A good quick read, except that I was actually able to put it down for 2 months, which isn't a good sign. The last half captured me until I cried, but the first half was boring to an adult. Reading the thoughts of a boy justifying going to war just to "prove himself," "find himself," or "become a man" is not enjoyable, and of course I knew how that would turn out. It's why I can't stand to read my old journals. I'm sure that an 8th-grader would find that part of the novel less cliche and possibly even relate.

A worthwhile read, especially for 8th-grade boys who want more and more Soldier Boys.

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This is a book about a kid named Rick. He has a bad family with abusive father. He wants to be a writer but he has nothing to write about. To get away from his family and to find out if he is a man or a kid, he joins the army and goes to Vietnam. When he gets to Vietnam he chooses to work with the Charlie Rangers. They go on special patrols and do secret operations. He meets a guy name Kent. Kent is Rick's best friend, but when Kent steps on a land mine it tears Rick apart. Rick goes on another patrol and another guy named Whiley gets shoot in a river. Rick rushes to save him and gets shoot too. Rick is sent back home and meets Kent again. Rick now has learned about himself and about many other things.
I like this book because it is very intense. When Dean Hughes wrote about how they were in the elephant grass and could hear the NVA soldiers around them you could feel it. This book also flows very will. It really shows you how he has changed after Vietnam. Rick also realizes that it is amazing what people you don't even like in the army will risk their lives. Other friends back at home would never do that. Search and Destroy is a really good book that every one needs to read. ( )

"We're soldiers. We do what we have to do." Those were some word spoken by Rick Ward after he made his first kill. Ward was a high school graduate from Long Beach California who without a plan for his future. He has problems with his father at home, and recently walked out of his job, and just broke up with his girl friend. Ward writes down stories but never finishes them. He also wants to gain new experiences so he joins the army. After he tells his friends about his idea, they tell him that he is crazy and most likely that he would be sent to Vietnam for war. But he doesn't care; he still enlists.

Once he enlists he starts his training; which he thinks its easy. Ward was put an 173rd Airborne Brigade and later was sent to the Charlie Rangers. That was a group in which consists of a six men who go to the jungle kill fast and move out. One one of his missions, he was sent to the jungle with his team. While walking with caution a Sniper shot Bulldog, one of team members, Ward got down and shot the Sniper down. After getting to safe zone, he realizes what he had done. He had killed someone. All of a sudden he stared to think about everything, about the man's family but he decided not to.

I would recommend this story to those who like the military and how the war was. The author Dean Hughes describes his story "Search and Destroy" with horrific details on how the Vietnam war had been. ( )