Mountain Times: Review of The Birdhouse Man

This is a review of my latest novel, The Birdhouse Man, along with an interview by the executive editor of the Mountain Times (https://bit.ly/3esx3Ys), Tom Mayer. I hope you will find it informative and entertaining:

A novel Vietnam War story grounded in the mountains of North
Carolina: ‘The Birdhouse Man’ by Rick DeStefanis

By Tom Mayer, tom.mayer@mountaintimes.com
Jun 19, 2020

‘The Birdhouse Man’ is Rick DeStefanis’s fifth novel in ‘The Vietnam War Series.’ Mississippi-based author Rick DeStefanis didn’t want to write just another war novel. So he didn’t. He instead wrote a book about Vietnam — actually a series of books — and what he calls “a different kind of story about war.” “The Birdhouse Man: A Vietnam War Veteran’s Story” is that — different. The fifth in the author’s “Vietnam War Series,” this standalone novel is about Vietnam, but it’s also about both the High Country of Western North Carolina and a broken college student.

The Birdhouse Man is the 5th novel in The Vietnam War Series.

What it’s really about though, is the healing power of love as an aging, retired App State history professor and veteran, Sam Walker, learns to trust his instincts one last time, opening the tragic memories he had kept sealed for five decades to a young co-ed, Claire Cunningham, working on her master’s thesis — the story of the Vietnam War from one soldier’s perspective. What follows in “The Birdhouse Man” is that perspective told in alternate periods, 1968 and today, as Sam is continuously drawn out by Claire’s honest searching for the story of a war told not through books, but living history.

Throughout the novel, DeStefanis, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, ably reveals why Sam is driven to release the “old memories that were better left to crumble away in the attic of his mind.” Why the 20-something student is so interested in Sam’s war becomes increasingly clear also as DeStefanis reveals Claire’s personal tragedies. The denouement is that, unknown to either, their individual battles will intertwine in a tangle of adversities generations apart from one another.

A tender story, if a “war adventure” can be tender while told with abject and graphic honesty, “The Birdhouse Man” achieves an “in-between time, not quite autumn but no longer summer,” as Sam sums up the relationship between a septuagenarian and his “adopted granddaughter.” Indeed, it is in that “in-between time” the whole of the story of the Vietnam War unfolds for one man and those he has touched throughout his life. Read this book and you’ll learn something. But better, read this book and you’ll feel something.

Speaking about his eighth novel overall, DeStefanis recently agreed to field a few questions from Mountain Times. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Tom Mayer: “The Birdhouse Man” is the fifth in a series about the Vietnam War — a conflict you’ve said you didn’t engage in. Why did you choose this war to advance your story and series?
Rick DeStefanis: This began in 1970 when my tight-knit group of six friends at Fort Polk decided to volunteer for Airborne School after AIT (Advanced Infantry Training). Actually, I had already volunteered, but they joined me thinking that becoming paratroopers would be “cool.” Eighteen- and 19-year-olds think a lot of things are “cool.” I’ll leave it at that. When the six of us graduated at Fort Benning we received orders for airborne units in Vietnam, but
at the last moment, my orders were rescinded (along with a large number of others in that class). However, none of my friends’ orders were changed, and while I went to the 82nd at Fort Bragg, they went to the 101st and 173rd Airborne units in Vietnam. A year later, four of the five returned to the states and were assigned to the 82nd at Bragg. We reunited and spent our off-duty days the next year traveling on motorcycles up and down the East Coast and over into the Appalachian Mountains. When we sat around a campfire — and there were many — the stories would begin — stories they shared with almost no one else. When I asked if I could write about their experiences as non-fiction accounts they refused — I believe because they not only did not want to relive that year in Vietnam but also because they were humble warriors and knew some of our friends were never to return from that war. Years later when I went back to college, I decided to write these stories as fiction. Although it is a collection of novels, my Vietnam War Series is drawn from the experiences of those men and others I’ve known over the years.

TM: You show a masterful handling in detailing Sam’s tour of Vietnam. In addition to your firsthand knowledge as a paratrooper and the stories you shared with your fellow soldiers, what was the research like for this book? It must have been extensive as it appears you’ve taken great care in “getting it right.”
RD: I went through just about every type of combat infantry training program offered by the military at that time. The training cadre was made up entirely of Vietnam combat veterans. Everything they taught me and everything I did was geared toward going there. It may sound clichéd, but I was immersed in that culture of combat readiness and jungle warfare. I was also a “gofer” for a short time while working with a select group training some Vietnamese nationals. And, yes, in spite of this, I am meticulous with my research — reading not only numerous histories but also endless numbers of official after-action reports and personal accounts. Lastly, there are those men you may have read about in the “acknowledgments” for “The Birdhouse Man.” Tony Atwill and Bob Walker are two of them, one a decorated Special Forces officer, the other a decorated Army Ranger officer. They are only two of many combat veteran advisors who read my manuscripts and help me put the reader there with them in the jungles of Vietnam.

