PeaceWrites: 10 Weeks at Chanute

In 1992 an aimless young man decided to serve his country and joined the Air National Guard. To complete his training, he was sent to venerable Chanute Air Force Base in the flats of Illinois to learn how to turn wrenches on jet engines. It was a place brimming with history, a place he soon grew to love.

Soon thereafter, Chanute closed its doors forever, becoming a modern ruin in the years that followed, taking the young man's heart with it.

This humorous, witty and occasionally ribald memoir details the experience of one of the last Airmen to pass through the hallowed gates of Chanute Air Force Base, and how the experience haunts him to this very day.

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Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of anything surreal since childhood, he also has a passion for caving, urban archeology and architecture. His highly imaginative "League of Elder" book series is published by Loconeal Publishing

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10 weeks at Chanute is a fascinating and sympathetically written memoir. The reader follows a young man as he enters the military – specifically the American Air National Guard – and begins his training. The narrative tells of his many memories of his fellow trainees, his superiors, his classes, and also of Chanute, the base where it all takes place.

The author’s fondness for the base shines through the novel and the atmospheric descriptions enable the reader to imagine themselves there along with all the other personnel. Rich in emotional content, the prose then recounts the author’s return to the ruined base many years later, and relays his dismay at its state and his yearning for what used to be.

I am not generally a fan of memoirs but I found this one strangely appealing. I am a fan of the author’s sci fi/fantasy novels, so when he gifted me this book, I was more than happy to give it a try. I am glad I did. Insights into what makes authors tick are rare and privileged gifts, and I treasure this one.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys Ren Garcia's work, or simply likes military tales or memoirs.