The following are Reader Reviews that have been posted for TARNISHED VALOR:
Currently 11 reader reviews have been received. Each rated at 5 Stars.
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By John E. on June 10, 2018. 5 Stars out of 5 on Amazon.
Good read, brought back some powerful emotions. It was a good reminder of what we need to remember about these last wars on terrorism as our service members return home.
The way some treated our service members that fought, and returned whole, wounded or died as a result of our war should not have occurred. Least we forget what they sacrificed, they served the nation and deserve the heroic welcome home regardless of our opinions about the service we sent them into. Pray that we remember and never again shame our men and women for their service. If you must show contempt for a war show it to the political leaders who started it. As a nation, we owe it to our service members to treat them with honor and respect for their service and sacrifices. That includes taking care of their injuries incurred during their service. If, as a nation, we cannot afford this expense, then we cannot afford to place them in harms way.
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By L. R. Brown on April 23, 2017. 5 Stars out of 5 on Amazon.
Valor is bravery, courage, daring, and fearlessness…
Valor is bravery, courage, daring, and fearlessness. Author Terry Wilson uses historical events in his intriguing novel of valor in Viet Nam and again some 22 years later at home. Two friends, Sam Davis and Paul Morse, were combat brothers under Viet Com fire when fate separated them. Davis saw Morse take machine gun fire across his body.
Years later at a Washington, DC rally, Davis, wheelchair bound since Nam, is protesting for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act when he meets Judy Thomas. Following the protest Sam and Judy visit the Viet Nam War Memorial in search of Paul Morse’s name. What happens next sets into motion a chain of events that pulls lives together in unexpected ways. Tarnish Valor deals with the difficult problems that wars create and, sadly, reveals these problems are still relevant today. This book is a discovery journey of people who had valor on the battle line, on the home front, and the courage to always do the right thing. Well done Terry Wilson.
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By Ann Kinhara on September 22, 2016, 5 out of 5 Star rating on Amazon
An amazing story from the Vietnam era
This is the first book I’ve read by Terry Wilson but it sure won’t be the last. What a beautiful story this is. It tells of the returning servicemen from Vietnam with their spirits and their bodies broken. Mr. Wilson has told this story so well I felt like I knew these men, and I was totally immersed in their stories. I couldn’t put it down until I knew what happened. I highly recommend this book to all.
Ann also commented in a Facebook group (Second War Club) the prior day as follows:
I am almost finished with Tarnished Valor and I have to say this book is magnificent. I’m having to stop once in a while to wipe my tears. They are happy tears and sad tears. This story is so well told and moving. I want to meet these people!!!
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By Susan Ward, an author, September 7, 2016, 5 out of 5 Star rating on Amazon.
Exceptionally well written and an important story.
I’ve been a fan of Terry’s since he first came onto my kindle radar two years ago. Here’s what I love about the stories he writes. They are important, true reflections of the time and era, filled with enduring messages we should not forget. When an author writes about these decades of history (Vietnam and post-Vietnam) I cannot stress the importance of actually having experienced it to provide simplicity with sincerity to the story. And it is essential when writing a story about redemption. I found this to be a touching read that will remain with me long after I finished it on my Kindle. I highly recommend, and it is a must read for fans of work on that piece of our history. Well done, Terry.
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By Maryanne B. on September 5, 2016, 5 out of 5 Star rating on Amazon.
Well written story about the need for the ADA.
Another great read from Terry Wilson. This story highlights the plight of Vietnam veterans and the need for the Americans with Disabilites Act. So many who served were neglected in their times of need after they returned home. Mr. Wilson brings their needs to life through personal experiences. The story goes from the present (1990) at the Vietnam War memorial to the past (with the main characters during their time in Vietnam). Very evocative. Five stars
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By VAN Amazon Customer on August 31, 2016, 5 out of 5 Star rating on Amazon.
Knocked it out of the Park!
Another well written book from Terry L. Wilson. Bringing to light the struggles of our Viet Nam veterans with compassion and caring. the author again brings his characters to life in another page turning novel.
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By Doc Door on August 30, 2016, 5 star review on Amazon
Review by Doc Door
I found this book to be an easy read and I did not want to put it down. The title character, Sam, was filled anger toward the war in Vietnam. Twenty some years later he was still struggling with past hurts. The demons were still inside him until he found the love of his life, Judy, who helped him close some doors and open new opportunities. The book is filled with interesting characters who open new chapters in Sam’s world. The author carefully webs the characters into Sam’s life, guiding him to higher plains. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read, but also fascinating read, of the after-effects of the Vietnam war.
