by J. T. Molloy
First published 2020
In 1967, twenty-six-year-old John "Chick" Donohue sits in a New York City bar with friends who have lost loved ones in Vietnam. They watch anti-war protesters turn against the troops themselves. A neighborhood patriot suggests an audacious plan: someone should sneak into Vietnam, find their buddies, deliver messages from home, and share a beer with them. Chick, a Marine Corps veteran turned merchant mariner, volunteers for what becomes the Greatest Beer Run Ever. He boards a cargo ship to Vietnam with Irish luck and a backpack full of alcohol. Landing in Qui Nhon, Chick embarks on an odyssey through hilarious escapades and dangerous close calls, including the Tet Offensive. His mission remains simple: bring cheer to his pals and show them the folks back home appreciate their service. This memoir tells the story of that legendary beer run in Chick's own words and those of the men he visited.
Genres: history, 20th-century, adventure, biography-memoir, military-history, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, quest
Setting: New York City, Qui Nhon, Vietnam
Period: 1967
272 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow