After his first year of college West waived his student deferment and volunteered for the draft. He served a year as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Ord, CA then volunteered for Vietnam. His one-year combat tour as an Infantry NCO was with B Co, 1/52d Infantry, 198th LIB, 23rd Infantry Division, “Americal” in I Corps RVN.
West published his first book,
Welcome Home: The Army and My Vietnam in 2020.
Looking Back, a poetry collection, was published in 2023.
Vietnam: The War That Keeps Killing was inspired by his own health challenges due to Agent Orange exposure. He is always working on additional writing projects.
West is retired and lives in South Dakota with his wife and their Spinone Italiano hunting dogs. He enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren, traveling, photography and writing. A large part of his time is devoted to volunteering, supporting Veteran and First Responder groups and helping Veterans write their own stories.
