Hellgate Press, 2000, $21.95, ISBN 1-55571-542-7, 221 pages

You wouldn't think the triumphant return of our soldiers from the Gulf War would be a time of angst. Tears of joy and parades of honor greeted their return, such a far cry from the Vietnam War reception. And yet, an uneasiness lurks beneath the veneer of high tech targeting, blitzkrieg movement, and overwhelming victory. War is, after all, war, and when the uncertainly of existence meets the horrors of the modern battlefield, a person's perception changes--sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. For the author, the Gulf War marked a considerable personal turning point, and The Unexpected Storm brings the often times painful memories of military service and its aftermath directly into your heart.

The book is a powerful memoir of his transition between peacetime and war, as he moves from civilian to Army Reserves to Gulf War Military Policeman and back again. Sure, it contains the pranks, comradery, and good natured vulgarity common to all soldiers. And yes, it offers brutal descriptions of weapon effectiveness in the wake of victorious advance. Yet interwoven into the anecdotes and events of wartime service resides a somber message about a quest for inner peace and his efforts to shape a traumatic slice of his life into something positive to pass along to his sons.

Manchester started his military career by joining the Reserves in high school, and even finished basic training before his senior year. He wanted to become a military policeman for a career in law enforcement. He reasoned that he would receive MP training, free tuition at any state school, and have a good resume--all for only a weekend a month and two weeks a year; with the proviso that he might be called up in times of emergency or war.

His first posting, the 636th, was a disaster--a unit of "fat sloppy drunks...it was miserable from the start and got worse with each passing month...the 636th failed every annual training and prided themselves on avoiding most duties." (p.8)

It was only after transferring to the 661st MP that he gradually started to enjoy the Reserves. He left college to become a correctional institution guard. And when the Gulf War started, one Sgt. Steven Manchester found himself called up for MP duty in the gulf.

"I fear for the lives of the friends who fill my squad. For six years, I've done nothing but screw around, but now my job isn't to make people laugh. My job is to keep each and every one of them alive. I know in the bottom of my heart that if one of my friends die, it'd be like tying a big cement albatross around my neck for the rest of my life." (p.66)

Steve Manchester tells his tale simply and powerfully, forming a powerful connection between reader and author. All the fears, anxiety, and nervousness filter through as you move with the unit farther and farther into Saudi Arabia and then Iraq. The smell of death is real behind the lines and Manchester conveys it with authority.

"As the 661st drove up the eastern border of Saudi Arabia, reality set in deeper with each mile passed. Located in the middle of the pack, Steve monitored the army radio and absorbed everything with his eyes. It wasn't easy. The vehicle in front was kicking up a hurricane of sand. Visibility was terribly limited. Keeping their course on the Main Supply Route, or MSR Black, The Dream Team [his platoon's nickname] closed the gap between themselves and the enemy--a million-man army. Danger lurked up ahead, and the entire platoon sensed it. It was evident through the nervous and unnecesary chatter on the radio." (p.102)

The next 70 or so pages deal with patrolling the rear areas, dodging land mines, witnessing death first hand, and observing a culture completely alien to western mores. Requisitioning water supplies, setting up a "market," struggling to save a girl crippled by a land mine, and facing his own mortality all meld into an eminently readable narrative of hell and hijinks of the rear areas.

It was on the plane ride home, with safety in front of him, that Manchester starts to observe and describe the changes occurring within himself.

"As he started back to his seat, he changed his mind and headed for the bathroom. It had been months since he had seen a toilet. He relieved himself in luxury, but as he washed his hands, he looked up and saw a strenge image in the mirror. The undeniable changes startled him. The baby face was gone. The chistled features of a man replaced it. The months of sweat, malnutrition, and hard living had taken their toll. He leaned in closer. The reflection of his tanned face looked unfamiliar. He gazed hard into his own eyes. They were tired and somewhat sunken, but there was more. There was something missing. As hard as he tried, he couldn't define it. After a few more long seconds, he gave up. It was time to get some rest." (p.175-6)

How he struggles with this legacy of war and ultimately becomes whole again brings his story to a fitting emotional conclusion. Perhaps it whisks by a tad too fast in the end, as if he wants to pass through the most painful part of his saga quickly. And perhaps his resolution is also all too miraculous, as if he should describe the process in as exacting and interesting detail as he had all the other significant events in his life. If so, it is only because the writing and story are so well done, you're left wanting more.

And that is the mark of an excellent memoir--where the author pulls you into his heart as well as his head. The Unexpected Storm is that kind of memoir and Manchester had done a superb job in bringing you into his own personal Gulf War legacy.