“There is the guilt all soldiers feel for having broken the taboo against killing, a guilt as old as war itself. Add to this the soldier’s sense of shame for having fought in actions that resulted, indirectly or directly, in the deaths of civilians. Then pile on top of that an attitude of social opprobrium, an attitude that made the fighting man feel personally morally responsible for the war, and you get your proverbial walking time bomb.”

Philip Caputo (1941 to Present), a US Novelist and journalist.

After graduating from university in 1964, he served in the US Marine Corps for three years, including a 16-month tour of duty in Vietnam. He has written 16 books, including two memoirs, five books of general nonfiction, and nine novels.