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By Marjorie Appleby, an author, on August 29, 2016- 5 star review on Amazon
Review by M.A. Appleby
Another winner from Terry L. Wilson. Every time I pick up one of Mr. Wilson’s books, I learn something or he takes me to another place in time. This one takes the reader to the Vietnam Veteran’s Wall in Washington, D.C. and back to the jungle of Vietnam. Mr. Wilson saw an opportunity to set the record straight on not only living with a handicap, but how our military may have overlooked it’s many heroes. His gentle portrayal of how one veteran not only found a long-lost friend through the fog that is termed Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, but he adds in hope and encouragement as his character finds love in the most unusual way – all while searching and trying to make sense of the military’s use of Agent Orange. We know this as a chemical used to defoliate foliage to expose the enemy, and has far-reaching effects on veterans to this day. Tarnished Valor is also a story that needed to be told. The people who lost their lives or were hurt during this long war, gave up more than we’ll ever know. Mr. Wilson poignantly thanks those veterans who served during the Vietnam era and gives them the tribute they all deserve. Finding peace is never easy after serving in a war…it was clear that Mr. Wilson also wanted them to know how valued they are!
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By Diana Wilder, an author, on May 12, 2016- 5 star review on Amazon.
Tarnished Valor– a story of persistence, justice and friendship after the Vietnam War
It is March 10, 1990, a day that is of crucial importance in the fight for fair treatment of disabled Americans. Thousands of supporters of the Americans with Disabilities Act have descended upon the Capitol to support the passage of the Act. And in a dramatic climax of the day’s events, many of them abandoned their wheelchairs and crutches and participated in the famous ‘Crawl’ up the steps of the Capitol. Sam Davis, who lost a leg in the Vietnam war during the Tet Offensive, is there to show his support and then, once the Crawl is over, to visit the Vietnam Memorial to find the name of his buddy, Paul Morse, who was killed in the same fighting that cost Sam his leg.
But Paul’s name is not there, and Sam, whose life he saved, and who watched him fall to Vietcong bullets, is determined to learn the true story.
This is the start of a tale of courage, persistence, justice and friendship. It touches upon times that many of us can recall, when the veterans of the Vietnam conflict who returned home to scorn, hatred and abuse, were finally given the recognition they deserved by a country that had turned its back on them. Reading it and remembering my feelings, as a child of a military family during that time, brought back memories. I might suggest that it be read in history classes as an illustration of its moment in time.
The author conducted a goodly amount of research for the background of TARNISHED VALOR. Any official character – congressman, senator, associate – that is named in the story actually existed, and their part in the ADA movement is well-documented. I found myself remembering the time before wheelchair ramps and curbs adjusted to accommodate the disabled. Wilson expresses the difficulties and frustrations through Sam’s eyes, and somehow sheds a feeling of hope for those of us who know that their struggle will meet with success.
I would recommend TARNISHED VALOR to anyone interested in the aftermath of the Vietnam conflict, aware of the struggle to accommodate Americans with Disabilities, and interested in a little bit of detective work by an attractive, determined hero. And if you like to have a very nice love story added to the mix, you are in for a treat.
Disclosure: I assisted with proofreading this manuscript. I also gave some feedback on the book. I purchased this book because I enjoyed it and the bittersweet memories it brought along with its good, compelling story. I recommend it highly.
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By Del G. Owen on April 29, 2016- 5 star review on Amazon.
Tarnished Valor is a very good book
Terry Wilson did a great job with this story of troubled Vietnam Veterans and their loved ones, their memories, trials and tribulations along with the normal human problems. Told as from one “who has been there and done that”.
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Erin S. Riley, an author, posted on Facebook, April 4, 2016.
I did a Beta Read for Terry Wilson and really enjoyed this book! Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys Military Fiction or just a darn good story.
She also followed up with a five star review on Amazon, April 5, 2016- 5 star rated.
Wonderful Story
Tarnished Valor is the story of Sam Davis, a Vietnam vet who lost a leg during his tour and nearly died in an ambush. He owes his life to his quick-thinking friend, Paul Morse, who Sam believes sacrificed his own life to save Sam. But years later as Sam travels to D.C. to pay his respects to Paul at the Memorial Wall, he is astonished to discover Paul’s name is not listed there. Could he possibly still be alive? Thus begins Sam’s journey to find his friend. This touching story examines the scars carried home by war veterans, both physical and emotional, as well as what it truly means to be a hero in the face of great adversity. Tarnished Valor is a tale of redemption that will stick with the reader long after the last page is read.
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