Through the Water and the Fire

While most of us who grew up in the late 60s and early 70s sentimentalize the flower-covered VWs, the Beatles, bell-bottom jeans and tie-dye t-shirts, and even the party-like atmosphere of some of the anti-war demonstrations, there exists a smaller segment of men who conversely recall days and days of sitting in the blazing sun, bathing in murky rivers, being bitten unmercifully by swarming mosquitoes, and being fired upon by a hidden enemy. Charles Hunt, the author of Through the Water and the Fire: A Swift Boat Sailor's Story, falls into this latter group. Within the pages of his book lies not only a true war story but also a history lesson, an autobiography, and a witness to the love and grace of God. Based on his letters and audios sent home during his days serving on a Swift Boat, Hunt allows the reader to glance through a window into the mind, heart, and emotions of a Vietnam combat sailor as well as glimpse his reflections of the Vietnam era as a retired veteran decades later. Between the covers of his book, he heralds the value of freedom, reveals the cost of freedom, and shares his laments when sacrifice is wasted. ---Laura T. Gainsborg