The Boys of Milo

Kids that grew up in the small southern Iowa town of Milo truly had a walk in the park during their childhood. There was so much to enjoy during those tender years as Little Leaguers, Boy Scouts, high school athletes, or members of the school band. Hunting and fishing with friends occupied nearly every weekend and filled those treasured moments with unforgettable memories.

That all changed when America became involved in the Vietnam War, and the boys of Milo were called to join the military. Soon to be lost would be the innocence of their youth. From 1960 to 1975, nearly two-thirds of the young men from this tightly knit community departed their tranquil town and became soldiers. Many served overseas to include Southeast Asia. Some did not return home. Many came back with visible battle scars and Purple Hearts pinned on their chest. Many returned with hidden wounds, buried deep within their soul that haunted them for years.

The Boys of Milo is a true account of the events that impacted these young men on their journey to far-flung parts of the United States and the world during an exceedingly difficult time in American history. Some of their stories are humorous, others are so gripping they defy believability. All, however, are true accounts as now told by old men. Their stories allow those who knew them to remember and for all to understand them.

Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy: but when times are bad, consider God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

— Ecclesiastes 7:13–15