Name: The Private War of Corporal Henson
SKU: 2979
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The Private War of Corporal Henson

Vietnam didn’t stay in Southeast Asia. It followed former U.S. Marine Corporal Nathan Henson back to the World— his hometown in the Florida panhandle. Seventeen years later, specters from ’Nam still haunt the corners of Nathan’s life and the recurring nightmarish scenes of carnage won’t die. Desperate, he seeks help and joins a support group for Vietnam combat veterans.

Now a new war begins— against Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In a series of gut-wrenching sessions, Nathan faces the ghosts of his past and shares the struggles of others as they confront and relive horrors and dark secrets kept locked inside.

There’s Vic Guerino, a former Army helicopter pilot trying to adjust to the boredom of a grounded life, Dan “Doc” Matthews, wrestling with addiction brought home from the battlefields of Vietnam, and Rene Boudreaux, the loner who withdraws from society with paranoia ruling his every waking moment.

Nathan must conquer the demons of PTSD to win peace in his life, but it’s a harrowing rollercoaster ride through the valley of healing. The path is strewn with heartbreak and humor, hope and despair and love lost and regained.

This is the comeback story of a heroic young man who saw it all, lived through it, and ultimately emerged from the shadows of war.

E. Michael Helms

Michael Helms turned down a chance to play college baseball, and joined the Marine Corps after high school graduation. He served with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (“The Magnificent Bastards”) in 1967-68 during some of the fiercest fighting of the Vietnam War.

Helms is the author of The Proud Bastards, a memoir of boot camp and his tour in Vietnam. It has remained in print for over twenty years.

His book, Of Blood and Brothers: Book One – A Novel of the Civil War, was published September 1, 2013. Book Two was released in March 2014.

The first book in his Mac McClellan mystery series, Deadly Catch, was published November 12, 2013. Deadly Ruse was published in November 2014.

When asked about writing, Helms said, “Writing is a love/hate relationship. For me, it’s an obsession. If I’m not writing, I feel that I’m not doing what I need to be doing. When I’ve finished writing a manuscript I feel relief and satisfaction, but also a sense that there’s another story to be told, and I start on my next project.”

A writer and editor, Helms enjoys playing the guitar, canoeing, hiking, and bird watching with his wife. They live in the Upstate of South Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

A member of Mystery Writers of America, Military Writers Society of America, Third Marine Division Association, Disabled American Veterans, and Sons of Confederate Veterans.