A Day in the Life: 7th Cavalry: A Memoir

A Day in the Life is a gripping coming-of-age memoir in the same realm as Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July. Told in snapshot scenes during his recovery, Madigan intersperses family funnies, Los Angeles surf culture, and Catholic school antics within his soul-baring tale of day-to-day survival. Ultimately, Madigan relies on his own grit and faith in God to guide him through his perilous journey and return to The World in one piece.

Nineteen-year-old Walt Madigan is plucked from his carefree surfing life, drafted into the Army, and dropped onto the front lines in Vietnam where he serves as a combat infantryman with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile.) In gritty detail, he recounts his new life humping in the bush where he tries to avoid being shot or blown up. Despite his best efforts, Private Madigan is wounded twice. Yet through it all, he imparts hilarity and hope to his comrades.