The Soldier in Alligator Boots

A harrowing year of Southeast Asia behind him, Ernest Michelle Deslatte reports to his new duty station at The Federal Republic of Germany. The soldier from the Acadiana region of Louisiana arrives suffering the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a malady considered of little significance in 1970 and one borne by veterans of the Vietnam War as the price of having survived. He struggles with those cerebral wounds as he acclimates to garrison duty in a cold war environment and as he enthusiastically immerses himself into the local Germanic culture. Two young West German women, Monica Ingles and Helena Wald, take interest in him. They introduce him to their society and develop emotional ties to the romantic and mischievous Cajun soldier. They also draw him deep into their world of dangerous, political ideological intrigue. ATA: O.G. Diaz emigrated as a child from the Central American nation of Honduras. He has been a resident of Louisiana since arriving in 1958. He is a graduate of Louisiana State Unniversity, a retired State tax administrator, a history enthusiast, and a Vietnam combat veteran. Sandra A. Bueche, his wife of the past forty six years, and he have two children and enjoy spending their retirement days, when not writting or reading, with their four grandkids. Diaz applies his knowledge and his personal experiences to bring life to his writtings.