The book's outreach spans enlisted men, noncommissioned officers, and commissioned officers, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served between the years of 1963-1973. Although some men felt more patriotic about their service than others, most of their experiences underline the fact that the Vietnam conflict was fought in disproportionate numbers by individuals without the political and social influence to 'skirt' the draft, a fact that has become well-publicized only now. "Used, manipulated," and "violated" was one veteran's assessment of his experience in being drafted and serving in the military (Terry 55). However, others became career soldiers, such as Sergeant Major Edgar Huff. Still others felt a sense of energy and purpose serving in Vietnam, and one of them, Manny Holloman even remembers his days as a soldier fondly, and misses his life in Vietnam. Manny even learned Vietnamese and married a Vietnamese woman, although he was forced to leave her behind after the Americans left Vietnam.

The fact that so few whites were willing to serve in the armed forces, and so many more African-Americans served in disproportionate numbers has one unintentionally positive effect -- more African-Americans rose to higher ranks in the service, as well as became politically mobilized for their fellow veterans upon returning home, such as one veteran who became active in the veteran's rights movement after the war. The experience of service gave many men a desire to become part of something larger than themselves, even if they resented the institutionalized racism of the military.

The book gets its title, Bloods, from the name many African-Americans called one another -- blood brothers -- because of the racism they faced from white soldiers within the American armed services. No matter what their background, African-Americans did share a common struggle because of the racism that was inflicted upon them as they gave their lives in such great numbers for their country abroad, even while they were denied their rights at home. However, this common experience of racism and the triumph of overcoming it must be honored by showing the unique ways black men dealt with their struggles, not by reducing their experience into a tale defined solely by race.