100 Days in Vietnam - by Lt Col Joseph F Tallon & Matthew A Tallon

Book Synopsis

As American troops continue their steady exodus on the last day of their ground war in Vietnam, Lieutenant Joe Tallon is shot down by an enemy missile. Forced to eject at a dangerously low altitude from their OV-1 Mohawk, Joe and his tactical observer, Specialist-5 Daniel Richards, land in the flaming wreckage. Lieutenant Tallon survives but Specialist Richards does not. Stateside, Lieutenant Tallon begins to heal and proceed with his life-but the loss of his tactical observer is never far from his mind. Forty years later, Joe embarks on a quest to bring recognition to the sacrifice of Daniel Richards and secure a Purple Heart for his family.

Painstakingly recreated from wartime letters and remembrances and contextualized by contemporary news accounts, 100 Days in Vietnam is a collaboration between Joe and his son Matt-also an Army veteran. Here we experience the war through the emotions of the man who survived it: the drudgery and monotony of airfield life, the heartache of a newlywed missing his wife, the terror of combat missions, the agony of injury and rehabilitation, and the bittersweet relief from the completion of his final mission to bring recognition to his fallen comrade.

Review Quotes

"For all of us coming of age in the class of 1969, the Vietnam War was always looming. After receiving a draft notice post-graduation, Joe Tallon scratched and clawed his way through Army training, ultimately finding himself in Vietnam by 1972. His resiliency and strength to overcome shine through in this poignant survival story told in tandem by father and son."

-Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Duke University, West Point Class of 1969

"Joseph Tallon's story, told through his wartime letters, recollections, and the words of his son, is a moving account of an American family's experience with war, loss, and remembrance. 100 Days in Vietnam offers readers both a rare window on the final days of our painful national odyssey in Vietnam and a remarkable record of an individual's determined quest to honor a fallen comrade."

-Ken Burns, Filmmaker and Director of The Vietnam War, The Civil War, and many other films

"Father and son Army veterans Joseph and Matthew sing a soulful duet of remembrance and revelation in this evocative narrative of love and war, suffering and struggle, resilience and healing. 100 Days in Vietnam, a cross-generational memoir, offers us rare insights into the deep bonds of friendship, the ravages and gifts of survival, and the complex meanings of a true patriotism."

-Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Emily Hargroves Fisher Research Professor of Education, Harvard University, and Author of Balm in Gilead: Journey of a Healer and Exit: The Endings That Set Us Free, among other books

"100 Days in Vietnam is a remarkable firsthand account of one man's experience of war. Framed by stories of his own father and son, it is a moving tribute to the traditions of honor, respect, affection, and sacrifice shared by three generations of a single family. In gifting this story to the public, Matthew Tallon has taken a little piece of history, made it personal, and brought it home."

-Christina Thompson, PhD, Editor of Harvard Review, and Author of Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia

"A father-son team tells a great story about Vietnam combat service in the Army's air force. Joseph Tallon's time was spent as a Mohawk pilot flying recon missions into North Vietnam. His story is sandwiched between daily letters exchanged with his wife back home. His tour of duty ends with an engine shot out by enemy fire and a crash landing and fire that killed his observer and severely burned Tallon. Highly recommend this book!"

-Joseph L. Galloway, Co-Author of We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young, We Are Soldiers Still, and They Were Soldiers: The Sacrifices and Contributions of Our Vietnam Veterans