Books by VFP Members

VFP is especially rich in authors, as the list below shows. Most of these books can be purchased from the Veterans For Peace "bookshelf" at Powells Books.

VFP will receive a 7.5% rebate on any books purchased through this link.

*(Books in this list are sorted by the author's last name)

	Angers, Trent - The Forgotten Hero of My Lai This is the story of three remarkable young men who stopped the massacre of March 16, 1968 carrying out orders to "kill everything," risking their own lives and reputations and withstanding incredible pressures to permit the official report to remain unquestioned. Robert Maples, Harry Stanley and several others on the ground simply refused with the words, "I ain’t killin’ no women and children," in support of Hugh Thompson, Larry Colburn, and twenty-year old Glenn Andreotta of the helicopter crew. Restitution for senseless deaths is never really possible under such circumstances, but the remnant may redeem the whole. Trent Angers is a veteran journalist who has authored thousands of published news and feature stories, as well as three books, in a writing and editing career that has spanned four decades.
	Asner, Ed - Misuse of Power: How the Far Right Gained and Misuses Power Asner, Ed and Burt Hall Press Release: August 26, 2005: Mayhaven Publishing announces the release of the new Ed Asner and Burt Hall Book. Bios: Ed Asner is one of the most honored actors in the history of television. Mr. Asner has consistently served and committed himself to the rights of the working performer in addition to advocating for human rights, world peace, environmental preservation and political freedom. Burt Hall was formerly Group Director (analyst) for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Harvard University. At the GAO he became an expert in the procurement field and was instrumental in creating the Truth in Negotiations Act, the modernized and unified federal procurement statute and the initial government-wide policy on acquisition of major weapon systems.
	Barkley, Gary - Shared Sacrifice: Don't Ask Don't Tell & The Global War On Terror America's core principles are being destroyed in the name of the Global War on Terror. Fear is our government's weapon of choice in this war-and it is being used against the American people. We have an out of control and cowardly government determined to undermine everything that generations of Americans have fought and died for. It is time for all Americans to band together to retake our country. Politicians need to be taught the lesson that We the People are really in charge here. Liberty requires sacrifice, and every American needs to stand up and be heard to force our government to recognize our commitment to liberty and the rule of law. Anyone interested in prying the American homeland from the stranglehold of corporate greed and political corruption will find this book informative and entertaining. If we can come together as a country, we can solve every problem that arises, natural or man-made; and defeat any enemy, foreign or domestic. We can do this, but it will take all of us working together. We're supposed to be the good guys. We are the good guys. It's time we start acting like it again. Gary Barkley served a one-year tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a lieutenant with U.S. Army Civil Affairs, holding the position of Operations Officer for the Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mosul, Iraq. He holds degrees in Economics and Accounting from Utah State University and lives in Salt Lake City.
	Berman, Dave - We Do Not Consent I live in Humboldt County, CA, fertile ground for peaceful revolution. This blog was launched to accommodate the larger audience I have found through the success of my last blog, GuvWurld and the compilation of postings it spawned as my book, We Do Not Consent. You can read Dave Berman's second volume, "We Do Not Consent: Advocacy Journalism for Peaceful Revolution" online.
	Bonpaine, Blase - Guerillas of Peace, Liberation Liberation Theology and the Central American Revolution I'd often wondered how the phenomena of "Liberation Theology" came about. Until I read "Guerillas of Peace" , I had only inferential clues from readings about South and Central America to go on. I had no idea how revolutionary the concept, in personal, theological and social terms. "Liberation Theology" arose, in a spasm of revulsion, to declare that the church's tendency to side with the rich and the powerful was, in point of biblical fact, un-Christian. Blasé Bonpane carries us through the period, the early sixties through the eighties, when "Liberation Theology" defined itself and manifested, along with the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, the struggles in El Salvador and elsewhere. He shows it to be a creation of people of conscience from all levels of society. In a personal and a passionate accounting he carves away the crust of conditioning we Americans received about the scourge of "Godless" Communism and Socialism. We come to know the spiritual bond that exists between all those who, Christ-like, if you will, put their lives on the line for peace through justice. Reviewed by Woody Powell
	Brinkley, Douglas - Tour of Duty Historian Douglas Brinkley's insightful Tour of Duty covers John Kerry's heroic Vietnam service (where he won the Silver and Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts) and the fervent antiwar campaign it eventually spawned. Though equally obsessed and repulsed by the burgeoning Vietnam conflict, Kerry's sense of duty led him to enlist in the Navy (after graduating Yale), and then volunteer for training as captain of a Swift boat (small aluminum vessels that patrolled the coastal waters and narrow, dangerous tributaries of Vietnam's massive Mekong delta). Those harrowing months only deepened Kerry's antipathy to the war, and he returned to become one of the most articulate leaders of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
	Brockman, James - Romero: A Life A sensitive biography of the 1980 assassination of the archbishop of San Salvador. Contains a very complete set of endnotes. This is an update of Brockman's The Word Remains: A Life of Oscar Romero ( LJ 12/1/82), his earlier biography of El Salvador's martyred archbishop. LJ 's reviewer called that book an "insightful account of the situation in Central America"; this updated edition has been released in conjunction with the Paulist Pictures film Romero , starring Raul Julia.
	Burkins, Lee - Soldier's Heart: An Inspirational Memoir and Inquiry of War As I get older, I feel the desire to pass along any possible wisdom to those I hold dear. Since I have difficulty communicating my experiences from Vietnam, I selfishly am glad that Lee Burkins wrote "Soldier's Heart" so I can have an easy way of "passing on" this influential part of my life. Of the 40 or 50 books on the Vietnam War that I have read, "Solder's Heart" is at the top. For me it was as personal and emotional work of literature as I have read. I do not always trust my first impressions, so I went back and reread parts of the book a couple weeks after the first reading. It was more emotional the second time. The book is a memoir of Lee's life before, during, and after Vietnam. It works well from a literary standpoint, because it does an excellent job of interweaving the different people that are Lee Burkins-the fresh innocent boy, the seasoned warrior, the trip wire vet, and the vet who has found peace. Review written by Paul Appell
	Butler, Phillip - Three Lives of a Warrior Few men have literally been blown out of the sky and lived to tell about it. If you can call being starved, beaten and otherwise tortured living. But not only did Phil Butler survive, he came out of the experience a new man...a war hero, a loving husband, a warrior for peace and justice. Now he is telling his story, a compelling tale about becoming a warrior, from the seeds of his childhood in Oklahoma, the tempering of his character as a POW for 2855 days and nights, and his conscious growth when he returned to the United States. Phil Butler's story is not only interesting, it is instructive; he defines a path for the willing and the courageous. No, a man - or a woman - doesn't have to be tortured to be a warrior and it doesn't even always help. But most people who would evolve to that higher level do so after confronting great demons and daunting tasks. Phil Butler's account of his journey is part road map, part history, and always an engaging tale.
	Caplan, Paula - When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home: How All of Us Can Help Veterans Traumatized veterans returning from our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are often diagnosed as suffering from a psychological disorder and prescribed a regimen of psychotherapy and psychiatric drugs. But why, asks psychologist Paula J. Caplan in this impassioned book, is it a mental illness to be devastated by war? What is a mentally healthy response to death, destruction, and moral horror? In When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home, Caplan argues that the standard treatment of therapy and drugs is often actually harmful. It adds to veterans' burdens by making them believe wrongly that they should have "gotten over it"; it isolates them behind the closed doors of the therapist's office; and it makes them rely on often harmful drugs. The numbers of traumatized veterans from past and present wars who continue to suffer demonstrate the ineffectiveness of this approach. Sending anguished veterans off to talk to therapists, writes Caplan, conveys the message that the rest of us don't want to listen—or that we don't feel qualified to listen. As a result, the truth about war is kept under wraps. Most of us remain ignorant about what war is really like—and continue to allow our governments to go to war without much protest. Caplan proposes an alternative: that we welcome veterans back into our communities and listen to their stories, one-on-one. (She provides guidelines for conducting these conversations.) This would begin a long overdue national discussion about the realities of war, and it would start the healing process for our returning veterans.
	Carney, Janice Josephine - Purple Hearts and Silver Stars In 1996 I celebrated a year of sobriety and began a journey of rebirth. That year I developed confidence in myself that previously I never experienced. I took my personal collection of notes, diaries, and tapes from my year in Vietnam and begin to organize them into a book. In 1997 I completed the manuscript and titled it One Heart One Mind: one man's memoir of a t our of Vietnam. The book not only dealt with my year in Vietnam but with the emotional cost of the war on my soul and psyche. With assistance from Jonathan Shay M.D., Ph.D., the author of Achilles in Vietnam (a book about combat trauma and the undoing of character), I tried unsuccessfully to get my book published. In 1998 I legally changed my name from John Joseph to Janice Josephine and my writing now included transgender issues. I felt that I had come to terms with my trauma from the Vietnam War, and I was ready to move on.
	Convoy, Thomas - Deconstructing America's War Culture Constructing America's War Culture provides a cultural analysis of how the images of the war in Iraq have been influenced and packaged by the media to construct a narrative of war, the Bush Presidency, the fear of terrorism, and the changing global attitudes toward America and American aggression. Thomas Conroy is a Professor in the Communication Department at Castleton State College, Vermont. He teaches various courses in communication including Mass Media and Society, Media History, Public Relations, and special topics courses that frequently focus on cultural representations of war. A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Tom served with an Army medical unit in Vietnam during the war and has worked for various veterans' organizations including the Northampton Veteran's Administration, where he promoted horticulture therapy. He is a member of Veterans for Peace. Tom received a B.S. in Public Relations from Boston University, a B.A. in Communication, an M.A.
	Cooper, Donald M. - C Trick Anyone who has ever read a book about life in the military knows the ingredients: young men, alcohol, sex, boredom, and a cynical distaste for the decidedly undemocratic lifestyle of the armed forces. All these are present in abundance in "C Trick," a collection of anecdotes and incidents involving the men of the Army Security Agency's top-secret Field Station Berlin during the Vietnam era. Some stories are outrageous, some are touching, but anyone who has spent time in uniform will identify with many of the personages and the situations in which they find themselves. The creative nonfiction work offers a vivid glimpse into the experiences of the men who were on the front lines of the Cold War. "C Trick" is a Cold War book for the common man and the casual reader, not a lengthy, heavily footnoted history text produced by a professor, retired general or former diplomat. It is a fly-on-the-wall observation of what the enlisted men - or at least the ones on C Trick - thought about duties and military authority while they were stationed in West Berlin, the hottest spot of the Cold War. The men of C Trick were a close-knit group. They were a scruffy, unruly, profane bunch who painted figurative targets on authority figures, but they had their standards. The author created a plethora of characters - Bessie "Ma" Raines, the offensive mess sergeant who scared the men into eating elsewhere. And, there's Dirty Joe, Chief, Fang, Hairy Ranger, Rock Weed, Rapid Roger, Doc, Duck and Grumpy John.
	Devore, John - Sitting in the Flames: Uncovering Fearlessness to Help Others A combat veteran's story about his journey from trained killer to a work-in-process peaceful warrior, who has uncovered the strength and courage to help others. It is generous in its scope, insightful in its clarity, and bravely compassionate in its intention. Ellen Tanner Marsh, New York Times best selling author, remarks, "Beautifully told, DeVore's book is an important and unforgetable addition to the literature of Vietnam...Above all, this is a finely rendered and heartfelt account of one man's inner journey to peace." About the Author John graduated from West Point with a BS degree, earned an MA in Religious Studies from Naropa University, and an MBA and a PhD in Human Communication Studies from the University of Denver. He served eight years in the United States Army, including two years of combat during the Vietnam War. His decorations include the Combat Infantryman's Badge, three Bronze Stars, two Air Medals, three Vietnamese Galantry Crosses, and a Vietnamese Staff Medal of Honor. He is now a retired corporate executive.
	Dionisi, David - American Hiroshima American Hiroshima presents ideas for individuals and policymakers to defeat terrorists, strengthen America's democracy, and establish the United States as a global force for peace. American Hiroshima makes the case for a new way of thinking to solve existing conflicts and prevent future ones. A key lesson from September 11, 2001 is billions of dollars spent on the military and intelligence services did not stop nineteen people with box cutters. American Hiroshima highlights why we are fooling ourselves and ignoring the reasons why these attacks took place when we think that increasing defense spending, starting wars in the Middle East, and reforming the intelligence services will make the United States safe from terrorists. Unless the root causes of terror are addressed, Americans will experience terrorist attacks many times worse than 9/11. What can be done to get the United States back on track? Fortunately, American Hiroshima offers an innovative and exciting proposal for a brighter future for the United States.

