Marching to a Silent Tune

A TIMELY REMINDER FOR TODAY'S WORLD

Peace, not war, is the ultimate answer to human conflict.

Some people are called to stand up and say "Hell, No" to war, despite the personal cost.  Set against the backdrop of the turbulent 1960s, this remarkable memoir details the author's experience as a conscript in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.  Jerry Gioglio relates with compelling honesty his struggles to understand and embody his working-class , Catholic upbringing while responding to civil rights challenges, the military draft, and the dehumanizing aspects of military training.

This insightful book is relevant to all present and future civilians and members of armed forces throughout the world grappling with the very real questions of personal morality when it comes to involvement in making war... and building peace.

Marching to a Silent Tune is a childhood-to-young adult look at a complicated journey to social consciousness, civil liberties, war resistance, and peace activism within the social and military environment of the turbulent 1950s and 1960s. The book is relevant to all men and women grappling with the very real questions of personal morality when it comes to involvement in civil liberties, making war and in building peace. The Catholic Media Association awarded Marching to a Silent Tune Second Place in their 2023 Memoir Category.

Reviews

The Vietnam Veterans of America newspaper says, “This book is a worthwhile read—perhaps a necessary read.”

The Catholic Worker Newspaper calls it, " … an in-depth analysis of the ways in which military training is psychologically damaging…this work is another contribution to the building of a culture of peace."

Kirkus Reviews calls it “frank and enlightening …idiosyncratic.”

The Veteran, newspaper of The Vietnam Veterans Against the War writes, “Simply terrific” and “a building block in the foundation of the history of the Vietnam-era peace movement."

The late Deacon Tom Cornell wrote, “Every student, male and female, should read this book; their parents too.”
Religions for Peace Australia says it is, “insightful…an edifying account of the legal process [of conscientious objection] as well as the world of GI activists who took a stand against the war.”

Memoir Magazine writes, ”Your words and stories have touched us...We were impressed by your storytelling abilities and the passion you poured into [this] memoir.”

The Catholic Media Association has awarded Marching to a Silent Tune Second Place in their 2023 Memoir Category.

Amazon Reader Reviews include:

Sociologist Frances Moulder says:
[This] is a wonderful memoir about a young man's coming of age during the Vietnam War. It should be read by every young man… [or woman]…who has thought about joining the military. Gioglio's memoir is a page turner…that brings alive the context of the time, when so many individuals saw their lives blown off course by the winds of history.

Canadian author Margaret Joyce reports:
In highly distilled prose, [the author] describes his ethical conflicts and those of other conscripts. This memoir digs way deeper than into one soldier’s psyche: it goes to the very meaning of life itself. Its sacredness.

Vietnam Veteran Paul Nadas calls it:
A book of great significant…a singularly riveting account of the times. A magnificent memoir and a shining testimonial to one who…found the courage to say, ‘Hell , no! This may be a memoir of his time, but it is a message for all time.

Veteran and author Gregory Laxer writes:
Reading of Gioglio’s experiences will give anyone considering enlisting in the US military food for thought, and good reason to pause and reconsider.