What People Are Saying aboutMy Tour in Hell
“Powell describes his tour in Vietnam with the Marines in great detail which sets the stage for his personal journey home with all the painful memories and problems that surface with someone who has gone to hell and come back to tell about it.
“His autobiographical work is a must read for veterans who remain stuck between two worlds—the physical reality of civilian life while the psychological, emotional and spiritual life remain on the battlefield half a world away. Healing is painful but so necessary to reintegrate those two worlds into one. Healing is not forgetting; healing is making sense of the past in order to live life in the present with a restored hope for the future. Powell articulates this process very well and has given a tremendous gift to the combat veteran community of any generation.”
Father Philip G. Salois, M.S.
Founder, International Conference of War Veteran Ministers
(formerly the National Conference of Viet Nam Veteran Ministers)
National Chaplain, Vietnam Veterans of America
“The connection of David's problems in his current life and his Viet Nam experiences is one of the clearest descriptions of how trauma affects our lives I have ever read.My Tour in Hell is a tribute to David's unwillingness to give up on himself in the face of great unhappiness.”
—Laura W. Groshong, LICSW (Seattle, WA)
“Years in combat zones, group psychotherapy with combat vets diagnosed with PTSD and TIR training qualifies me to recommend this book.My Tour in Hell attests to David's journey from the boundary of a Marine grunt's PTSD despair to the horizon of integration, risk, and new meaning. Those in the helping professions will learn how the negative emotional ‘charge’ of trauma can be partially or totally eliminated through the adept facilitation of Traumatic Incident Reduction.”
—Sister Kateri Koverman, LISW, ICDC
“Powell presents a brutally honest and riveting account of one man's descent into the dehumanizing realities of war. However, the journey is worth it to relive his dramatic ascension and redemption from the abyss through the life changing, powerful, and therapeutic techniques of Traumatic Incident Reduction.”
— Rev. James W. Clifton, LCSW, PhD
“Powell begins and ends with hope, and with a method that helped him to finally, and fully, resolve the many traumas he endured. He gives the reader a litany of incidents of trauma, and shows how the whole context of the battlefields, surrounding regions, and finally even home comes under the cloud of a hell many men and women shared with him, a hell that is being created many thousands of times in modern times. The book deserves to be read by therapists, veterans, and their loved ones.”
—Rene Ely, M.Div., LMFT
“My Tour in Hell is an insightful insider's view of the traumatic events that occurred during the Vietnam War and the devastating after-effects that can follow. For those not familiar with the symptoms of PTSD, this was a vivid and clear view of how this disorder disrupts the lives of those who suffer from it untreated. Definitely a valuable read for anyone who works with this population or who have family or friends who are struggling with PTSD.”
—Kirsten Krohn, MFT
“Not every ex-soldier suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. The ones who do are the sensitive, caring people exposed to the brutalizing conditions of war. David Powell is one of these people, as becomes obvious to the reader of his book.
With young men and women currently exposed to danger in the Middle East, this veteran's story is relevant to today. With utter honesty and integrity, he shows the terrible effects of war. However, his story ends on a high note, because Traumatic Incident Reduction has finally allowed him to cope with the consequences.”
—Robert Rich, MSc, PhD, M.A.P.S., A.A.S.H.
“David Powell's book held my interest throughout the entire read. As a therapist working with US military, I was particularly intrigued by the therapeutic technique utilized and would love to have the opportunity for training. I was most impressed that the author did not present himself as totally recovered, but as functionally recovered with a new quality of life. I will definitely use the book with soldiers and family members.”
—Sally Wright, LMFT (Baumholder, Germany)
“This book provides a first-person account of how combat trauma evolves and is a testament to the power of Traumatic Incident Reduction.My Tour in Hell is an invaluable resource for working with combat trauma survivors.”
—Judy Bronson, PhD, NCC
“David's story demonstrating how possible it is for anyone who has suffered traumatic stress to have healing and recovery vis-à-vis Traumatic Incident Reduction. We plan to start an ‘Adopt a Veteran’ program so any Vet who wants a copy of your book can have sa