Dionisi, David - American Hiroshima
American Hiroshima presents ideas for individuals and policymakers to defeat terrorists, strengthen America's democracy, and establish the United States as a global force for peace.
American Hiroshima makes the case for a new way of thinking to solve existing conflicts and prevent future ones. A key lesson from September 11, 2001 is billions of dollars spent on the military and intelligence services did not stop nineteen people with box cutters. American Hiroshima highlights why we are fooling ourselves and ignoring the reasons why these attacks took place when we think that increasing defense spending, starting wars in the Middle East, and reforming the intelligence services will make the United States safe from terrorists. Unless the root causes of terror are addressed, Americans will experience terrorist attacks many times worse than 9/11.
What can be done to get the United States back on track? Fortunately, American Hiroshima offers an innovative and exciting proposal for a brighter future for the United States.

Drinkwine, Al - Sharing Arms

Is violence an addiction? Al Drinkwine shares insights into his family, military and work experiences, and life in general, as a way to illustrate the potential for violence. Sharing Arms provides insights into various aspects of society which need addressing, as Drinkwine provides steps to address them as well as a pathway out of violent life styles. Please click here to order the book from Trafford Publishing

Drury, Butch - A Different Kind of Sentinel

Because the way to establish this new order on earth between the animal kingdom and the spiritual realm has remained as elusive to mankind as the so-called "missing link", the author is overcome by a compulsion to find it. As his book, A Different Kind of Sentinel, so aptly shows, he doesn't find the way until he is forced to return to the interior of his being, to play with those parts of his personality which have yet to evolve.

As the story unfolds, it is through his dreams that the author learns of his true vocation in life. Confused yet, as to where to go from here, he starts by keeping a journal. Through his first entry into the realm of the imagination as a writer, does he encounter those aspects of himself with which he had lost contact--his soul, a monk, and an old man.

