This was a wonderful book. Knowing something about the Veteran's trials, this book shows that there are ways around PTSD and similar issues. I rarely give books a 5-star rating, but this one deserves it.

Inspirational read. Marcus Brotherton shares the very personal journey of Sargent Gary Beikirch. I'm honestly amazed at the sheer will and determination during the battle, while sustaining such injuries. This was a really interesting read.

So, I'm sure this book is awesome, but I am in a horrible nonfiction reading slump... I'm just hoping it lets up after 2020.

Great book, the beginning started out with a bang, but then there was a slight lull and I almost lost interest but I kept with it and am so glad I did. What a story Gary had to tell. I love it when a person has the capability of telling their life events, not only telling about the good, but also telling how they struggled and were almost overcome with doubt and despair, but in the end, they survived by the grace of God. Gary took responsibility for his life with the help of his loving wife.
Love does conquer all. Other than loving the story, the pictures of the family at the end were great. I truly felt like a family member by the time it was done. Gary is a remarkable caring individual. The war scenes were some of the best descriptions I have ever read, very intense and detailed. You could hear the helicopters and the bullets. My son is currently a member of special forces, this book helped me realize his feelings of devotion, dedication and love for his brothers. Excellent book, well written!!
I want to thank WaterBrook & Multnomah plus NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. This one comes in with the highest 5 stars.

A true story of Gary Beikirch and his actions as a Green Beret medic during Vietnam and for especially on April I 1970. That is when twelve Special Forces men along with 400 ARVIN fighters were to begin to hold off the initial attack of 10,000 Viet Cong, the battles later would be named the siege of Dak Seang and though it began on April 1, it would not be over until May 8th. By then over 2,800 fighter sorties had been flown, 154 gunships sorties were also flown, (though my cousin never talks about it I believe since he was a gunship helicopter pilot, he probably flew some of those he did two tours.) another 114 bombing sorties were flown plus over a hundred resupply sorties. You can see that this was an intense battle and though the battle was won by us it was fought in the highlands and this was where most of the Green Beret’s would go, to the Highlands set up camps and would fight and train the ingenious people to fight. Now they were protecting the village along with the 400 fighters alongside them.
You are taken through the details of the battle and though he would be wounded his first thought was that of others and tending to their wounds and how to help others and not of himself. A very intense time yet you get the true meaning of his service and calling. He would be taken out when the first of the helicopters arrived when a landing zone was set up for extraction and dropping off ammo and other supplies. His wounds though treatable would take months to heal and the ones he fought in his mind would take years.
The story though begins with his early years and through his childhood and then up to his enlistment. He moves on to training and the different steps and training and qualifications and courses he had to pass in order to be a Green Beret. Even when he passed, he still did not know for sure that made it. This part of the story is equally truthful and yet shows you just how few make it through from the beginning. He would have months longer since he chose to be a medic and he could still be knocked out if he failed that. Once passed it was to more training until his deployment to Vietnam.
Once he was released from the hospital, he tells of how lost he was and how he made it to an uncle’s farm and then to a college. It is there that people would spit on him when they found out that he was a vet and served in Nam, I found this to be disgusting though I heard stories about this happening to servicemen coming home. Growing up in a military home and having lived with a WWI vet, and WWII and Korean vet, then an uncle and cousin who fought in Vietnam this just did not make sense to me. It was at these college years later that he is informed that he will be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions that night. He like others does not think he did anything to be awarded this medal and this also affects his PTSD. It is also at this college town that he would find his wife and she would stick by him throughout his time working through his problems. It is the last part of the book where you see his life-changing and finally coming around for good. Overall, I found this to be an outstanding book and feel it an honor and privilege to have read about his life, I hope more people will read this book as well.

Marcus Brotherton does a stellar job of bringing the reader into the life of Gary Beirkireh who became a medal of Honor winner as well as the travails from the fall from a second floor window when Gary was a toddler which required 100 stitches to his best friend getting killed in Vietnam. To the battle fields themselves in Vietnam a place that Gary didn't want to end up but got there because of a drunken stupor which left him in jail and no other choice. Then to the relationship with the Montagnard a indigenous people of Vietnam, of whom is missing in a lot of books on the Vietnam war. To the battle of Dak Seoung which means the river of blood. Afterwards Gary is haunted by the war retreating to a cave even when he becomes a Christian and becomes married. His wife is shown as the rock in this ordeal that Gary is haunted by.
An enormous undertaking and the author does an excellent job.

