Two decorated Vietnam veterans joined forces to explore the irony and pain of war in their forthcoming novel: “Escape from Saigon – a Novel.”
The authors, Dick Pirozzolo, Air Force, and Michael Morris, Army, recount the stories of those trapped in Saigon during the last gasp of a protracted war that defined their generation over 40 years ago.
Millions died in the decades-long conflict, while others partied in Saigon—among them South Vietnamese draft dodgers, the upper echelons of society who played tennis at the snooty Cercle Sportif, and out-of-touch diplompats. Says Pirozzolo, “Escape tells of a U.S. Ambassador’s Bull Dog Bashes aboard the Embassy yacht — hosted exclusively for Yale alumni who were serving in Saigon. Everyone partied like there was no tomorrow—but tomorrow came—abruptly on April 30, 1975—when North Vietnamese tanks smashed through the Presidential Palace gates, ending what was then America’s longest war.”
The cast of characters include journalists, spies, double agents, an expatriate barkeep, renegade priest and ordinary citizens all looking to escape the inevitable end.