Eriksen, Marcus - My River Home

One August day, veteran Marcus Eriksen set off on a journey down the entire length of the great Mississippi River on a homemade raft kept afloat by 232 empty soda bottles, recycled junk, and a dose of ingenuity. Though he had never made such a trip before-2,000 miles from Lake Itssca, Minnesota, past his childhood home near New Orleans, to the Gulf of mexico-he had dreamed of doing it over a decade earlier, while serving amid sandstorms and oil fires in Kuwait as a marine in the Gulf War. While struggling against a river with an unpredictable personality, Eriksen recounts a personal shift from proud soldier to self-destructive veteran to engaged activist protesting the injustices of the Iraq War. Startlingly honest and warm with affection for the people he meets, in My River Home Eriksen explains, through his own story, the allure of the military, the tragedy of modern war, and the courage it takes to fulfill a dream.

Ferner, Mike Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran For Peace Reports from Iraq

Mike Ferner, a peace activist and journalist from Ohio, traveled to Baghdad twice, once just before the U.S. invasion in March 2003 and once again a year later. He provides a rare inside look into the daily life of Iraqis before and after the war as well as a collective profile of segments of the contemporary American peace movement that has thus far been hidden from public view. These stories have been gathered on the dusty streets of Baghdad and from tiny farming villages in the Sunni Triangle. We meet activists who are unarmed, trained civilians who put their bodies in between rival factions to promote peace, sitting in front of tanks and bulldozers and fasting in the desert on the Iraq-Kuwait border shortly before 130,000 U.S. troops invaded in 2003. We also are given an unvarnished view of everyday people in Iraq--cab drivers, an unemployed engineer, a newspaper editor, farmers in a rural village--all living their lives as normally as possible in the cauldron their country has become. The humanity of the people in these stories will resonate with people of all political persuasions because they go beyond the portrayal of Iraqis we're used to seeing in the news--as casualties, victims, grieving parents, and shell-shocked children. Instead, when Ferner gave presentations upon his return from Iraq, the comment he most often heard was, "These people are just like us. They're just like people we know."

Freeman, Jeffrey, Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve Retired - Wrong Enemy, Wrong War

Wrong, Enemy, Wrong War is set against a fictional conflict with Iraq in 1996-97 but with real life potential conseauences. Jeff served the Army for thirty-three years, active and Reserve duty, spanning five decades. He draws heavily on his thirteen years inside the Pentagon for this drama, including 2003-200, when he was recalled from retirement to assist in the research for the Joint Staff history of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Franklin, H. Bruce - The Vietnam War: In American Stories, Songs and Poems

This is a collection of sixteen stories, five songs, and sixty-three poems representing a cross-cultural response to the complexities of responsibility in a free society.

Genesio, Jerry - Natural Unseen Hazards That Threaten Hunters, Campers, and Hikers: What you should know about pathogens commonly found in wildlife.

Vital information about natural, unseen hazards that threaten hunters, hikers, campers, and other outdoor activity enthusiasts, including Rabies, Tetanus (Lockjaw), Tularemia (Rabbit Fever), Brusellosis (Undulant Fever), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Borrelia (Lyme Disease), with CDC advice on how to avoid ticks, and how to remove ticks. Each of the subject diseases is described with symptoms, treatment, history, geographical risk areas, and significant incidence reports. The book is written by Jerry Genesio, a former employee of Cutter Laboratories' Biological Products Division, and author of a natural history series published by New England Outdoors magazine.

Genesio, Jerry - Portland Neck: The Hanging of Thomas Bird.

This is an account of the first death sentence handed down by a U.S. District Court judge under the authority of the United States Constitution. Thomas Bird, 40, an Englishman, was tried for murder and piracy in Portland's First Parish meeting house and was hung from a gallows at Bramhall Hill on June 25, 1790. The execution was carried out by U.S. Marshal Henry Dearborn, who would later be appointed Secretary of War by President Thomas Jefferson. Bird was convicted of murdering his master, John Connor, captain of the slave ship Mary, off the coast of Africa. The Mary's crew then sailed to the coast of Maine. When captured by Portland's Naval Officer, there were but four people aboard: Bird; Hans Hanson, 19, of Norway; Josiah Jackson, 32, of Newton, MA; and an African boy known only as Cuffey. Bird and Hanson were held in the Cumberland County Jail for nearly a year pending the organization of the U.S. Federal Court system. Jackson was immediately released and later testified for the prosecution. Hanson was charged with aiding and abetting in the death of Captain Connor and was acquitted. This book is based primarily on a handwritten record of the trial found in the National Archives, Waltham, Massachusetts. It includes a narrative of the Mary's voyage from England, Connor's murder, the crew's capture, the trial, and Bird's execution, as well as biographical sketches of key Maine figures involved, and a description of Portland at the time of the trial and execution.

Giffey, David Long Shadows: Veteran' Paths to Peace

A collaboration by Chapter 25 - Madison, WI. These are veterans with a point of view whose trajectories of belief had many different starting points, took many different paths, but in every case led to an abhorrence of war.; anti-war feeling among veterans has not been given the attention it deserves, and this volume is an attempt to correct that imbalance, writes Howard Zinn in the Foreword. Veterans speak of war and peace with a certain creditability that others lack. Having experienced war and peace more intimately than many others, their responses and thoughts reflect the life-defining or life-changing capacity of war. Long Shadows is a collection of 19 interviews with veterans who candidly discuss their paths from military involvement to peace activism. Beginning with a veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War and ending with a veteran of the Iraq war, each tells a unique story with an individual perspective, and yet, each echos the message of the futility and destruction of war. The long shadows of war are evident in each of the interviews, with each participant hoping that his or her experience will inform others and contribute to the public discussion.

Gilroy, Jack - Absolute Flanagan

With America at war in the Pacific and Atlantic in 1942, Peter Flanigan has reason to assert his strong masculinity and pride of country by following his classmates and joining the military.
His decision to march to the beat of a different drummer clashes with the euphoria of war and patriotism. Flanigan refuses to register for the draft and is sentenced to federal prison. When the United States Forestry Department develops a shortage of firefighters, Flanigan accepts the offer to leave prison punishment for the mountains of Montana and an adventure that will change his life.

The Wisdom Box

Frank Brosnan is five when adopted by a college professor and a Catholic priest. The parents, secretly married, expose Frank to questions from a strange gold box in the professor's family for generations. Frank's value system, molded by his parents and Wisdom Box questions, lead him into dangerous confrontations with powerful forces of injustice.

Goff, Stan - Hideous Dreams

Hideous Dreams is a fascinating account of his participation in the United States' military intervention in Haiti in 1994. As operations sergeant for a Special Forces detachment he is able to present a credible description of how strategic policy objectives were translated to the soldier on the ground dealing with the people of Haiti. In doing so Goff discloses a fundamental misconception among his fellow soldiers as to the real nature of the operation and their role within it. During the course of the book Goff becomes bitter, self-critical, outspoken, incisive and disenchanted and Hideous Dream is all the better for it...

