The Long Way Home — Pat Patterson

During his tour of duty in Vietnam, Billy (Georgia Boy) Ricks becomes an American hero. Not only does he save his Recon Marine squad from annihilation, but later Billy saves his Lieutenant from an attack by a disgruntled Black soldier in the aftermath of the Martin Luther King murder. When he returns to his family, however, Billy is not met with yellow ribbons tied around oak trees, but the harsh reality of unemployment.