“Vietnam: Survival There & Home” — Ashland Native Greg Gorrell Breaks Decades of Silence in Powerful New Memoir

Joe Lyons • April 11, 2025

“Vietnam: Survival There & Home” — Ashland Native Greg Gorrell Breaks Decades of Silence in Powerful New Memoir

ASHLAND, Ohio — Ashland native Greg Gorrell, a longtime community leader and Vietnam War infantry combat veteran, has broken his silence on a lifetime of experiences that have shaped him — both in the jungles of Vietnam and in the country he returned to.

Gorrell’s new book, VIETNAM – SURVIVAL; THERE & HOME, chronicles his personal journey during the war — and the war he faced upon coming home to a deeply divided nation. A former forward observer, fire direction computer, and mortar gunner in the Mekong Delta, Gorrell served with the 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, enduring combat missions that left physical and emotional scars lasting a lifetime.

His book depicts “the good, the bad and the ugly” on both military and personal levels. It’s a raw, honest exploration of life, death, heartache, injury, mistakes, divorce, tragedy — and ultimately, a lifetime journey of survival, hope, faith, redemption, forgiveness, and reflection.

“I had to get the story out before it was too late,” Gorrell said during an interview at Hot Shots Shooting Center, where he’ll hold a book signing on May 3. “I’m in my 80th year. If I was ever going to tell the story, it had to be now.”

A 1963 graduate of Ashland High School and 1973 graduate of Ashland University, Gorrell was drafted into the Army and served with the 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. He was part of one of the first U.S. combat units trained specifically for missions in the treacherous terrain of the Mekong Delta. His roles included forward observer, fire direction computer, ammo bearer, and gunner in a 4.2-inch mortar platoon — positions that placed him in the thick of some of the war’s most brutal operations.

“I was part of what they called ‘search and destroy’ missions,” Gorrell explained. “You go out there with your M16, jump into rice paddies falling into a prone position, sometimes up to your neck in water and mud, knowing you could be ambushed at any moment.”

But if surviving the war was a test of endurance, coming home proved an even more complex challenge.

“I came home to flag burning at Travis Air Force Base,” he said. “Then I came back to Ashland and was asked to speak to a group. Halfway through, someone asked, ‘Why aren’t you guys winning this thing?’ And I just froze.”

That moment marked the beginning of decades of emotional suppression. Gorrell discarded nearly all of his military belongings, believing that throwing them away might put the war behind him. It didn’t. “That was just the beginning of years of shutting it down,” he said.

Vietnam: Survival There and Home is not just a memoir — it’s a reckoning. Across 30 raw and reflective chapters, Gorrell confronts the trauma, heartbreak, and moral complexity of the war, including its devastating impact on his first marriage, his faith, and his emotional well-being.

“I didn’t even talk about the war to my first wife,” he admitted. “Looking back, I regret that.”

The book also explores his long journey toward healing, particularly a return trip to Vietnam in 2016 with two of his sons. That pilgrimage — a combination of remembrance and reconciliation — became the foundation for one of the book’s most moving chapters. Gorrell kept a journal throughout the trip, which he now includes in the book.

“There were two reasons I went back,” he said. “To honor those we lost and to create new memories with my sons. I needed them to understand.”

Gorrell’s book is deeply personal, but he hopes it resonates far beyond his own story.

“This book is for anyone who has survived trauma — war, rape, abuse, loss — and is still looking for hope, healing, and maybe even forgiveness,” he said.

Despite the deeply emotional nature of the writing process — including many sleepless nights where memories came rushing back at 3:00 a.m. — Gorrell said he’s glad he finally told his story.

“It’s brought a level of peace. Not full closure, because the war never really ends — but peace,” he said.

To date, the book is available only in paperback and only through Gorrell himself or at local events, such as the upcoming May 3 signing at Hotshots. It’s priced at $20 — just enough to cover printing costs, with any proceeds going to the Ashland chapter of American Veterans Appreciation Events Inc.

“No money goes to me,” Gorrell emphasized. “This is about helping others, not making a profit.”

Gorrell has long been a cornerstone of the Ashland community. Over the years, he’s served as president of the Ashland City Schools Board of Education, Ashland City Council, Ashland Noon Lions Club, and several other civic organizations. He also served a mission at the historic Nauvoo, Illinois temple and is currently coordinating housing for missionaries across North Central Ohio.

Still, it’s his new role — that of author — that he believes may leave the most lasting impact.

“The stories of Vietnam veterans are vanishing,” he said. “We’re dying at a rate of over 400 a day. If we don’t tell these stories now, they’ll be gone forever. And the next generation won’t know.”

For Gorrell, the book is not only a legacy for his six children and 29 grandchildren & great grandchildren, but also a gift to his fellow veterans — many of whom have never told their own stories.

“I hope they’ll find the courage to share, even if it’s just with someone they love. Because their families want to know,” he said. “And if they don’t? Don’t worry about it. Tell it anyway.”

For more information on Vietnam: Survival There and Home or to purchase a copy, contact Greg Gorrell directly or attend the signing event at Hot Shots Shooting Center on May 3, beginning at 10 a.m.