Sex and War

The notion that war is intrinsic to man's nature is dealt a powerful setback in Stan Goff's 'Sex and War'. Goff, a former Special Forces sergeant, argues persuasively that rather than being born that way, men are made into killers by governments, corporations, and systems of power. Drawing both on his experiences in the military and on his reading of feminist writers such as Patricia Williams, bell hooks, and Chandra Mohanty - and as the father of a son stationed more than once in Iraq - Goff journeys through wars, ideologies, and cultures, revealing the transformation of men into killers. His story encompasses not just the battlefield and the book, but the Swift Boat Veterans controversy, the eros of George W. Bush, pornography, the Taliban, and gays and lesbians in the military. Goff's remarkable ability to connect his own personal experiences to contemporary feminist criticism makes for a provocative discussion of war and masculinity.

Grahlfs, Lincoln - Undaunted: The story of a US Navy tug and her Crew

Lincoln Grahlfs grew up in the New York Metropolitan area, the son of a New York Times copy editor and an elementary school teacher. In October, 1942, just two months before his 20th birthday, he enlisted for six years in the US Navy, where he rose to the rank of Quartermaster First Class. After leaving the Navy, Grahlfs completed his education and spent the next four decades teaching undergraduate courses in sociology at several colleges.

Voices from Ground Zero: Recollections and Feelings of Nuclear Test Veterans

From the testing of an atomic bomb in 1945 until the test ban treaty in 1963, there were 235 acknowledged detonations of nuclear devices by the US government. Using interviews and questionnaires, this book analyses the memories of military personnel involved and the effect it had on their lives.

Grenough, Millie - Oasis in the Overwhelm

OASIS in the Overwhelm: four proven strategies to change your brain and your life. You can learn the OASIS Strategies in one hour or less. You can use the strategies immediately in your daily life at work and at home. They really do take only 60 seconds each. They will make a positive difference in your life. People around you will be glad you are using them.
OASIS Strategies have helped people from all walks of life find balance and enjoyment. Try them for yourself.

Hanna, Peggy - Patriotism, Peace and Vietnam: A Memoir

Though there's no shortage of Vietnam-era books, Peggy Hanna's tale comes from a unique angle - that of a Midwestern Catholic homemaker and "hawk" turned peace activist. Peggy gives a fascinating inside look at just how far the outposts of the peace movement stretched. Its epicenter may have been on college campuses, but, as Peggy shows, its ripples were felt far into the small towns and ranch houses of the Midwest. In times like these, the voices of "regular" people doing their part to struggle for peace are more important than ever. Her voice is a worthwhile addition to that chorus.
Check her webpage at www.peghanna.com for more.

Hermann, Kenneth - Lepers and Lunacy: An American in Vietnam Today

Ken Herrmann, Jr., a Vietnam War veteran, has written a book about Vietnam, Lepers and Lunacy: An American in Vietnam Today that is a unique and fascinating account of a war veteran who returned to Vietnam, only to discover that he had never really left. It is a gripping and true story of a both personal and professional struggle. This book gives new meaning to the old adage; "Those who invade Vietnam never leave."

Hodge, James and Linda Cooper - Disturbing the Peace: The Story of Father Roy Bourgeois and the Movement to Close the School of Americas

Maryknoll priest Roy Bourgeois has achieved national attention for leading the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas. From his Cajun roots in Louisiana to his stint as a Naval officer in Viet Nam, we follow the route that led Bourgeois to Maryknoll and his work in Latin America that awakened his conscience to the U.S. role in supporting oppression there. Since 1990 Father Bourgeois has campaigned against the School. He has served several years in federal prisons for civil disobedience and his witness has turned a spotlight on a record of shame and aroused the conscience of the nation. The protest every November attracts more than 10,000 people from around the country.

Janko, James - Buffalo Boy and Geronimo

A medic during the Vietnam War, Janko makes his novel debut with a look at the war's toll on the country's villagers. Nguyen Luu Mong, a boy just entering adolescence, is caught between growing responsibilities to kin, a boyhood he doesn't want to leave and the harsh realities of foreign invasion. The narrative shifts back and forth between Mong and Antonio Lucio, a medic appalled by the war's senseless destruction of the countryside and of the native ways of life.
Janko's writing has a gentle, tactile quality that lends itself well to his frequent use of interior monologue, but the emphasis on description and introspection comes at the expense of plot movement. The story plods along with little direction until the last 90 pages, when the villagers flee an attack and Lucio goes AWOL. That the resolution isn't satisfying feels intentional, but it's also frustrating.

Johnson, David - Corpsman Up! A Marine Medic Struggles with War, God, and Patriotism

Medcaps were an important function of Corpsmen in Vietnam. We, Corpsmen, were told our duty was to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese People. Medcaps were not our only duty however. See "Corpsman Up! A Marine Medic Struggles with War, god, and Patriotism" on the Corpsman Up page. Aside from military duties was also the duty to oneself, making sense of it all.

Jones, Suel - Meeting the Enemy: A Marine Comes Home

The first part is about the war experience with 3rdMarines '68, following is the return to "the world" then dealing with the question of why; why did my country invade Vietnam, and why did I personally want to go. The last part is about returning to Vietnam 1998 and "meeting the enemy."

Kidd, Jack - Prevent War: A New Strategy For America

General Jack Kidd led bomber formations in World War II. Today he is a champion of peace, and an advocate of peaceful settlement of outstanding issues between governments without resort to force. His instinct is sound. History shows that solutions imposed by force do not last. On the other hand even if a solution is less than perfect, if it is a negotiated settlement, it has a better chance of survival.
General Kidd believes in the use of international machinery as an additional means of negotiation. He has innovative ideas for strengthening the machinery for international negotiation and political settlement of outstanding issues between governments and peoples. I salute General Kidd as an eloquent advocate of peace. C.V. Narasimhan Former Under-Secretary General, United Nations for 23 years, serving three Secretary Generals

Kingston, Maxine Hong - Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace

*Collective works of VFP Members Sharon Lee Kufeldt, Doug Zachary, Ted Sexauer, Tom Harriman, and Mike Wong (along with many many others)

This poignant collection, compiled from Kingston's healing workshops, contains the distilled wisdom of survivors of five wars, including combatants, war widows, spouses, children, conscientious objectors, and veterans of domestic abuse. Vetrans of War, Vetrans of Peace includes accounts from people that grew up in military families, served as medics in the thick of war, or came home to homelessness. All struggle with trauma - post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and other consequences of war and violence. Through their extraordinary writings, readers witness worlds coming apart and being put back together again through liberating insight, community, and the deep transformation that is possible only by coming to grips with the past.

Kyne, Dennis - Support the Truth

If you are among those who believe, the ribbon or flag attached to your SUV, is the way to support the troops; this book's for you!
In ten, tiny chapters of a 91 page booklet, Drill Sergeant, Dennis Kyne, your guide through the Gulf War. In his 15-year hitch to the US Army, Dennis Kyne, continues a proud family tradition of fighting for his country and our freedom.
If you are one of the soccer moms, the US Army has targeted with its advertisements, offering "Discipline & College Money", for the recruitment of that aimless 19 or 20 year old of yours; READ this book, before you sign those papers or pack those bags. The friendly fire in Iraq, can wait.
Read as Sergeant Kyne, explains to the young recruits in his charge, some of the Signs & Symptoms of the dreaded, Gulf War Syndrome.

