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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A tremendous book with two, true stories, 29 Nov 1998
By A Customer
There are two true stories in the book A Hundred Miles of Bad Road. The first one, being the subject of the book, is obvious and has been well-described in the many reviews of this excellent book. The second story is less obvious, but in my opinion, more important. It is a story of hope, not horror, of character, not carnage, of victory, not Vietnam. Dwight Birdwell was not raised in a "Leave It To Beaver" home or community. He was raised in poverty in a poor Cherokee community with poor school, jobs, and spirit, close to the Arkansas line, in far eastern Oklahoma. It was an environment where an ever-present, hopeless, dark fatalism was, for too many, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dreams of a better life were for fools or outlaws. It was the "mind-set" of crawdads caught in a bucket; not helping each other to escape, but pulling down those who tried. Jobs were hard, and minimum wage,or less, if they could be found. Many of the adult men were unemployed, or under-employed, and too many were hopeless drunks. Birdwell's own natural father was such a man; a cruel alcoholic who was an embarrassment, of which others, in a misery-loves-company environment, did not hesitate to remind young Birdwell. On top of all of these disadvantages, which many white children also faced,Birdwell also faced racism. Though not a full blood, Birdwell is a Cherokee, and he looks like an Indian. At the time Birdwell was raised, the chic whites had not yet declared that it was "cool" to be an Indian.(Whether the chic whites, many of whom I doubt have ever known an Indian, believe what they say today, or whether it is just "politically correct" lip service, may be questioned, but unquestionable is the fact that red-necks never got "the message"). Birdwell does not dwell on racism in the book. However, one has to wonder, if Birdwell had come from a good, all-white family, would he have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, instead of the Silver Star (awarded twice)? The second story in the book is a story of hope, dreams, determination, honor and courage.IT IS ALSO A STORY OF BEATING THE ODDS BY MAKING THE ODDS THROUGH HARDWORK BALANCED BY MORALITY. In short, it is the story of a pioneer who succeeded. Like all true pioneers, his destination-found was not a place on the map, but a state of mind, a set of beliefs: a philosophy of honor, character, perseverance, and hard work, all fully embraced, together with a strong faith in God. Contrary to what he had been told as a child would be his fate as an adult, Birdwell did not become a drunk or a welfare case number. After his military service, he went to college and graduated. He then went to law school where he graduated in the top 10% of his class. He married but once, and is still married. He has two children, both of whom are products of the marriage, and no others. He became a well-respected attorney, and, in service to his Cherokee people, the Chief Justice of the Cherokee Nation. Birdwell's story should be read by social workers, social scientists, and, most importantly, all in government who make social policy. The story should be TOLD, by adults, to all children living in poverty, regardless or their race or heritage, but especially Indian children living in poverty. [The language in the book is necessarily accurate, but too raw for children]. The book should also be read by, now-old, hippies who directly and indirectly attacked,personally, the men and women who served in the military, under the thin guise of attacking the government's policy. It is never too late to say "I'm sorry" or "thank you". I was not a hippy, but I say, to all of the men and women who served in Vietnam, "thank you".
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