The Call

<p><em>The Call</em> follows the conflict of ideologies between a brother and sister during the turbulent time of the Vietnam War. Tom is a patriot who joins the army to serve his country. His younger sister Janet liberated by the sixties is anti-authoritarian and a soldier of a different sort. She is a socialist and is active in the anti-Vietnam War movement. She uses her position as a journalist on a national newspaper to advance her cause. Their story is told by their young neighbour Jim who is drafted and serves with Tom in Vietnam. Jim hears neither the call to arms nor the call of the anti-war movement. He is simply a bystander forced by the draft to play a part in the war. Jim continues his friendship with Janet despite Tom's warnings. The story follows the growing intensity of the war and the disintegration of the innocence of young combat soldiers. Back home Janet is fighting against the war. Through Jim she becomes aware of a tragic shooting of a young Vietnamese boy by one of Tom's men and she publishes the story condemning Tom and the war with terrible consequences. </p><p></p><p>Des Sloman served in Vietnam as a combat soldier and later worked as a teacher and a lawyer. He now lives near Dungog Australia. I wished to document those turbulent times of the 1960s especially the years of the Vietnam War as I saw them. It's my (personal) perspective of history. I was also driven to write to understand the times in which I have lived. </p>