Laufer, Peter - Mission Rejected: US Soldiers Who Say No to Iraq

A Shattering journey of revelation, pain, and betrayal, Mission Rejected takes the reader deep into the turmoil of U.S. troops confronting the Iraq War. Some of these soldiers have decided not to fight in Iraq. Others, who have served in the "Sand Box" only to return so appalled by their experience and by what that experience has done to them, choose to declare, in the words of the old Phil Ochs song, "I'm not marchin' anymore!" Increasing numbers of U.S. soldiers are returning from Iraq horrified by what they witnessed and what they did. Journalist Peter Laufer tells how these soldiers are transformed from trained warriors to activists in the struggle to end the Iraq War. He puts their experiences into context by drawing on the lessons of the Vietnam War and citing the historical precedents for troops who refuse unconscionable orders. Mission Rejected probes the universal issue of resistance to war by the very men who chose to defend the nation.

Lee, Thomas - Battlebabble: Selling War in America

Euphemisms sell war. From Operation Desert Storm to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and throughout the intervening years of deadly sanctions, a dense fog of rhetoric rose to hide the government's imperialistic ambitions and our brutality. Blunt realities of war have been smothered under layers of language. This book will play a role in the evolution of an increased sensitivity towards the deceptive words of war.

May, Gary - Ending Disability Discrimination: Strategies for Social Workers

Ending Disability Discrimination defines disability as a social construction, not as an immutable physical limitation, and gives social work students and practitioners a model that can be used to transform how people with disabilities are treated.

McGarrah, Jim - A Temporary Sort of Peace - A Memoir of Vietnam

In his memoir Jim McGarrah, today a poet and writer from southernIndiana, examines in detail his peacetime life growing up in Princeton, Indiana; his indoctrination into the cult of the Marines as a fledgling warrior in basic training at Parris Island in South Carolina ("a small cog of the ‘lean green fighting machine,'" McGarrah notes in the book); and his introduction to the life of a combat soldier in Vietnam observing bulging body bags at an air base's morgue in Da Nang and going to his first assignment armed with a malfunctioning M-16 rifle. Many years later, the former private first class, serial number 2371586, realized that for him, home had become "the jungles of Vietnam, the one place where life was at its best and worst simultaneously every minute of every day."

Mejia, Camilo - Road from Ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Seargant Camilo Mejia

Mejía, a veteran of the Iraq conflict, became an antiwar hero when he refused to return to his unit and was court-martialed in 2004 for desertion. His memoir is a blend of compelling war narrative and dubious soapboxing. Mejía's claim to conscientious objector status, after eight years in the U.S. military, months of combat and a long campaign for a discharge, rings rather hollow. The son of prominent Nicaraguan Sandinistas, he takes a view of the insurgents' "fight for self-determination" that seems naïve ("[t]here seemed to be a unity that spread through the differences among Iraqis") and his prose is laced with clunky rhetoric about "the imperial dragon that devours its own soldiers and Iraqi civilians alike for the sake of profit." Most powerful are his firsthand experiences of prisoner abuse, senseless patrols that invite insurgent attacks, discord among his demoralized comrades and their careerist officers, and the constant brutalization of Iraqis by paranoid, trigger-happy GIs. (In one incident, an irate soldier arrests an eight-year-old rock thrower, who is then beaten by a local man desperate to appease the vengeful Americans.) Those stories add up to an indelible portrait of the dirty war in the Sunni triangle and Mejía's painful confrontation with his immoral complicity in it. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Milmore, John - #1 Code Break Boy

#1 Code Break Boy" by John Milmore is a first person narrative by a decorated enlisted cryptanalyst about the United States Army communications intelligence effort - codebreaking, prior to and during the Korean War. Details the failure to anticipate both the North Korean attack and the Chinese intervention contrasted with the superb intelligence produced that assured the "Pusan Perimeter", the Inchon landing and the failure of the enemy spring offensive of 1951. Describes the efforts by the National Security Agency to suppress this information. Includes a technical description of Korean cryptography with the nuances of the language.

Melchior, Sam - The Legacy of War: Profiles of the 67 Brave Young Men from Evansville, IN Who Perished in the Vietnam War

Throughout the 20th Century Evansville became known for its tremendous contributions and sacrifice during times of war. The Vietnam War was no exception. For the first time in one place you can read about the all too short lives of the soldiers from Evansville who lost their lives fighting for their country in Vietnam. They were a diverse group representing all Evansville High Schools. They were brothers, fathers, and friends with varying interests and backgrounds.

These brave young men represented the best Evansville had to offer from the Vietnam Era. Read their profiles and you will likely find someone you know. Keep their legacy alive. They must not be forgotten.

Legacy of War is a 100% charitable project. The beneficiaries include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, VFW Post 1114, and the Jennifer Solomon Hope Fund. You can read about them in the beneficiaries section.

Morton, Jerry - A School for Healing: Alternative Strategies for Teaching At-Risk Students

A School for Healing: Alternative Strategies for Teaching At-Risk Students describes an alternative school that dealt with students who were expelled or suspended from public school and who perceived themselves as being injustice. It was assumed that they misinterpreted the facts of various situations or chose inappropriate strategies to correct real injustices. The task of the school was to help the students learn multiple perspectives for interpreting the actions of others and to teach them more appropriate ways of resolving injustices. Four students in the school relate their problems and describe, through a qualitative research interview process, how the school helps them. The book describes specific strategies the school used and concludes with suggestions to those who wish to establish a similar program.

Morton, Jerry - Reluctant Lieutenant: From Basic to OCS in the Sixties

With intimidating tales of bellowing drill instructors and their seemingly incongruous tasks, "Reluctant Lieutenant captures the essence of what it meant to survive the training regimen of the Old Army. Author Jerry Morton is as much at home describing blind navigation through the woods on a dark night as recounting the perils of smuggling a skin flick into his barracks at OCS. In this memoir, Morton reconstructs his reluctant journey through basic training, advanced infantry training, and infantry Officer Candidate School during the Vietnam era. His is a unique record of what it was like to be a conscript in the US. Army in the late 1960S.Morton's account also provides a roadmap, to the sociology and culture of the military, especially the class system that divided college graduates from those with less education or economic stature yet did not override a solidarity in the field. He describes his disappointment and discomfort at being "killed" during training ambushes. But he also shows how someone with a master's degree in psychology could adapt to an environment in which the army did the thinking and the soldier the doing. However unintentional, by the end of his journey Morton was no longer a civilian but an officer, adept at army gamesmanship and ready for command. This book offers an informative foray into the training system used during the Vietnam era, and veterans of the Old Army will find their memories kindled.

