Forty-six days without a bath. Jungle rot sores up and down both arms, oozing pus, stinkin' like death. Livin' on bomb crater water, C-ration white bread, peanut butter, and cigarettes. Sweat all the time, clothes get so crusted with sweat, they stiffen up at night when you sleep. Haven't had clean jungle fatigues for almost a month now. Mosquitoes swarm you every night, and leeches climb on and suck your blood any time you get near water. No weekends, no holidays, never a day off. The nights are hardest. Can't smoke, can't talk. Just stare into the darkness, listen to the lizards and bugs, try to stay awake, and listen for gooks. An hour here at night is an eternity.
At some point, you stop believin' you're gonna' make it.
Former infantry rifleman and platoon sergeant Gary DeRigne has created a novel set during the Viet Nam War that is brutal, honest, heartrending, tragic, and hopeful in turns. Told as only one who experienced the war firsthand can relay, One Young Soldier is a thoughtful and enduring work of literature that is as engaging to read as it is disturbing. DeRigne does not spare the reader the brutalities of war in all its nightmarish horror. This sensitive and unforgettable first novel is a triumph of literary war fiction.
About Gary DeRigne
Gary DeRigne grew up in Moberly, Missouri and currently lives in Kansas City. He served as an infantry rifleman and platoon sergeant with the 1st Cavalry Division in Viet Nam, and was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. After the war, DeRigne enjoyed a 33-year career with Butler Manufacturing Company, ultimately holding a position as senior vice president. He returned to school in 1999 and earned an MBA from the Rockhurst University Executive Fellows program in 2001. He now teaches as an adjunct professor for Rockhurst’s MBA programs. DeRigne is currently COO and executive vice president of The Yarco Companies, a Kansas-City based apartment management company specializing in providing safe, affordable housing for Americans with limited income. An active board member and supporter of several non-profit human services organizations, he was named by Ingram’s magazine as “a philanthropic leader of Kansas City.” One Young Soldier is DeRigne’s first novel. Visit DeRigne on the Web at www.OneYoungSoldier.com
Forty-six days without a bath. Jungle rot sores up and down both arms, oozing pus, stinkin' like death. Livin' on bomb crater water, C-ration white bread, peanut butter, and cigarettes. Sweat all the time, clothes get so crusted with sweat, they stiffen up at night when you sleep. Haven't had clean jungle fatigues for almost a month now. Mosquitoes swarm you every night, and leeches climb on and suck your blood any time you get near water. No weekends, no holidays, never a day off. The nights are hardest. Can't smoke, can't talk. Just stare into the darkness, listen to the lizards and bugs, try to stay awake, and listen for gooks. An hour here at night is an eternity. 
Gary DeRigne grew up in Moberly, Missouri and currently lives in Kansas City. He served as an infantry rifleman and platoon sergeant with the 1st Cavalry Division in Viet Nam, and was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. After the war, DeRigne enjoyed a 33-year career with Butler Manufacturing Company, ultimately holding a position as senior vice president. He returned to school in 1999 and earned an MBA from the Rockhurst University Executive Fellows program in 2001. He now teaches as an adjunct professor for Rockhurst’s MBA programs. DeRigne is currently COO and executive vice president of The Yarco Companies, a Kansas-City based apartment management company specializing in providing safe, affordable housing for Americans with limited income. An active board member and supporter of several non-profit human services organizations, he was named by Ingram’s magazine as “a philanthropic leader of Kansas City.” One Young Soldier is DeRigne’s first novel. Visit DeRigne on the Web at www.OneYoungSoldier.com