Black Prisoner of War: A Conscientious Objector’s Vietnam Memoir is the autobiography of James Daly’s time in the US military. Despite considering himself a conscientious objector, Daly ended up in the Army in the midst of the Vietnam War and spent five years in prisoner of war (POW) camps. Released after living through the massive bombings of Hanoi in 1972, he struggled with what to do upon arriving back in the US. Daly’s life was further complicated when he was charged with mutiny and failure to adhere to the Code of Conduct for POWs.

Daly’s story as a conscientious objector is both unique and timeless. It is unique in that he offers an unusual perspective on resistance to war: he knew from the start that he was opposed to war, yet voluntarily enlisted and went to Vietnam classified as a combatant. This view and his opposition to this particular war give him a voice different from those in other POW histories. For instance, Daly’s descriptions of his interactions with Vietnamese guards and "political education" instructors reveal the very human relationships that occurred during the war, rather than demonizing the "other side."

Daly, writing after the war, does not apologize for the decisions he made during the war. He acknowledges the many complexities and contradictions within them: "Sometimes, I guess, it’s just not that easy to understand what makes us do the things we do." While expressing his horror at being trained to kill and to execute a brutal war in Vietnam, he does not present himself as taking a moral high ground. Daly does not engage in much editorializing; he tells his story, plainly and simply, even parts that may be offensive or difficult.

Black Prisoner of War is one of the few autobiographical works written about Vietnam by black authors. It explores many aspects of how race affected the relationships and situations in which soldiers found themselves.

Black Prisoner of War is also timeless; some aspects of Daly’s story ring true for young people today. Upon the advice of a military recruiter, Daly enlisted in order to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam. He believed his recruiter’s promises: that his conscience would be recognized and that he would be given noncombatant duty. Like the stories of many young people today, the promises of the recruiter did not pan out and the soldier had to deal with the consequences.

His story also demonstrates how a person and a belief system change and develop. When he joined the military, Daly was a Jehovah’s Witness who was "totally against killing in any war." Over time, Daly’s religious/moral and political views changed as did his understanding of himself and the war. As has happened in many wars, Daly’s repeated attempts to obtain conscientious objector status were thwarted and denied.

The importance of Daly’s book lies in its exploration of a part of the history of Vietnam and war in general that are often overlooked. It neither celebrates nor criticizes the US (and its role in Vietnam) unconditionally or in broad terms. Rather, through the lens of Daly’s experience, it explores the war on a more personal level, in relationships it created (or failed to create), effects it had on people (including Vietnamese), and belief systems it impacted. The reissue of this book provides an opportunity to explore these issues more thoroughly and adds to the continuing discussion on the US-Vietnam war.

2000. 267 pages. $17.95 (paperback).
Published by the University of Kansas Press, $17.95.
Originally published 1975 by The Bobbs-Merrill Company as A Hero’s Welcome.
http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu

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