Nicosia, Gerald - Home to War

From Library Journal: The frequently heroic, more often tragic saga of the veterans who fought in the war and then fought against it is told in this gripping narrative, which takes hold of the reader with its haunting cover and doesn't let go for almost 700 pages. While not a vet himself, Nicosia (Memory Babe: A Critical Biography of Jack Kerouac) spent ten years compiling 600 interviews to write the definitive history of this little-understood movement. The Vietnam Veterans Against the War was the most prominent veteran antiwar organization, but it was only one of many loosely bound coalitions that often fell prey to petty internal jealousies and government trickery. During the war, the veterans were known for such prominent gatherings as Operation Raw, a mass protest held at Valley Forge Park in 1970, and Dewey Canyon III, a memorable event held the following year in Washington that culminated in vets returning their medals to the government in disgust. As Nicosia movingly relates, the greatest struggles followed the war, as veterans battled for years to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and cancer-inducing Agent Orange recognized as maladies related to service.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Orange, Michael - Fire in the Hole: A Moratorium in Vietnam

How does a young man coming of age in the 1960s go from seminarian to soldier? What can scare an average kid from Cleveland into killing for his country? The answer: Vietnam-that soul-sucking war that still invades dreams. After surviving a year of combat and the loss of fellow Marines, Orange came home in 1970 to another battlefield-Kent State University, where the Ohio National Guard gunned down his classmates.
Reeling and confused, he went from soldier to seaman on a Great Lakes ore carrier. Then he became a hippie who fought against the same war he once supported, the same war that stole his youth and innocence. Orange reflects on his journey of tumult and tears from a vantage point of age and wisdom. This is a survivor's tale, told with honesty and compassion for those who fought on both sides of a conflict that sliced through the lives of so many.

O'Reilly, Genevieve - Chip on my Shoulder

Chip On My Shoulder is a story of the "army years" of Mickey O'Reilly. It begins when Mickey graduates nursing school and enlists in the Army Nurses Corps. To her amazement, she is one of the first in her class to be assigned overseas. Mickey heads off to war with her head in the stars, sustained by her faith in God and ready to use her abilities to heal both wounded bodies and souls in Italy and Africa during World War II. Her memoir is both humorous and dead serious as she touches on every day life in an evacuation hospital where sometimes the army brass and red tape combine to set her Irish temper flaring. Now an 84 year old grandmother, Mickey recounts her life and the lives of those who shared her tent, latrine and mess - with her heart wide open and sometimes her foot in her mouth.

Pedersen, Jerry - Unfinished Journey: from War to Peace, from Violence to Wholeness

Onboard the USS Missouri off Japan August 6, 1945, 18 year-old PFC Jerry Pedersen listened as the loudspeaker announced an 'Atomic bomb' had been dropped on Hiroshima instantly destroying a city of 200,000 people. The whole world changed that day, he sensed.

Then September 2nd, as Honor Guard for the Surrender Signing he heard General MacArthur: "A new era is upon us. The utter destructiveness of war now blots out this alternative... We must go forward to secure in peace what he have won in war!" Those moments culminated in his calling-to be a 'peacemaker'. Few can share a perspective so powerful, calling hearts and minds to wrestle with continuing justifications for war and the pursuit of peace.

From East Africa University chaplain in newly independent Tanzania to San Francisco 1968 and his arrest during student protest, to growing a conservative Orange County congregation with social justice workshops, to 'Witness for Peace' in Nicaragua, through today's 'war on terrorism'-this is Dr. Pedersen's inspiring journey, from war to peacemaking. Peacemaking as found at the center of the world's great religions and 'Active Nonviolence' movements.

It's our unfinished journey as we remain on a perilous precipice looking for another way.

Pogue, Alan - Witness for Justice: Documentary Photographs of Alan Pogue

Alan Pogue began taking photographs during the Vietnam War, prompted by "an urge to record what shocked me as well as what was beautiful." His desire to bear witness to the full range of human experience matured into a career in documentary photography that has spanned four decades and many parts of the globe from his native Texas to the Middle East. Working in the tradition of socially committed photographers such as Jacob Riis, Lewis Hine, and the photographers of the Farm Security Administration, particularly Russell Lee and Dorothea Lange, Pogue has been a witness for justice, using the camera to capture the human context and to call attention to conditions needing remediation.

This book offers a comprehensive visual survey of Alan Pogue's documentary photography. It opens with images of social protests of the 1960s and early 1970s, along with the countercultural scene around Austin, Texas, and prominent cultural and political figures, from William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg to Ann Richards and George W. Bush. Following these are suites of images that record the often harsh conditions of farm workers, immigrants, and prisoners-groups for whom Pogue has long felt deep empathy. Reflecting the progression of Pogue's career beyond Texas and the Southwest, the concluding suites of images capture social conditions in several Latin American and Caribbean countries (El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Haiti), the effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on ordinary people, and the lives and privations of Iraqis between the two recent wars.

Powell, Mary Reynolds - A World of Hurt: Between Innocence & Arrogance in Vietnam

"This work is a gripping human story which reminds me of Paco's Story; Dispatches; A Rumor of War and Home Before Morning, all great contributions about the insanity of the Vietnam War. Powell's book is a passionate, moving and among the 'must' read of human tragedy, sorrow, and humor which are embedded in chaos and existential malaise of the 'heart of darkness' known some 35 years later as, the Vietnam War."

John P. Wilson, PhD.

Powell, Wilson "Woody" - Two Walk the Golden Road

Neither Zhou Ming-fu nor Wilson M. Powell knew, when each trod the barren battlefields of Korea, that their lives would one day be entwined in a remarkable story of compassion, courage and faith. Powell, son of a renowned American physicist and Zhou, son of a Chinese street merchant, came to embrace the vision of a world without war. Their chance meeting, on a moonlit street in Chengdu, began a journey that would overcome their fears and doubts and open wide the door of friendship.

Rayle, Diego - The Trial of Billy Running Dog

Rayle's Native viewpoints are anchored in cement as he travels full circle to convey his perception of what it is like to be an urban Indian in today's grossly insensitive "Dominant Society." The book is highly controversial and political correctness is systematically averted. However, in this pulp fiction meets magical realism novel which is part thriller, part romance and part history book, Rayle delivers his profound insights with extreme precision. Billy Running Dog, a former Army advisor (CIA operative) in South Vietnam who has an iron constitution coupled with a debilitating case of PTSD and bipolar disorder, views the world from a perspective of simple spirituality. He steadfastly refuses to compromise his bludgeoned spirit even as external forces wreak havoc with his psyche. The Trial of Billy Running Dog is for everyone who isn't afraid to venture into the realm of introspection.

Cast from Shackles

This book was inspired by actual events, documenting Diego's journey, portrayed by fictional character Joseph Roberts, from Vietnam War protester/draft resister to bush warrior. It exemplifies the mental abuse, blatant racism and utter hypocrisy a radical, draft card burning, Latino adolescent endures before adhering to the natural progression of events. Joseph, who is a walking contradiction, falls prey to the absurd, enlists in the Army and volunteers for a tour of duty with the Infantry in the Republic of Vietnam. After heading off to "The Living-Room War" that defined and literally rocked the 60s, he returns with a heroin and guilt addiction that totally discombobulates him. Cast From Shackles is dedicated to all Vietnam War veterans and antiwar demonstrators and protesters.

Stay out of the Wheat Field

Rayle's first book is a creative nonfiction narrative detailing his arduous, spirit-scarring tour of duty in the fetid jungles of Southeast Asia during the Second Indochina War. It is also based on the combat experiences of Denny Schaffner and Steve Ward.

