The Last Vietnam Veteran Available Now on Amazon
Reviews for The Last Vietnam Veteran
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The Last Vietnam Veteran is Joe Murphy’s homage to all those young Americans who volunteered or were drafted, and who served honorably in Viet Nam, only to be dishonored by their countrymen upon returning home. As he writes, Murphy poignantly captures his own excruciating thoughts and feeling, as well as those of many other “Nam” veterans he knew, who fought and struggled to survive, both in the jungles of Viet Nam, and even after returning home. Unless you were there, until you read his book, you cannot even imagine the non-ending pervasiveness of “survivor guilt” and PTSD, and their debilitating effects upon those young American men who risked life in limb to fight their country’s war, and who were denied the traditional “welcome home.”
John Donald O’Shea
Circuit Judge, Retired -
Joe Murphy has made a study of his first-hand observations of his Vietnam brothers. He has taken our individual, as well as collective memories and a piece of our very soul and told a very important story. A story of faithful and honorable service to our county in a very difficult time when most men took a different path. Although each story stands alone, there is a common thread that runs through everyone and binds us all together as brothers. It truly is a story about our generation and the defining event of that generation. When two VN vets meet, one of the most common questions they ask of each other is “When were you there?” Many a vet will pause, look off a bit to the distance and reply “Last night.” This book will comfort veterans and enlighten those that did not serve. It does not just speak to Vietnam vets; it speaks of all veterans that have worn the uniform of our great country
William “Hawk” Albracht
Capt. - US Army Special Forces (Ret.)
Co-Author
Abandoned In Hell – The Fight for Vietnam’s Firebase Kate -
Mr. Murphy is the smartest man I know. Only he could have addressed two major issues faced by vets everywhere and for all time better than any psychologist or psychiatrist: Survivor Guilt and "I should have done more". By recounting the fictionalized (real) stories of fictionalized (real) vets he makes vets realize that whatever service they provided their country at whatever cost and whatever juncture in this country's history, they have done enough and some higher power (God in whatever form their belief) decided they should survive to serve as examples of what good people do. Thank you Mr. Murphy.
LTC Hubert Pries
(Ret.), SF, USAR
About the Autor
Joe Murphy enlisted in the Army with his best friend Bill Albracht upon graduation from Alleman Catholic High School in Rock Island, Il in 1966. Together they enlisted for Airborne Infantry with hope of qualifying for Special Forces training and on to Vietnam. Mr. Albracht passed the physical and completed the pursuit. Murphy could not pass the physical due to a hearing defect and was assigned to training in the Signal Corps.
After completion of AIT at Ft Leonard Wood he was assigned to a training unit at Ft. Sill, OK where they trained officer candidates in artillery. Murphy submitted a DD Form 1049 requesting duty in Vietnam. Instead, he was assigned to the 14th Armored Cavalry in Germany guarding the East West Border. Once again, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was assigned to the 64th Quartermaster Battalion at Long Binh. RVN.
After discharge from the Army he enrolled at Black Hawk C.C. in Moline, Il where he played Baseball and graduated with an Associates Degree. After graduating He enrolled at St Ambrose College (now University) in Davenport, IA where he played baseball and became the Head Baseball Coach his senior year. He graduated with a B.A. in English/Education. He continued to coach baseball and was offered a position as an Area Scout for the Philadelphia Phillies. He has worked for several different organizations over the years and remains and Associate Scout for the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 2007 Murphy published his first book,
Scouting Uncovered, A look inside the Great American Past Time.
Mr. Murphy is a Life Member of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 776 Bettendorf, IA . He currently resides in Ennis, Montana with his wife of 51 years, Joy Viren Murphy. They have three sons, Andrew Gromiller of McAllister, MT, Sean Murphy, Windsor Heights Iowa and son Seamus in Overland Park, KS. They have ten grand children and one great grandchild.
Murphy continues his writing pursuits and is in the process of writing another novel to be published in mid-2023.
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