TM: The setting of the contemporary scenes, Boone and the High Country of North Carolina, also indicate some firsthand experience and knowledge of local history. Why choose Boone and Appalachian State University to illustrate this story?
RD: When I was with the 82nd my recon team parachuted in and participated in a training exercise up near Grandfather Mountain. It was also an area I visited with my buddies on some of our short road-trips during that time. In later years, my wife and I visited the area several times, including one time last fall while writing “The Birdhouse Man.” The region, Appalachian State, the people, all fit my story like a glove. I suppose I simply fell in love with the area, the people, and those beautiful Carolina hills.

TM: The adopted grandfather-granddaughter relationship between Sam and Claire is also beautiful, and touching and deftly written. I suspect some personal experience?
RD: I must say that I love all my children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, and the traits Claire exhibits are taken from my experiences with them.

TM: Of all the takeaways from “The Birdhouse Man” — PTSD, loyalty, duty, familial relationships among them — what do you most hope readers will carry with them once they’ve finished the story?
RD: One thing: When you see that wrinkled old man wearing the “Vietnam Veteran” hat with the Combat Infantry Badge or Marine Combat Action Ribbon, remember he was once a very young boy who was given an M-16 not long after graduating high school and dropped into a war unlike any we as a nation have fought before or since. He saw men die, friends die, the enemy die and Vietnamese civilians die. He has seen the “dark side” of humanity and he saw at a young age his own mortality. And, when he came back home, there was no thanks, no ticker-tape parade, nothing but a thankless nation that judged him wrongly. There is much we can learn from that veteran and his experiences

The Birdhouse Man

This is the official announcement: The Birdhouse Man is Now Available.

The Birdhouse Man, a novel by Rick DeStefanis, is now available on Amazon.com at https://amzn.to/2ySrJ0H, or bulk wholesale for booksellers through Ingram Books at https://www.ingramcontent.com/, or can be ordered retail through your local book store. Currently available in Kindle E-reader and paperback formats, The Birdhouse Man is a story about an aging Vietnam War veteran and a young college journalism student and the trials they both face. Fair warning: This is not an action/adventure story.

This is a story summary:  Sam Walker pulls no punches when he tells his Vietnam War story to college journalism student, Claire Cunningham. As Sam shares his unapologetic and unvarnished viewpoint, he begins to suspect Claire’s thesis work isn’t her only reason for interviewing him. When his tale unfolds, the seventy-three-year-old veteran and the young woman discover they are both grappling with questions, loss, and loneliness, but believe that together they may find some answers to help bring the closure that has eluded them.

In the Birdhouse Man, as Sam relates his time in Vietnam, the story ranges from 1967 jungles of Vietnam to the current day campus at Appalachian State University and point between.

Now Available on Amazon

I wish to extend sincerest thanks and appreciation to the many editors, Beta-readers, and content experts for their contributions to the writing of this story. In no particular order, they are listed here:

Robert (Doc Enz) Enzenauer, Brigadier General, Retired, United States Army, United States Military Academy, Class of 1975, 19th Special Forces (Green Beret), OEF2, FOB 195, July 2002-June 2003, Kabul, Afghanistan, 5/19th SFG(A), Colorado Army National Guard, OIF2, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq, 928th ASMC Area Support Medical Company, Colorado Army National Guard, 004. MD, MPH, MSS, MBA, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, Chief of Ophthalmology, Children’s Hospital of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado. Oh, yeah, and one knee replacement—happens when you jump out of enough airplanes: All the Way, Doc, AIRBORNE!

Robert (Bob) Walker, Captain, Drafted 1966, OCS 8/1967, Fort Benning, GA. US Army Ranger, Republic of Vietnam 1968-69. Recon platoon leader for 2 months then company commander for the remainder of his tour. 2nd/39th Infantry, 1st Recondo Brigade, 9th Infantry Division (AO-Mekong Delta). Twenty-six decorations including four Bronze Stars with V devices, Soldiers Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, three Silver Stars and The Distinguished Service Cross. Bob was my first boss at FedEx and I believe he can still wear his original set of dress blues. He is also a man for whom I hold the highest respect.