Redd, Forrest: Blood on Their Hands

A new book recently published that is recommended reading for anyone who loves their country. Synopsis-An indictment of the George W. Bush administration and all who supported it and all who are still supportive of and loyal to the previous Bush administration. One of many endorsements-

"A compelling read...[Redd] throws light into the dark corners of the abuse of power with an urgent argument for bringing the guilty to justice." --Hugh Moore, WQNA Radio

Ryerson, Jim - Swimming to Guantanamo

I began visiting Cuba in 1998, have made more than 30 visits, and met hundreds of Cubans living on the island. Back then Cuba was coming out of the “special period” when the Soviet Union fell and Cuba was left to go it alone after four decades of alliance with the Russians. Pundits declared that this was the end of Castro’s revolutionary government and, as with most who have predicted the end of the Cuban revolution, they were wrong.
In writing my stories, I’ve tried to counteract some of these falsehoods, and to present the reader with an objective look at this fascinating neighboring country. Some things have changed since that first visit. Today Cubans have much more freedom, Communism is all but gone and President Raul Castro has thrown open the doors to a Socialist-based free enterprise that is catching on across the country.
What will come of this remains to be seen, but given the industriousness of the Cubans, they will make it work. If only the U.S. government can keep its hands off.

Seidenberg, Daniel - Vietnam Ambush

This book is a metaphor for what happened to America in Vietnam, April 11, 2011 "Young Daniel went by commercial airline to Vietnam as a replacement in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade and his war adventure began. At this time in the war, December 1968, the American military was sending home about three hundred body bags per week.
Arriving at his combat brigade he was greeted by the brigade colonel, his fellow squad members and rats as big as kittens as well as the incessant rain.
His war began when, on his first combat patrol he nearly sat on a booby trap. A soldier in his company shot himself in the foot and another told him to never fire his rifle.
He questioned why they were fighting the Vietnamese and was told by his squad leader that the only mission was to simply survive it all. He had asked his training commander why the trainees were all being sent to Vietnam and was told that he was going there to help the peasants. When he looked into the eyes of the Vietnamese peasants he saw only disgust and hatred though.
He dodged friendly fire machine gun bullets, artillery shells, Vietcong booby traps, leeches, snakes, voracious mosquitoes, Asian fire ants, ringworm, heat exhaustion, drowning, trench foot, food poisoning, agent orange, Article fifteens, venereal diseases, suicide missions, battle fatigue, sleeplessness until his platoon was ambushed with rocket grenades while traveling on a river in a landing craft.
Daniel was hit by a rocket fragment that passed through his helmet and lodged in his right temple, a wound for which the survival rate in Vietnam was 0.02%; a fellow soldier standing next to him was blown in half. The platoon medic restarted his heart three times while trying to stop the bleeding and getting him to a field surgical unit."

Shear, Steve, The Trials of Adrian Wheeler

Private Adrian Wheeler returns from Baghdad disillusioned and disabled, ever mindful of a tormented past and even bleaker future. His brother, John Mike, didn’t return at all. One chilly morning in February both participated in a reconnaissance mission that tragically failed. A mission where innocent women and children died along with John Mike and other combatants. As the sole survivor with but one arm and a new knee Adrian carries the details of that trauma deep within his subconscious, and drinks excessively in hopes of hiding from the boogymen that torment his dreams.
In his compromised mental and physical condition Adrian does everything he can to avoid seeing Rachael, his girl since the first grade. But he can’t escape his domineering father, a retired Vietnam veteran who bullied him into joining the Marines in the first place.

When he begins to turn things around and take control of his life, he’s charged with murdering the innocent women and children. Private Wheeler finds himself the center of the most important court-martial trial of the Iraqi war; his only hope is to move beyond his trauma and the terrible secret that lies deep within the cellar of his psyche.

Sossenko, George - The Idealistic Adventurer

Atlanta VFP member and one of VFP's oldest members, George Sossenko was a young man fighting fascism and Nazism and now in his 90's he is still actively demonstrating for peace.

Recounting an extraordinary life, George began writing his life story in Spanish at 82. Chapters covering the prelude to the Spanish civil war through the defeat of the axis have been published in Spain by the prestigious de Castilla-La Mancha University Press. The complete version "The Idealistic Adventurer" is now available in English at www.sossenko.com.

Readers interested in social, political, and military history including true adventure will be well satisfied with the fast reading 530 pages of "The Idealistic Adventurer".

George was born in Odessa, Russia and lived his childhood years in Paris. At 16, he literally ran away from home to Spain to join the fight against Fascist Franco. He was so young only the anarchist forces would have him. As Hitler threatened his family moved to Argentina to escape European militarism.

He survived his time as a brigadista in Spain and then joined Free French forces in north Africa. In Tunisia he was deeply burned in a tank battle by a German shell. He recovered in a military hospital in Tunis, and then George was reassigned with the Free French Infantry attached to the U.S. 5^th Army that was advancing east.

Although heavily scarred, he had sufficiently healed to be in the landing forces that entered Italy south of Naples. Later George entered Rome with the first units of the 5^th Army.

The military chapters are extensive and detailed, yet they are only a part of this exciting life story.

George took to arms only to fight Fascists and Nazis and committed his life to antimilitarism and pro-peace.

After WWII, he joined his family in Argentina. In one adventure described in the book, on the day Dictator Juan Peron's wife Eva Peron died, he and several other men were arrested, roughed up and put in prison for laughing and singing to celebrate.

After his release from prison, George moved to Brazil and led a large mining expedition into the Amazon jungle. The chapters recounting this ghost and superstition filled struggle are true to life adventure. After months in remote Amazon territory, he returned to Rio de Janeiro literally penniless and was taken in by a friend.

George joined the Michelin tire company as a development engineer for heavy machine, truck, and bus tires. He moved to the U.S. where he led work to introduce the Michelin brand for passenger cars. There is a chapter about bringing French test drivers to Nevada where there were no highway speed limits to run the tires very fast on American cars! In recent years George consulted worldwide, developing tire production and tire retreading plants.

There is much much more in George's fast reading book. If you want to charge up your own sense of commitment as a VFP, you will find it in reading about George's amazing, exciting, and inspiring life!

"The Idealistic Adventurer" has several photos, and there are more on George's Web site.

####

Steinman, Louise - The Souvenir: A Daughter Discovers Her Father's War

When Norman Steinman a member of the 25th Infantry Division, which fought in the Philippines in 1945 died in 1990, he left behind a box full of WWII letters (more than 400), later discovered by his daughter. Among the souvenirs was a small Japanese flag, inscribed with words Louise could not read. She had them translated and found that the flag had belonged to a Japanese soldier. Obsessed, Steinman began her search for him or his family. This small book, a moving memoir about reconciliation and honor, is her tale of her successful quest, her trip to Japan to return the flag and the friendships she forged along the way. Steinman visited the battlefields on Luzon in which her father battled the weather, jungle and Japanese. This volume contains many of his letters, published here for the first time, that show typical G.I. behavior, attitudes toward the enemy and longing for good food and friends back home. Steinman's visit to Hiroshima helped her to understand the war from the Japanese point of view. In coming to understand her father and his postwar behavior, Steinman discovers how real WWII can become to a survivor's family. (Oct.)Forecast: This quiet, heartfelt book is the perfect contrast to all the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary bombast, telling another side of the war's story. Baby boomers with veteran parents will relate, as will some vets. Look for solid sales.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Swanson, David - Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union

"[Daybreak is] a useful guide to restore the balance of powers and reclaim our constitutional system of government."-Majorie Cohn, president of the National Lawyers Guild

"Daybreak urgently reminds us that good political intentions are not sufficient to ensure the continuation of our democracy; informed vigilance is vital to that task."-Mark Karlin, editor of Buzzflash.com

A lot more has gone wrong over the last eight years than meets the eye, and it will take more than a new president to create the kind of change that is necessary.

