‘These Baronowski-tapes are a real find ’…any radio producer would agree… ‘Having these tapes as raw material to work with: what a treasure! You just can’t go wrong with them’.
But that’s exactly the pitfall: ‘cause you could go very easily very wrong with them, turning them into a sentimental melodrama. Thank god, this didn’t happen with these tapes!!! And there lies the real treasure of this radio piece: in the sincere processing of the tapes and in Duffie’s unpretentious, down-to-earth recounting of ‘how it was’ and ‘what happened’. No manipulation of sentiments and emotions, no frills. It’s presented raw, sober, very realistically, very ‘simple’: here we were, two ordinary guys in an unordinary setting: fighting holes in a war zone.
Duffie and Baronowski are in tune with each other: Baronowski’s taped voice describing impressions, surroundings, thoughts, longings and Duffie looking back, reflecting, remembering their shared experiences in the Vietnam war. Two voices in symbioses, sometimes profound, sometimes wondering, sometimes even funny, but always real. Two voices connected, confronting the listener with a touching story.

What can I say? There is a reason why so many people love this piece, it's amazing. It's not the sound quality which isn't that great (but come on, 35 year-old magnetic tapes gathered in the wet jungles of Vietnam... it's amazing for that). But, there is no sound so personal as this piece. I am the foxhole with him. He's whispering in my ear.

Amazing. I've never accidentally used a hang grenade as a microphone.