Word of Honor is the fifth major novel by American writer Nelson DeMille and the first which involves the Vietnam War. It was originally published in 1985 by Warner Books. Time Magazine referred to it as "The Caine Mutiny of the 80s", while Publishers Weekly stated that it is comparable to the classic but has "wider implications". The novel covers broad themes associated with war, crime and punishment, culpability of leaders, guilt, justice, honor, and the Vietnam War.
The novel centers on a Vietnam veteran, Benjamin Tyson, who has made a great life for himself after serving as a lieutenant in the war. An investigative journalist uncovers a possible massacre similar to My Lai committed by Tyson's platoon in 1968. This sets off a series of events that affects Tyson's life. The Army seeks punishment while the public is conflicted. Complex issues of Tyson's culpability arise as DeMille slowly reveals more detail surrounding what really happened. The novel blends intense and accurate Vietnam War flashbacks with "intelligent and highly charged courtroom melodrama".
Characters
Benjamin Tyson – The main protagonist of the novel. He is in his 40s and is a successful executive. He is humorous, cynical, intelligent, caring, and honorable. He is more conservative than his liberal wife. Tyson served as an infantry platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division and fought in Vietnam. Marcy McClure Tyson – Ben's wife. In the late 60s, she was a poster child for the liberal peace movement. David Tyson – Ben's 16-year-old son. Andrew Picard – The writer of "Hue: Death of a City," the book that illustrates the Misericorde Hospital Massacre and assigns blame on Ben Tyson, himself a veteran of the Marine Corps in Hue. Karen Harper – The officer assigned by the Army to investigate whether charges should be brought against Ben Tyson. While performing her job, however, she begins to like Tyson. Colonel Pierce – The main prosecutor attempting to convict Tyson of murder. Colonel Sproule – The judge of the Tyson court martial. Steven Brandt – The medic in Tyson's platoon in Vietnam. Richard Farley – One of the members of Tyson's platoon. He testifies against Tyson. Colonel Gilmore – He presides over Tyson's article 32 investigation hearing (pre-trial hearing). Vincent Corva – Tyson's defense attorney. John McCormick – Tyson's neighbor. Tyson first finds out about Picard's book from seeing him read it. Colonel Levin – Adjutant of the post that Tyson is ordered to stay at when he is recalled to duty.
Plot
Part One: Chapters 1–14
Ben Tyson finds and reads excerpts from Hue: Death of a City, a recently published book by Andrew Picard about the Battle of Hue during the Vietnam War. The book highlights an incident similar to the My Lai massacre and is based on information provided to Picard from two men in Tyson's platoon and from a nun who escaped the incident. It names Tyson as the leader of the platoon, which is shot at as it approaches a hospital, suffering one fatality and two injuries. According to the book, a doctor at the hospital refuses to help one of the American soldiers because his condition is too bad; after an American soldier shoots the doctor and others are killed in the hospital, chaos ensues and, according to Picard, the platoon decides to kill all the witnesses (everyone in the hospital). The book never mentions names except Tyson's, stating that he was the platoon lieutenant.
Tyson researches his possible options and learns that a platoon leader can be held accountable for the actions of his men if he should have anticipated them or possibly if he knew of them and did not report them. In this case, the charge would have to be murder since the statute of limitations ran out on other possible charges. Tyson tells his wife, Marcy, of the book and has her read it. He does not deny what the book charges, saying that on the whole it is accurate. Marcy is a liberal, was very active in the 1960s anti-war movement, and is somewhat skeptical of her husband's actions but still supports him.
The Tysons' social life begins to take a hit and the tabloids begin to focus first on Ben and second on Marcy. A famous picture of a nude Marcy which was first printed in Life in the 1960s is reprinted. Tyson is visited by Chet Brown, a mysterious high-level agent, who advises and warns him to play fair and not attack the Army, thereby further dirtying Vietnam and America's role in it. He also learns that the Army is looking into assigning him active orders again so that they will be able to court-martial him for murder.