Homecoming

Memoirs of a Deployed Marine

By: Russell Vineyard

Narrated by: John Alan Martinson Jr., Phoenix T. Clark, Benjamin Descovich, Alysha McCarty

Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Russell Vineyard joined the United States Marine Corps as an M1A1 Tank crewman. After USMC Boot Camp and Marine Armor School, Vineyard found himself at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training and Education Facility Twentynine Palms with 1st Tank Battalion.

In November of 2004, he learned he'd be joining the Marine Corps' 1st Tank Battalion, Delta Company as a tank gunner and headed out on the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The United States Military would send the tank platoon across the ocean to participate in a global military exercise in Egypt and to fight the War on Terror in Iraq.

Homecoming Memoirs of a Deployed Marine is the story of one Marine Corps Tankers trip from California to the war-torn desert of Iraq and back again. Life, after this trip, would never be the same.

©2011 Russell Vineyard (P)2017 Russell Vineyard

AMAZING WORK

The book is definitely very amazing and engaging!
The cover design is just too good. It sends the message and listening gives me full details.
Five stars is not enough!
Amazing Work!

Raw and Untarnished

If you are looking for a story that doesn't wrap a soft romantic blanket around the realities of combat, this one is for you. The author gives it to you unabridged; a great resource to look into the heart of a young Marine and all the challenges he faced in the unforgiving, and sometimes humorous even, trials of combat... and all the positive and unfortunate things that come from it. Well done. -M.A. Dowden

Like Riding in a Tank!

What made the experience of listening to Homecoming the most enjoyable?

I really liked how he added sound effects and I also like how the narrator paced what he was reading.

What other book might you compare Homecoming to and why?

Generation Kill by Evan Wright compares to Homecoming because both give you a sense that Marines aren't just robots but real guys that are just like any other; they like to have fun, chase girls and have a few beers. . .or a few too many. . .just any other.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I liked how he used different voices to distinguish the different Marines that were talking, plus it was nice to have a female voice artist doing the voices of the ladies.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but it's five hours so that's kind of hard to do unless you have nothing on your schedule. Would be ideal if you're on a long plane ride.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book to anyone. It gives a much different perspective than what you might see in your typical war movie or on the evening news.

View from The Top

If you could sum up Homecoming in three words, what would they be?

Honest, gritty, reality

What was one of the most memorable moments of Homecoming?

I found it hard to pick just one. Sgt. Vineyard expresses his experiences with candor at a very difficult time.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I felt the narrator's believed what they were reading and gave their best to bring in the listener.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me think.

Any additional comments?

Sgt. Vineyard put a face on the 'soldiers, sailors and airmen and women' who are over in areas of conflict. This book helps the reader/listener to remember that. Well, done, Sarge.

C. L. Kraemer,
Dragons of The Ice

Hardcore Marine Corps

Very entertaining memoir of one Marine's experience out in country, and a few spots around the world. I'm glad this book was more than just recounting the shitty parts in that damn dust bowl of backward hell. This is a good listen for anyone who has been in the service, and civilian alike. The narrator did a great job of making the different Marines standout.

A high caliber blast

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have already recommended this book to several friends. It really tells the story of what it's like to live as a United States Marine during the Iraq Conflict. The narration of this book really makes it feel like you're there with the guys going through it and living it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Homecoming?

One chapter concerning a mortar attack while in Iraq. I felt briefly as though there were bombs going off all around me. While I know I'll never know how that feels in real life, the narrator managed to put me right in the middle of it and bring out what it must feel like to have bombs go off around you.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

There seems to be a lot of emotion in this book. From boredom to disappointment to anger to worry. There's all around just silliness in some places, which made me laugh more than if I had read it. The narrator just does a great job in all those areas.

Excellent Audiobook

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked about the story was the author's literary voice. He has a way of telling a story that is very engaging and sometimes humorous. Another thing that I liked about this story was the fact that it is true and real.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator makes it easier for me to understand the emotions of the author. This is important because this is a true story and it is necessary to for the reader/listener to understand the feelings of the author and the individuals in the memoirs.

Bringing it all back

Prepare for lots of drinking. There's a great story here of what it's really like to be a Marine, and a big part of that is being around your brothers and enjoying a few beers...or more than a few beers. :)

The sound effects were a real nice touch. You can really get the feeling that you're crammed into the tank hunting the enemy right alongside Sergeant Russell Vineyard and his zombie corpse finger (you'll understand when you listen).

This is just a fun audiobook all around. Highly recommended and well worth the investment.