Jim
AUTHOR

Jim "Doc" Purtell

Biographies & Memoirs
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Jim Purtell was born in Oshkosh, WI, one of twelve children, and spent his youth there. He joined the U.S. Army in 1967 and spent a year in Vietnam as a combat medic. When he completed military service he went to college on the GI Bill receiving a bachelors and masters degree. While going to college he played guitar in a musical duo and then following graduation he performed in this duo professionally for two years. Purtell moved to the East Coast in 1980 and began working for the Federal government in personnel and recruitment and then became a whistleblower investigator until he took an early retirement in 2002. Purtell also enjoyed a career in real estate sales and development. The author is also a songwriter and several of his songs he’s written or co-written have appeared in documentaries and indie films. In 2016, he finished his first book a memoir of his Vietnam War experience entitled Vietnam: There and Back - A Combat Medic’s Chronicle and released it in March 2018 through Hellgate Press. Purtell decided to blend his military service with his songwriting and in 2022 he wrote a new audiobook titled “Vietnam - Soldier Stories and Songs”. This book describes the stories behind the songs that are all related to the Vietnam War or the aftermath. There are songs about POW/MIAs, Agent Orange, combat, PTSD, homelessness, and stolen valor. The song PTSD was in a short film called “Taneycomo”. The book is also available on Amazon in paperback and an ebook with links to the songs.
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  • Vietnam cover art

    • Vietnam

    • There & Back: A Combat Medic's Chronicle
    • By: Jim "Doc" Purtell
    • Narrated by: Eric Martin
    • Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
    • Release date: 28-12-2018
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 2 ratings

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