Free Downloads Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam
A re-living of the war in Vietnam through actual letters from American G.I.s in Vietnam to their families, friends and loved ones. Ties in to the March '88 HBO Films motion picture with an all-star cast including Tom Berenger, Kathleen Turner and Robert DeNiro. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Hardcover: 316 pages
Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 1st edition (April 1985)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393019985
ISBN-13: 978-0393019988
Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #209,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #140 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Military > Vietnam War #234 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > Asia #320 in Books > History > Military > United States > Vietnam War
This book consists of letters written by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. It's extremely heart-breaking to read these letters as they gives "voices" instead of a mere figure. A lot of times, the figure of how many were killed, wounded, missing, etc but it does not portray any "emotions" the soldiers felt. At the end of each letter, the editor includes a few sentences on what happened to the author. It's extremely sad to read how many of those killed were just 19 year-olds, 20 year-olds, and these soldiers were just kids! It makes you think how wasteful, stupid, unnecessary wars are, and the sacrifices that has to be made.The last chapter of this book speaks a lot. It is chronologically listed and you can see the evolving sentiments of the soldiers. At the beginning of the war, the soldiers were proud to fight against the Communists, how they think the war will be over soon. Towards the end of that chapter, most soldiers were scared, depressed and just wanted to get out of the war... alive! This shows why many Vietnam War veterans suffered from postwar depression as the horror of the war, how their friends, buddies were killed or wounded in front of their own eyes and how many could not possibly forget these horrifying images.I highly recommend this book as this book speaks a lot. To me, the important message that it is trying to convey is the unnecessary sacrifices that these soldiers have to make, to fight a war that is not theirs, and the horror and bloodiness of the war is vividly described by these soldiers.
I still remember the day I walked into my college's library back in the late 1980s and saw this publication sitting on the table of new releases. I picked it up and headed for a couch. About six hours, many tears, mixed emotions, and several missed classes later I emerged from that couch and put the completed book back on the table. In those six hours my view about the Vietnam experience and those who fought it changed. The words of those soldiers in their letters are powerful evidence of the collision between innocence and experience that takes place when young men are thrust into battle.This book should be required reading for all students of that war and required reading for every President who ever contemplates sending soldiers into battle.
Of all the books I have read none have touched me this much. It is powerful because it is real. These are real stories, real feelings, real lives. This book will keep you up all night just thinking.
In 1986, I found this book. As I opened up the book and read the introduction by Mayor Ed Koch of New York City, I experienced a strong emotional reaction. In his intro, he talked about how the Vietnam Veteran had been forgotten and of New York's intent to build a memorial project honoring Vietnam Veterans. Have returned from Vietnam in 1967, I spend almost 20 years before ever hearing a single "thank you" from anybody, outside my family. Major Koch words touched a nerve in me and I felt ....a weight lifted off me. I bought the book and until finding this book I had been unable to read a single word about Vietnam. I did not want to read the political interpretation, the re-writes of opinion and history. I wanted to connect to the most profound experience of my life....and I had no outlet to do that.WIth this book, I could read stories, I could read nothing with agenda's. I could read about experiences familiar to me, I could read them through tears and pain, and gratitude. For the first time in over 20 years.This book, the first that seem to say to us guys..."Hey, you did a good job and we , America, appreciates you" was a watershed for me. It felt goodFinally, the Vietnam experience was out of the closet. This book, was the beginning.I will never forget this book.
Got this for my history class at Penn State University. I'm normally not into books but this is a very powerful book with real letters and stories from Vietnam. Very sad letters in here to family and lovers from both survivors and deceased soldiers of the war. If you are a war/history buff, I would highly recommend reading this book. It's pretty moving. I have a new found respect for the veterans of Vietnam after reading parts of this book.
This book is one of the hardest books I have ever had to read. To know some of these men would never return home and to read emotional letters home to their girlfriends, parents and friends, made reading very hard with tears in my eyes. As a VietNam veteren I could relate to some of those feelings expressed in the letters.
I wasn't really sure how I was going to like this book as it's not a typical story li e, but once I started reading it, I fell in love. Listening to the individual stories of varying experiences in Vietnam. I love how that the author gives information on what happened to these soldiers both in combat and after. Of course, reading about those that didn't make it is heart breaking. It's such a monumental piece of American History and it kills me to know how poorly these young men were treated after they came home. As a veteran of an equally unpopular war, Operation Enduring Freedom, I feel that the Nam Vets really set the precedent for how not to treat soldiers. Thank you to every man and woman who served their country during this awful war. Your sacrifices will forever be appreciated. Thank you.
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