Lochlin WalkerRobert Lochlin Loch Walker, born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, was drafted and sent to Vietnam in late 1968. When he returned to the States, he attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte until his GI Bill benefits ran out, afte which he worked at a series of relatively menial jobs as he devoted himself to reading, writing, and living life the way he chose. Loch Walker was a thoughtful man with a gentle spirit and a wry sense of humor. After his return from Vietnam he lived with no car or telephone and loved to ride his bike, walk, visit with friends, backpack in the mountains, smoke his pipe (filled with legal and illegal substances), and above all read and write. He lived life with humility, warmth, acceptance and integrity. On the night of October 1, 1987, Loch was walking home from his job in the maintenance department of a local arts center when a group of young men accosted and shot him, leaving him to bleed to death on the corner of one of Charlotte's main streets. When friends entered his small, book-lined apartment the next day, they found on his desk two collections of poetry and the manuscript of a novel. The poetry was edited and published as a chapbook, Musings While Adrift, soon after his death. Two of his poems reflecting his time in Vietnam were merged and are now inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial in downtown Charlotte. This novel reflects Loch's sensibility with respect to the military, his fellow soldiers, Vietnam and the Vietnamese people. The manuscript needed major editing and the effort to accomplish that has taken over 30 years of episodic efforts. Its publication brings Loch's voice back to those who knew him and out to those who did not have that privilege. Read More Read Less