Before he earned the Medal of Honor, he was still an unordinary person: things like major head trau from falling out of a second story window onto his head on a paved driveway at 18 months and coming away with a fully functioning mind and body after many weeks in the hospital. Childhood and family issues are detailed up until he decided that US Marines were "just Crazy" so he decided to become a Green Beret instead. Right. Then follows a detailed account of the rigors of military training including the medical and veterinary hands on experience specialized for green berets. So he decided upon being a medic. during those three years he became seriously involved with alcohol and doesn't shrink from detailing the lowlights. Then he went to Nam and a real gut learning experience is also detailed. He started by working in hospital, sick call in villages in the central highlands, including the leprosarium where he learned respect for the long term doctors and nursing sisters there and an appreciation for the artistic works of the Montagnards. Read the rest of the book for his detailed accounts of being a combat medic if you have made it this far. I could relate somewhat being a nurse of his vintage and losing friends there, but I am not sure how ordinary folk will deal with his realities. A very moving reality. He obviously lived through it all and made a new life for himself but he continued to give back to the veterans who made it through and needed what he could give.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from WaterBrook & Multnomah via NetGalley. Thank you so much!

Often times people's road to find God is rocky, and the story of Gary Beikirch is such. Even before his tour to Vietnam he was a wounded soul, and Vietnam surely did not help any, it only added more. Here is a brave man, who helped others when he was deadly wounded himself, but it did not stop him. The true friendship, trust and closeness with the local community meant more for him than his own life. It is very sad that he could not find the same with his own family at home in the US, where people had more things but less personal contact. I liked that Gary Beikirch stayed honest with himself through his healing process, which helped him find the real healing and peace. So now he can share this found peace and help others heal.

This is a great book that is worth becoming a movie just like Hacksaw Ridge, which I enjoyed very much.

I really knew nothing about the Vietnam War when I started this book. I did know it was a controversial war in the US, but other than that, not much.

Gary is a Green Beret medic, committed to the Montagnard people he was there to protect. They became his friends and he loved them. When April 1, 1970 dawned and the siege of Dak Seang began, Gary was all in. Even though he was badly injured himself, he persisted in being dragged around in the midst of the battle, to help others who were injured. What he saw and what he endured was unimaginable. This is not a spoiler, it's in the prologue of the book.

But this doesn't end up being Gary's biggest battle, he has his own internal demons to fight and they are determined to win. I don't want to give more of the story away, but to say this, Jesus gave him the answer to his hurts and struggles, but it wasn't an instant change. It still took time and grace.

I was appalled at the way Vietnam vets were treated; again I think this is pretty common knowledge, but to hear someone's personal experiences, it is really sad. It doesn't matter what my own feelings are about something another person did, they still deserve respect and kindness. And as an army man, Gary didn't have control over where he went and what wars the army was involved in and yet the vets were the ones who were treated so disgracefully.

This was just a really compelling story that pulled me in and held me to the last page. First, the gripping tale of Vietnam and then Gary's own personal battles, it was all engaging and gripping and I would recommend reading the book. I want to end with a quote from Gary at the end of the book.

"My story is God's story, this medal is not about me. This medal is about him. Without God's grace, I wouldn't have been able to survive Vietnam. Without his forgiveness in my life, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. Without his love, I wouldn't have healed from my wounds. This medal is ultimately about him, and I wear it for his honor."

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah and NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

On April 1st, 1970 in Dak Saeng, Vietnam Gary Beikirch distinguished himself with selfless acts of bravery and duty which later earned him the Medal of Honor.



Marcus Brotherton tells Gary's story in the troubled years leading up to that day and the things that brought him to Dak Saeng that day. I loved how this story showed Gary's love for the Montagnard people, and how they accepted him as one of their own as he built friendships and relationships with them. This book also tells of the troubled years after that day, and Gary's struggles with coming home, addiction, relationships and God.



Gary's story is vividly told, from his rebellious years and military service, to his journey of faith and the struggles of a returning Vietnam Vet. His story is compelling, and honest, not shying away from his failures, but also not going into explicit detail, all the while showing God's hand in his life, even he couldn't see it. I was inspired by how his faith grew in steps forward and back, it wasn't one moment that changed it all, yet those moments were seeds sown and it took time for those seeds to take root.



Overall, a well written, compelling, true story of one man's commitment to his duty and his journey to faith. I highly recommend this read, it's a great reminder of what Vietnam War Veterans faced upon their return home, as well as one man's journey of faith. Highly recommend!



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Blaze of Light is the remarkable and well told story of Gary Beikirch, a Green Beret Vietnam Veteran who earned the Nation's most esteemed medal, the Medal of Honor.

I admire the raw honesty of this book with no glossing over the horrors of the Vietnam war, the deep love Gary had and still has for the people he lived with and protected, the darkness he went through after leaving the service, and his eventual resolution with all that he has experienced. Nothing is gratuitous.