Lionel (Tony) Atwill, Lieutenant, OCS-6/1967, US Army Ranger, and Airborne School-Fort Benning, Georgia. Third Special Forces Group-1967, 1st Infantry Division, Republic of Vietnam 1968-1969, Recon platoon leader, 2/18th. Two Bronze Stars with V devices, Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Tony lived it and provided much of the vital detail for this story. He lives in God’s country, smack in the middle of the Colorado Rockies. I am jealous.

Orlando (Orie) Illi, LTC, U.S. Army (Ret) retired from the U.S. Army Acquisition Corps after a 36 year combined Active Duty / Federal Civil Service Career. He was Commissioned from OCS in 1978 and retired as a LTC from the Faculty of the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC). He was subsequently appointed as a HQDA GS-15 where he served as Deputy Product Manager for the Army’s Tactical Electronic Medical Records Program until his retirement from Civil Service. LTC Illi is a designated National Security Professional and attended training at the Department of State, FEMA, DHS and National Defense University on Inter-Agency National Security Coordination. LTC Illi was a Finalist for the 2009 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America National Security and International Affairs Medal and was inducted into the Army OCS Hall of Fame in 2019.

Jeremy Klages, Captain, United States Army, 1992-1997, United States Military Academy, class 1992. Military Intelligence 1-6 Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Germany (Balkan Theater), Task Force Able Sentry 1994, Joint Task Force Provide Promise 1995, Army Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal. Jeremy provided some of the most detailed feedback and suggestions that made this story what it is. He is also an author and an outstanding writer in his own right. Check out the Kade Sims technothriller series by Jay Klages.

Carol Carlson, childhood friend, editor, fact-checker and mother and daughter of military veterans. It’s a fact: In the 1960s, we sat in the limbs of a mimosa tree between our yards and chewed the fat long before either of us reached puberty. Ellen Morris Prewitt, friend, author, and an accomplished writer of Southern Fiction. Her input and suggestions always make me a better writer. https://ellenmorrisprewitt.com/

Chris Davis, friend, writer, and an outstanding critic and story editor.

Todd Hebertson, friend, writer, and the best cover designer in the business. Email: mypersonalartist@hotmail.com or visit his website at www.bookcoverart.webs.com.

Elisabeth Hallett, unmatched as a line editor, she is the last set of eyes on the manuscript before it goes to print. Elisabeth is another of those fortunate souls who live in God’s country, the Bitterroot Valley of Southwestern Montana. Contact her at soultrek@montana.com.

Author E.M.S., My All Everything! My formatter, guide, and general “keep me from screwing up” people, they are top-notch professionals.

If you are one of these contributors, I beg your patience. You will receive a copy soon.

Tornado Repairs, A New Audio Book and Other News

This update is to let everyone know what’s been happenning around here in recent months: The tornado cleanup, the Covid-19 sequesture and YES, finally my new audiobook. And, oh yeah, the fifth book in my Vietnam War Series is soon to be published.

My wife and I live in rural Mississippi. Unlike our neighbors up in Tennessee, our area suffered no deaths during the recent tornado outbreak. Despite a massive amount of property damage there were only some pets and livestock killed in DeSoto County Mississippi. We send prayers to those who lost loved ones up around Nashville and Cookville. As for the local scene: The roof and gutters have now been replaced on the house, courtesy of Liberty Mutual, and all the big oak trees have been chain sawed into pieces and bulldozed away. Even after two months it promises to be a long cleanup effort.

Although Janet is required to work, we are minimizing our trips outside the house with the COVID-19 threat. There has also been a record amount of rainfall in the last month, restricting me to mostly indoor activities, and thus bringing long delayed projects to the top of my “to-do-list.” I’ve been cleaning out the barn, cleaning the shop, changing the oil in every mower, trimmer and machine I own, making and freezing six quarts of spaghetti gravy, opening the desktop computer and vacuuming the dust. Hell, I even made a failed attempt to till the muddy garden….I could go on, but I believe you get the idea.

So, what’s next?

A New Audio Book

The Gomorrah Principle is now available as a new audio book.

 

How about an audiobook?  Yes.  My award-winning novel, The Gomorrah Principle, is now available as an audiobook through Amazon audible. Most of my faithful readers prefer print or ebooks, but some have said, “I don’t have time to read books. Let me know when it’s out in audible.”………Well:

IT’S OUT!!

Click the link below to order your copy:

https://www.audible.com/pd/B0868DR925/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-185568&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_185568_rh_us

COMING SOON.

My next book, The Birdhouse Man, will be the fifth in The Vietnam War Series and is a story about an aging Vietnam War veteran telling his story to a young journalism major for her senior thesis. It will be out in the next couple weeks.

 Check out more books at: www.rickdestefanis.com