Promises to Keep: One Young Man's Journey from Home, to California, to the Vietnam War

June, 1965. Young, idealistic Rick Simons breaks away from his childhood by leaving his Eastern Pennsylvania hometown on a bicycle, heading for the west coast. There, a series of steps leads him to the military, and later on to combat zones in Viet Nam.

This collection of Rick's letters, journal entries, and poetry, compiled by his mother after his death, give a glimpse into the mind of a young man growing and changing. Ever analytical, Rick works to make sense of his changing surroundings, to make his Swedenborgian faith his own, and to absorb the powerful feelings of falling in love.

Rick writes of his idealistic joys and his devastating depressions. In journal entries and letters, he diligently evaluates all that life brings to him. In beautiful poetry, he pours out the feelings that go beyond evaluation. Promises to Keep offers a slice of human experience during a troubled time in American history.