One year and eternity

War is as natural as life and death. life is war. it is the natural means among all living organisms by which the weaker species is vanquished and the stronger species predominates. beneath a thin veil of civilization, the unrecognized and undeclared war simmers constantly as people compete for ever-diminishing supplies of fuel and food. dr. frank swaim served for a year as a medic with the united states air force in vietnam; he saw this thin veil of civilization torn apart by the open hostilities of war. one year and eternity chronicles dr. swaim's year in vietnam through entries from his logbook kept at the time. he experiences the agony of being separated from his family, the terror of being stationed beyond the front lines and surrounded by hostile vietcong. being poorly supplied medically in the midst of woefully unsanitary conditions, dr. swaim had to perform major surgical procedures under the most difficult of circumstances. perhaps worst of all was the low morale of the troops. one year and eternity is a book created in the crucible of experience and shaped by a reflective mind. its message: the fittest survive.