This is a captivating read of darkness, evil, service, sacrifice, being lost, redemption and becoming whole again. Beikirch's unimaginable bravery and his many actions to aid others without regard to self calls us to not only honor him but also to honor and respect all veterans and those currently serving in the military for what they have done/ and continue to do for us.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Blaze of Light shares the jaw dropping actions Green Beret Medic Gary Beikirch took in Vietnam that earned him the Medal of Honor.

My initial introduction to Marcus Brotherton was through Feast of Thieves which is a historical fiction novel. The way he pens non-fiction is equally compelling. I could feel, smell and see much of what was described in the pages.

My heart broke for Gary and the many difficulties he lived through, some self-inflicted and others not. The way Vietnam Veterans were treated after returning to the United States is so hard to imagine as today's returning soldiers are thankfully treated with much more appreciation and respect.

While Gary's actions in Vietnam are a critical part of his story, it was his journey after returning that showed how difficult it can be for a soldier to continue on with life and find meaning in their existence.

First of all a big thank you to Random House, WaterBrook and Netgalley for letting me read this biography of a Vietnam war veteran. It was one of the better ones about this conflict I've read in a whiel. If you like to read about the Vietnam war or special forces or maybe about wartime medics this one is for you.

This was a great book! I enjoyed it and I think most people would. This is a wonderfully written story of courage and valor that shares such a real to life experience for so many people during the Vietnam era. A great read!

Wow, an incredible memoir. At first, I wasn't sure how the story would flow, as the writing did not feel particularly strong. But I soon found myself HOOKED in the story. So little testimony is given of soldiers and their horrific stories of war in Vietnam, and I was so glad to hear Gary's story. I am ashamed of our country and its lack of love and support and pride for our soldiers during the Vietnam War, and although I was not alive during that time period, I CAN help change my sphere of history and instill pride for our troops in my children now. I love hearing how Gary came to Christ, and I am just so delighted his story was written down for all to read. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this memoir.

Marcus Brotherton in "The Blaze of Light" has truly captured the experience of Gary Beikirch following his progression to be a Green Beret Medic and the days that followed.

From pure hard sweat and thorough exhaustion to love for the Montagnard's of Dak Seang,Vietnam. From his time as a medic in Dak Seang to the grief he experienced in the loss of his good friends made during the war. From a journey of rehabilitation after wounds that could of killed him during an intense siege, earning him the Medal of Honour for his selfless act of rescue to learning of the way in which God pictured throughout his life, often in subtle ways, that at a later time contibuted to Gary's acceptance of Christ.

Although at times the reality is difficult to comprehend, it is a definite book to read!

Blaze of Light: The Inspiring True Story of Green Beret Medic Gary Beikirch, Medal of Honor Recipient is such a powerful and inspiring read. I highly recommend it. Five plus stars.

Blaze of Light by Marcus Brotherton

*Please note that this memoir contains many references to drug use, and graphic war scenes and injuries.

Metal of Honor recipient, Gary Beikirch, is a young stand-out Green Beret medic during the Vietnam Conflict/War in the 1970s.This memoir doesn’t gloss over the rigorous training involved in becoming a Green Beret or the descriptions of specific battles.

This detailed story covers Gary many restless years, and even decades as he eventually finds God, peace and forgiveness. I found an unnecessary number of names of people Gary met who were never again mentioned as players in his life. Why do this? Also, I question the accuracy of his recall in some of his battle scenes as Gary was severely injured, specifically in the siege at Dak Seang.

This is a good book for anyone interested in the life a Green Beret in Vietnam in the 1970s, bravery, redemption, or a personal battle with their faith.

My personal thanks to #Waterbrook and #NetGalley for an ARC for my review.

On the 1st of April, 1970, the People’s Army of Vietnam (“PAVN”) numbering around twenty thousand attacked a camp called Dak Seang which was established by the US Army and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) northwest of Kon Tum in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. More than two thousand enemy rounds rained down upon the camp in the form of 82 millimeter mortars and 122 millimeter rockets. The siege of Dak Seang lasted until the 8th of May 1970 and required a monumental effort on the part of the American land and air forces before the dust could settle. A mind numbing conflation of 2,829 fighter sorties, 154 gunship sorties, 114 bombing sorties and 164 aerial resupply sorties were employed during which a total of 2,922 Viet Cong perished.

