Author: robertcomptonmiller

Korea, The Last Memoir

And so, the great experiment begins. I will put up six books as a start for the public to read for free. The topics cover a wide range of interests. The cast of characters is, I think, remarkably large. I never worry about running out of characters. I have dozens of them just waiting for a chance to come to life in print.

The Korean War memoir has one central character, and that is me.  I had a hard time writing the book. I spent a lot of time searching about in my memories of actions that happened a long time ago. Most old soldiers easily remember the moments of serious action. I think we have a habit of rehearsing those moments, perhaps too frequently. How accurate are those well-rehearsed memories?

I tested and re-tested the memories. I linked the memories in an effort to find differences. Nevertheless, all memoirs need the proverbial grain or two of salt close at hand.

As in all wars, there are multiple wars. The Korean War can easily be separated into three periods, or three different wars. There was the war of advances and retreats, the sit-down war, and the outposts war. In most cases, very few Americans participated in all three wars.

I did not let the main character in the memoir have knowledge of what was to come next. There is very little grasping of the meaning of the events. At the time, however, I really did understand the meaning of what was called “R & R.” I devoted a whole chapter to the event. My mother read it. She said she was not surprised.

After I finally got a book that I thought was good, I decided to add a section of notes. These were not footnotes. These were commentaries on certain parts of the book. I did get into an area that really needs more exploration. Men come back from war with a different mind-set. Sometimes they have problems. There is no one answer that solves all. Each problem is different, and it is entirely possible that there are no real cures.

I do follow the news about Korea very closely. I fear for the future of South Korea. Some of the news is pure baloney. I particularly take offense at the frequent media claims that there are 10,000 cannons capable of hitting Seoul. That is quite unlikely. From the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone to Seoul, the distance is over 30 miles. Very few cannons have such a range. The North Korean cannons, even the large 152-millimeter guns, are hidden away in areas several miles behind the front line. These cannons cannot hit Seoul unless they are moved forward south of the DMZ. They would need trucks or other prime movers to pull them forward. There would also be the need to transport several hundred thousand shells which would require quite an operation.

 

Welcome

And so we begin a new plan. I am putting all my works up on the internet, on a web page for all the world to see. There is no cost.

Along with the books, I shall be posting a weekly column, or what is now called a blog. This posting will be about the books, about what I am going to do next, and what is currently in the works.

Readers who have questions or comments are invited to send them to me. I will do my best to carry out my side of the dialogue.

We begin with four of my books, The Life and Times of Ace Mathews, Korea, the Last Memoir, The Sword of Loran, and The French Drum.

The Sword of Loran and The French Drum are new books. The French Drum is the first of a trilogy. In about a month or so, I will put up the second book. The third will follow shortly after that. All three are finished, but I may need to make some adjustments for the second and third books.

In the pipeline are several books that are past the first draft stage, but need intensive work. By the time I post the third French Drum book, I should have a new book about ready to display.

I am considering a book that is a continuing work. It will be titled, Bits and Pieces. There will be shorter works, maybe up to a novella in length, essays, and maybe a snippet of poetry.

Why have I chosen this trail? I am at a crossroad, I think. I tried the self-publishing path, and with little enough success. My vanity was stroked, but not my pocketbook. The books were printed in fine fashion, but the cost left little room for me to make any money. The firm I dealt with did nothing, of course, to market my books. I tried hawking them myself, but I hated every minute of that business. I was in great danger of spending more time marketing than writing.

I considered going with Amazon, the great god of hopeful writers, but I really did not look forward to all the hassles I would have to endure. For example, there is always the problem of art for covers. Even E-Books have to have cover art.

Maybe lighting would strike, and maybe my books would sell on Amazon. And then, again, maybe not. Worse yet, maybe a few would sell now and then. I am aware that there are great numbers of books for sale on Amazon. In fact, one of my books is currently being offered on that venue. The seller is asking for $155 for a copy of Korea, the Last Memoir. I would really like to know why the seller thinks it’s worth that much money.

Against all of this, we must apply the rough-grained sand paper called age. At about the same time I get this new plan in operation, I shall have a birthday. I will be 84 years old. Over the past seven years, I have had a quadruple by-pass procedure and five strokes. Thanks to fine medical attention and advances in medical science, I was able to maintain a reasonable level of production during that period. I completed four books and laid down the first draft on four more. There are at this time, yet another four or five projects I am thinking about.

Clearly, I am tap-dancing on banana peels. I am a writer, even if a mostly unsuccessful one. I do not wish to use up my time left sitting in a booth and hoping someone buys a book.

Well, it is hard to see how I shall make a profit going this route. I shall put forth the idea that people who like my work could send a donation. That is an idea that will probably have a very meager return. On the other hand, I do remember a time when people were eager to pay five dollars for a pet rock. I do not know if my writing will ever produce a monetary profit, but if people find my work of value, something might come of that, and that something is yet to be discovered. And, so, the door opens and I saunter through.