Review: American Volunteers by Johnny Meyers

by Michael Meigs
Published on May 26, 2010

American Volunteers has the feeling of authenticity in the details -- the guy talk, the stress, the confusion of war, and the yearning for home. I just wish it were a better play.

The hero's aura that trails after the 27-year-old John Meyer looks to be authentic.  The man was an Army ranger -- no small accomplishment.  Only the toughest and most apt--men only--finish the 60-day training course at Ft. Benning, in the Georgia mountains and in the Florida swamps.   They are in constant physical training and in simulated combat operations, often functioning 20 hours a day.  The lore is that the stresses age these men prematurely.  Candidates …

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