Approaching Veterans Day, many contemplate those service personnel that gave their time, their health and sometimes their lives for the sake of others. RPL is hosting the Ken Burns documentary special on the Vietnam War, screening episodes on Wednesdays and Saturdays through December. There are also local veterans photograph and memorabilia displays throughout the library evoking thought specifically about the Vietnam War. With these daily reminders of a time in American History that is confusing and only recently being openly discussed, the library provides resources that inform, reminisce and celebrate.
For a short, well-written introduction to the history of the complicated chain of events that led to the Vietnam War, pick up "The Origins of Conflict in the Vietnam War" in the YA series Vietnam War. With myriad pictures and QR codes that bring up YouTube videos of news and war footage, it is an excellent way to absorb the convoluted reasons why the US ends up in the war that was eventually so divisive. Those of us who were young or not yet born during the Vietnam War may not realize that the origins of the war go back to the mid-1800s and colonialism.
For more in-depth information about the war, take a look at the new Smithsonian "The Vietnam War: The Definitive Illustrated History." This treasure trove provides timelines back to 1959 along with maps, short bios of important figures, a look at weapons and gear from the many factions involved in the fighting. The book examines the differing groups of Vietnamese, including the mountain tribes of Vietnam, the Montagnards, and their relationship with the Green Berets. Separate sections include the importance of air power, the experience of the African American soldier, general chemical warfare, and specific battles. The authors look at the effects of the war on Laos and Cambodia, the North and South Vietnamese, the Americans as well as a providing a section examining the aftermath of the war and the future of the area into the 21st Century.
"Enduring Vietnam" by James Wright, while containing an overview of the war itself, is poignant for the stories of soldiers, nurses, chaplains and crew members woven into the text. Wright points out ways in which this war was different from previous wars. There was no "safe" ground, land that would stay under the control of the US, to bury soldiers even temporarily, so most where shipped home. Information about troops, political scenarios back in the US, and food production in Vietnam for the army, are mixed in with stories of soldiers. Moving accounts of nurses who held dying soldiers or the marine who sang Swing Low, Sweet Chariot as his friends carried him toward transport knowing he would not make it, are shared. The reader learns not all servicemen were reluctant to go to Vietnam; nine young men from a town in Arizona volunteered for the marines together; six of them died. The unsung heroes are remembered here.
"Tears of a Warrior" by Janet and Anthony [Tony] Seahorn shares the experiences of a combat Vietnam veteran (Tony) who has PTSD and how his family had to learn to cope with his combat experience. The book is designed both to explain PTSD and assist others. The initial section of the book shares Seahorn's time in Vietnam with further sections describing how PTSD affects others, coping and existing in relationships and developing support systems.
For more on detailed experiences there are many other resources "Legend" by Eric Blehm about the rescue of a Special forces team from behind enemy lines, Bowden's "Hue 1968" about the turning point for the Americans in the Vietnam War or Albracht and Wolf's "Abandoned in Hell" relating the five-day siege fought by Americans and Montagnard soldiers for Firebase Kate in 1969 and finally the accompanying book for Ken Burns "The Vietnam War" documentary.
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