going off the beach

Just two months after my 20th birthday, I was drafted into the US Army. Before my next birthday I arrived in the former Republic of South Vietnam; it was February 1969. I have been asked countless times over the last five decades: "What was Vietnam like?" For decades I could never give much of an answer. If one is to give an answer, one must first confront their past.

Going Off The Beach is the account of a conscripted, "boots on the ground" soldier and his experiences in the US Army during the Vietnam War. These experiences included twelve months in Vietnam, serving in Binh Dinh Province. The book explores the contrasts between a peaceful tropical beach overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean with the monotony, drudgery and dangers of being a foot soldier in an unpopular war. It describes the endless struggle for survival while constantly dealing with the "inner conflicts" of the US Military fighting a war they were not even trying to win. And finding love in the midst of it all.

"What was Vietnam like?" It's the story of what happened to 20-year-old me. It's my story of love, war, and courage.



About the Author



Robert Garlick is a Vietnam Army veteran, serving on active duty from April 1968 to February 1970. His military service included twelve months in Vietnam serving in the Artillery, Infantry and as a Staff Duty Driver. Some of his fellow veterans of that era tell him he should not be alive. After being honorably discharged, he returned to school and earned a Baccalaureate Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. His engineering work has taken him all over the world. After taking a job in Banda Aceh, Indonesia following the earthquake and tsunami, he was required by his position to write weekly reports. This is where (and later in Port-Au-Prince. Haiti) he began to hone the writing skills needed to tell this story. In letters home, friends were stunned by the imagery and clarity of his writing. Finally in the summer of 2010, while still in Haiti, he began to write for a few hours on his day off of Sunday, recounting his time in Vietnam from decades earlier. In the summer of 2020, he had a chance encounter with a veteran of the Vietnam era, who offered to help edit and get the book published.