John Stevens Berry, Sr.’s latest release, Foot Soldier, is a free verse memoir that tells his story of past experiences and present emotions. The beginning of the journey starts with self-reflection, a hard recognition of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that leads to acceptance of the pain that was endured in the days fallen behind.
Berry Sr. spent three total tours serving in Vietnam, both in the Army and as Chief Defense Counsel for the largest General Court Martial jurisdiction in Vietnam with over 80 thousand soldiers under his care. The experiences were ever-c hanging, whether it was using his Judo skills he had acquired to save his life (as told in the poem, There Will Be Cookies), or being the leading lawyer in foreign claims.
This collection is close to who Berry Sr. is, not just as a Veteran, a lawyer or a writer, but as a human that has seen things that change you to your core. The book is to be read in order like a roadmap, taking you down the lane of highs and lows and how that settles in civilian life. “This book shows why it was important for me to serve as a defense counsel/foreign claims officer in Vietnam. I had already completed my military obligation before I volunteered for Vietnam. I did it because it was the right thing to do,” says Berry. Writing for Berry Sr. was meant to be a way to deal with PTSD, but instead became the outlet to face the disorder head on and share with others what it looks like to do so.
Foot Soldier, by John Stevens Berry, Sr., is available on amazon. com and in bookstores. He will be doing several readings, including some coming up in the Fall at the 38th annual Nebraska Vietnam Veteran’s Reunion in Omaha . For more information on Berry, Sr., visit jsberrylaw.com/attorneys/john-stevens-berry-sr or search “John Stevens Berry, Sr.” on Google to see the broad spectrum of work he has done.