Sergeant Gary Burnell Beikirch an Army Green Beret and a combat medic found himself in the eye of the storm during the attack of Dak Seang. Despite being grievously injured during the shelling, he displayed exemplary courage and unparalleled nobility in tending to the wounded before himself passing out overcome by fatigue and loss of blood. This singularly stupendous act of bravery earned Beikirch, he United States military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

In his inspiring new book, ‘Blaze of Light’, Marcus Brotherington chronicles the life of Beikirch as he struggles to overcome the demons of Vietnam relentlessly plaguing him. He also faces an insurmountable hurdle in the form of non-acceptance as his own countrymen look at him with disdain and heap scorn on him for having participated in the Vietnam War. Fleeing friends, and family and desperately trying to flee from the enemies within, Mr. Beikirch resorts to an assortment of ameliorating measures ranging from the sublime to the silly. From sampling Aldous Huxley’s famous mescaline to finding refuge in a cave nestled amongst a group of boulders named Dome Rock in the Appalachian Mountain Range, Mr. Beikirch desperately tries to win an inner battle which every passing day garners strength and threatens to sap the last vestiges of his energy. Finally, by a quirk of incredible coincidence and fate, Mr. Beikirch seeks refuge in the teachings of Christ and finds solace. As the final shards of self-doubts assailing him are given a permanent burial, Mr. Beikirch ascends to a plateau of acceptance and peace.

Mr. Brotherton does a stellar job in assiduously bringing to his reader the triumphs, travails and tribulations of Mr. Beikirch. As Mr. Brotherton points out, Mr. Beikirch’ s battles with life seems to have been decided preternaturally for him. Falling twenty feet, headfirst from an open window when he was just a toddler of eighteen months, Mr. Beikirch needed more than 100 stitches and multiple medical interventions before he could be plucked away, literally, from the jaws of death. Later on in his teens, Mr. Beikirch is overcome by a desire to emulate one of his closest friends Don Jacques, who enlists himself for the combat in Vietnam before unfortunately losing his life in the battlefield. Mr. Beikirch after an incredulously exacting bout of rigorous physical and mental training, earns his stripes as a Green Beret. He is posted to Vietnam where he works as a medic in the camp of Dak Seang. Mr. Brotherton describes in a brilliantly poignant manner, the deep relationship and bonds forged by Mr. Beikirch in the camp with the indigenous Montagnard people. Mercilessly hunted down, discriminated and brutalized by the North Vietnamese, the Montagnard tribe look to the American forces to lend them the much sought after protection from being completely annihilated. A fifteen-year-old teenager named Deo is assigned to be his body guard. Mr. Biekirch is particularly struck by an inscription found on a plaque above a door in Camp Dak Seang:

“To really live, you must almost die,

To those who fight for it, life has a meaning the protected will never know.”

This quote gets etched indelibly in the heart of Mr. Beikirch and the profundity of it imprinted in his thoughts, words and deeds. Unfortunately for Mr. Biekirch, the true meaning of the inscription on the plaque plays out in agonizing detail in front of his own eyes when the siege of Dak Seang begins. Deo, in an act of incomparable selflessness and indescribable courage, sacrifices his own life when, in trying to protect Mr. Beikirch from the perils of a mortar assault, flings himself on top of Mr. Biekirch. This incident leaves a massive scar on the conscience of Mr. Beikirch and he is racked by a sense of deep and painful sense of guilt.

Mr. Biekirch’ s list of injuries itself resembles a litany of woes right out of hell. After being shot at least three times, before being blown up and thrown through the air, Mr. Beikirch gets hit by shrapnel near his spine. Jagged metal finds refuge in his insides, while the intestines are ripped out and hang in clusters outside his body. Even in this seemingly irredeemable condition, Mr. Beikirch continues dragging himself to the fallen nearest to him and treating their injuries.

“A Blaze of Light” is the unparalleled biography of a gallant soldier who valued altruism more than achievement, who placed more faith and trust in magnanimity over money and whose currency was brotherhood, bonding and blessing. Mr. Brotherton does an exemplary job in bringing the story of this heroic individual to millions across the globe. For this Mr. Brotherton receives our wholehearted appreciation.

BLAZE OF LIGHT by MARCUS BROTHERTON is a book you will not forget in a long time! It is the story of Gary Beikitch's life, from his miraculous recovery from an accident at eighteen months of age, through an unsettled childhood, a broken romance, his training as a Green Beret, his work in Dak Seung among the Montagnards in Vietnam, his struggle with PTSD which led to drugs and alcohol abuse, and his receiving the Medal of Honour. Of course there is more to his journey than this short summary, but I do not want to spoil the read for you.
It is a very honest book, in which the author shares Gary's fears and struggles as he tries to live again after the horrors of what he has experienced. It is a heart wrenching story, but there is hope running through it because of its strong Christian message. I give God the glory for what He has done in this man's life!
Here are two of my favourite quotations from the book - "He recalled the plaque above the Green Beret's door in Dak Seang: "To really live you must almost die. To those who fight for it, life has a meaning the protected will never know." Gary had almost died once. Maybe now he was learning to really live - gradually, slowly - although the way forward remained unclear." and "The battles are fought in our hearts and minds. The weapons are the values of love, integrity and service. Whenever we fight battles with those weapons, life takes on a meaning that others will never know. That's what it truly means to live with honour."
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Waterbrook & Multnomah. The opinions in this review are completely my own.