reveal vivid personal experiences that extend our knowledge and, perhaps, our empathy with those who served, regardless of age, in any war— however forgettable.

About the Author

William Edward Alli is a retired federal government employee and work¬ed in Wash¬ington DC as an economist, man¬power develop¬ment planner, and management analyst. He served as a U.S. foreign-service officer in Pakistan and authored a bilingual dictionary (Basic Urdu and Eng¬lish Wordbook) for the US Agen¬cy for International Development.