âNo heroes, everyone did their part, and everyone was scared to death.â
They are the words of soldier Mark W. Harms in 1968, summing up his combat experience during the Vietnam War. His stunning letter home is just one of hundreds featured in this unforgettable collection, Letters from Vietnam. In these affecting pages are the unadorned voices of men and women who foughtâand, in some cases, fellâin Americaâs most controversial war. They bring new insights and imagery to a conflict that still haunts our hearts, consciences, and the conduct of our foreign policy.
Here are the early days of the fight, when adopting a kitten, finding gold in a stream, or helping a local woman give birth were moments of beauty amid the brutality . . . shattering first-person accounts of firefights, ambushes, and bombings (âI know I will never be the same Joe.ââMarine Joe Pais) . . . and thoughtful, pained reflections on the purpose and progress of the entire Southeastern Asian cause (âAll these lies about how weâre winning and what a great job weâre doing . . . Itâs just not the same as WWII or the Korean War.â âLt. John S. Taylor.)
Here, too, are letters as vivid as scenes from a filmâBrenda Rodgersâs description of her wedding to a soldier on the steps of Saigon City Hall . . . Airman First Class Frank Pilsonâs recollection of President Johnsonâs ceremonial dinner with the troops (âHe looks tired and worn outâhis is not an easy jobâ) . . . and, perhaps most poignant, Emil Spadaforaâs beseeching of his mother to help him adopt an orphan who is a villageâs only survivor (âThis boy has nothing, and his future holds nothing for him over here.â)
From fervent patriotism to awakening opposition, Letters from Vietnam captures the unmistakable echoes of this earlier era, as well as timeless expressions of hope, horror, fear, and faith.