"I am sitting here stunned and touched by Mr. Jewell’s courage and generosity in writing his memoirs. What an unequivocal gift they are to those of us who were alive and coming of age in the 1960’s and 70’s who have striven to make sense of the impact of Vietnam War on our America and the world. Not since reading Philip Caputo’s A Rumor of War have I had more cogent exposure to what the War meant to the very real people who through no choice of their own had to fight the war." --Bob Brown
While working a summer road crew job in Glacier National Park in 1967, Robert Jewell was handed papers drafting him into the Army. Soon he’d find himself in Vietnam, carrying an M-16 at the start of the Tet Offensive. Jewell’s fourteen-month tour exposed him to the horrors and complexities of war and his journey to reconcile these experiences with his civilian life. This memoir is an honest, raw, and moving testament to Jewell’s belief that the events of life “are our teachers.” Jewell would survive the war and become a respected teacher himself, educating generations of youth in Helena, Montana throughout a distinguished career. Written to help himself come to terms with how Vietnam changed him, Bleeding Spirits is a window into the workings of war and its warriors, and an inspirational story of the struggle and beauty involved in the search for a sense of peace.