Nine Lives of a Soldier and Sailor
by Kelvin Davis
The cover says this is a memoir of war, sea and survival, and indeed it is. It is the story of a 17 year old boy who enlisted in the New Zealand Navy and, after basic training, chose to be a medic. He grew rapidly both in size and maturity then rank, until he was posted to Vietnam and served as a combat medic, treating Vietnamese civilians as well as soldiers from both sides.
It’s here that the book is most intense, with scenes of jungle patrols, ambushes, and attacks, interspersed with horrible experiences in operating theatres where, with little modern equipment, medical staff struggled to save the lives of those horribly mutilated by war. I should give a warning here. There are a number of gruesome photographs of real patients – their shattered limbs and mutilated torsos do not make easy viewing.
During his time in the navy, Kelvin graduated from the navy dive school, and this became the second stage of his life. He contends that, like a cat, he came close to using up all of his nine lives both in Vietnam and in the difficult conditions he was needed to dive in around New Zealand. He gave diving support to a number of the ‘think big’ projects, including the Maui gas field, and the Marsden Point oil refinery.
In October 1977 Kelvin was injured when a steel cable came off a bollard and caught him across both legs. The resultant injury meant he was not fit to dive again, so the third stage of his working life began. He started a business repairing plastic automotive parts. This grew rapidly due to the adoption of new technology and due to sharp acumen, branched out into other fields, creating a significant business with several divisions. He thinks his navy training helped a lot during this time.
The book finishes with a plea for information regarding three members of the American forces who served with him in Vietnam.
The book is very easy to read, being well laid out and printed in a reasonable font size. The story flows very well and is hard to put down. I would repeat the warning given regarding the gory photos of damaged limbs and intestines. I did note a number of spelling mistakes, but they did not detract from the way the book gripped me.
by Kelvin Davis
The cover says this is a memoir of war, sea and survival, and indeed it is. It is the story of a 17 year old boy who enlisted in the New Zealand Navy and, after basic training, chose to be a medic. He grew rapidly both in size and maturity then rank, until he was posted to Vietnam and served as a combat medic, treating Vietnamese civilians as well as soldiers from both sides.
It’s here that the book is most intense, with scenes of jungle patrols, ambushes, and attacks, interspersed with horrible experiences in operating theatres where, with little modern equipment, medical staff struggled to save the lives of those horribly mutilated by war. I should give a warning here. There are a number of gruesome photographs of real patients – their shattered limbs and mutilated torsos do not make easy viewing.
During his time in the navy, Kelvin graduated from the navy dive school, and this became the second stage of his life. He contends that, like a cat, he came close to using up all of his nine lives both in Vietnam and in the difficult conditions he was needed to dive in around New Zealand. He gave diving support to a number of the ‘think big’ projects, including the Maui gas field, and the Marsden Point oil refinery.
In October 1977 Kelvin was injured when a steel cable came off a bollard and caught him across both legs. The resultant injury meant he was not fit to dive again, so the third stage of his working life began. He started a business repairing plastic automotive parts. This grew rapidly due to the adoption of new technology and due to sharp acumen, branched out into other fields, creating a significant business with several divisions. He thinks his navy training helped a lot during this time.
The book finishes with a plea for information regarding three members of the American forces who served with him in Vietnam.
The book is very easy to read, being well laid out and printed in a reasonable font size. The story flows very well and is hard to put down. I would repeat the warning given regarding the gory photos of damaged limbs and intestines. I did note a number of spelling mistakes, but they did not detract from the way the book gripped me.
Review by Harold Bernard
Title: Nine Lives of a Soldier and Sailor
Author: Kelvin Davis
Publisher: IMRI Publishing
ISBN: 9780473743680
RRP: $40
Available: bookshops
Author: Kelvin Davis
Publisher: IMRI Publishing
ISBN: 9780473743680
RRP: $40
Available: bookshops
RSS Feed
