Originally intended as a strictly personal narrative, Memoirs of a Citizen in Uniform evolved into something more. The author, who holds a master’s degree in history, has combined a youth’s journal with a mature man’s reflections and researched history. Subjects include:
- The draft, draft evasion, the elimination of student deferments and the draft lottery, and antiwar demonstrations on campus.
- The Easter Offensive of 1972, a chapter of the Vietnam War little understood by a war-weary America.
- Operation Thunderhead, a highly-classified CIA attempt to rescue American prisoners of war held in Hanoi.
- The day-to-day life of a destroyer officer, at home and in war, together with the popular culture of the early 1970s, from Country Joe and the Fish to Joan Baez to Jane Fonda.
Intended by the author as a description for the author's contemporaries who did not serve, Memoirs of a Citizen in Uniform may also be of interest to students of the history of the Vietnam Era as well as young people contemplating military service.