9Long Slow Target chronicles the highs and lows of a former teacher making the transition from naïve civilian to the supply officer ("pork chop") of an aged ship tasked with sailing up and down the rivers of Vietnam. The welcome-aboard speech the ship's grizzled skipper gives to his shave-tail ensign says it all:

"We don't do spit and polish well on the Fat Lady. We're slow as molasses in January and easier to hit than the broadside of a barn-from the inside! Half of our equipment is down hard, and the other half has been patched up three times over. As far as money goes, we always suck hind teat. But without our dirty little ship, nothing would get done in this godforsaken country. In 'Nam, nasty comes in all shapes and sizes, and I'm here to tell you that hauling our butts around the Delta, we've seen our fair share of nasty."