Daybreak is a thorough investigation of how Bush/Cheney altered the way American government works and deteriorated the Constitution and Bill of Rights. It includes clear plans for how we may reclaim democracy, declare our rights, and truly set out for a new America.

Shocking and inspirational, Daybreak provides a clear breakdown of all that we have lost, and all that we have to gain.

David Swanson is co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ConvictBushCheney.org, Washington director of Democrats.com, and a board member of Progressive Democrats for America. He served as press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign and has been a leading voice for the prosecution of Bush and Cheney for war crimes.

Swanson, David - War Is a Lie

WAR IS A LIE is a thorough refutation of every major argument used to justify wars, drawing on evidence from numerous past wars, with a focus on those wars that have been most widely defended as just and good. This is a handbook of sorts, a manual to be used in debunking future lies before future wars have a chance to begin.

Tick, Edward - War and the Soul The Pratice of Dream Healing

Post-traumatic stress disorder increasingly afflicts veterans of modern warfare. The New England Journal of Medicine (July 2005) reports that it affects almost 20 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq. Clinical psychotherapist Edward Tick exposes the characteristic devastation of soul that occurs as a result of participation in warfare and traces a path for the veteran's identity transformation from wounded or disabled veteran to honorable returned warrior. This book will change the way we think about war, for veterans and for all those who love and want to help them.

The Practice of Dream Healing

From his practice of treating severely traumatized Vietnam veterans in the late '70s and '80s, psychotherapist Edward Tick came to believe that traditional Western medicine could not adequately heal deeply wounded souls and he embarked on an exploration of healing practices worldwide. His search brought him to ancient Greece and what he claims are the roots of modern medicine. In The Practice of Dream Healing: Bringing Ancient Greek Mysteries into Modern Medicine, Tick (Sacred Mountain) introduces readers to the Greek mythological figure of Asklepios, who was believed to be the first spiritual healer or psychiatrist and to those today who practice his spiritual healing methodology, including a cardiologist turned psychiatrist and a Christian priest. Tick takes readers along on the healing journeys he has experienced and witnessed in others.

Topmiller, Robert - Red Clay on my Boots

Broken hearts, ruined minds, wrecked families, and shattered lives are all realities of the Vietnam War. Real people suffered because of the fighting, death, and tragedies that occured at the battle of Khe Sanh. This is a story of a Vietnam corpsman immersed in the bloodiest, most confusing, and controversial battle of the Vietnam War.
As the war ends, the author tries to re-build his life but finds his mind and heart are still on the battlefield in Vietnam. How did this happen? Why did I survive? When will the nightmares end? Was it all for nothing? He has been fighting his own internal war for the last forty years. This is his story. Robert Topmiller entered the U.S. Navy in 1966 at age seventeen and trained to be a Hospital Corpsman. He served in South Vietnam in 1968 with the 26th Marines during the battle of Khe Sanh. Topmiller received his B.A. and M.A.from Central Washington University and his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Professor of History at Eastern Kentucky University where he teaches World History and the History of the Vietnam War.

Uhl, Michael - Vietnam Awakening

A vividly honest memoir of, first experiences in Vietnam as a counterintelligence lieutenant in the 11th Infantry, and second, the author's immediate postwar years in the anti-war veterans movement as the CCI's national veteran coordinator.

Waite, Gerald E. - A Day with Mimi

Việt Nam! Famous for a war, an exotic destination, and now a world partner in the global community. Ball State University students explore the land and culture as an "immersive learning project" to bring the modern face of that country home. This introduction to Việt Nam, and to Mimi and her family, will bring into focus a dynamic emerging player on the world stage and the face of a friendly outgoing people not often seen in Western literature. This teaching unit consisting of a DVD, a book and teaching materials, has been entirely developed by Ball State and its students to introduce others to a country they have found so hospitable. During three trips to Vietnam, these students have repeatedly stated that there needs to be a way to introduce other Americans to the friends they have made half a world away. This teaching packet is the product of that desire. Welcome to Vietnam.

West, Ron - Penucquem Speaks

EXTRAORDINARY MEMOIR: I found PENUCQUEM SPEAKS totally fascinating, unlike anything else I've ever read. I don't know of anyone who has had the unique experience Ron has had, of living in two cultures, and therefore being in a position to learn from that. Quite an amazing trajectory, from Vietnam to Blackfeet culture. And Ron's analysis of Whiteman thinking, Whiteman culture, fundamentalism, the difference between Jesus and Paul -- all very interesting to me. Ron West brings us back to what Indian culture cherished, the equality of women, the preservation of nature, everything that "progress" and "civilization" have corrupted. - HOWARD ZINN

White, Arnold Joseph - Divine 9/11 Intervention

My name is Arnold Joseph White. I was born in Nashville, TN on July 7^th, 1948.

And as with most people, from time to time in my life, I have had experiences that could have possibility been the ~"Spiritual Realm"~ of ~"God"~ at work in my life ~ or not.

I never had an experience that did not have a rational explanation ~ until ~ 1996 or 1997 ~ when ~ I began to experience ~"things"~ that at that time I concluded were ~"things"~ I thought were from the ~ "psychic realm" ~ of ~ "psychic phenomena" ~ as ~ "psychic ability" ~ and ~ "psychic power" ~.

Then on December 15^th, of 2000, I witnessed ~"something"~ that as I tried to come to a rational explanation of what I was witnessing, the first thing that came to my mind was "witchcraft". From that point forward ~these things ~ continued to escalate until early in 2002 when it "finally" dawned on me that what I was being ~"approached"~ by was God.

WILLSON, S. BRIAN - BLOOD ON THE TRACKS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF S. BRIAN WILLSON

"We are not worth more, they are not worth less." This is the mantra of S. Brian Willson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling memoir. Willson's story begins in small-town America, moves through life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle. In telling his story, Willson provides numerous examples of the types of personal, risk-taking, nonviolent actions he and others have taken in attempts to educate and effect political change. It was such actions that thrust Willson into the public eye in the mid-'80s, first as a participant in a high-profile, water-only "Veterans Fast for Life" against the Contra war being waged by his government in Nicaragua. Then, on a fateful day in September 1987, the world watched in horror as Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks and arrested.
"I was busted with Brian, but I never gave the ultimate as he gave. This book is about a patriot, the kind of patriot you don't find anymore, the kind of patriot who loves and believes in his country so much he surrendered his legs in telling his country it's wrong. Read this book."
----Edward Asner, actor
BRIAN IS TAKING HIS BOOK ON THE ROAD VIA HIS HAND-POWERED TRICYCLE -- CYCLISTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN HIM FOR THE FIRST LEG FROM PORTLAND TO NEWBERG: MEET AT 8 A.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 25th - PSU PARK BLOCKS BEHIND LINCOLN HALL, BETWEEN SW MILL & SW MARKET.
Brian's book tour blog and more info can be found at http://bloodonthetracks.info

Wolf, Chante - Objects of Deployment

This book is the result of my participating in a new project, the Veterans Book Project. It gives voice to veterans who normally would not have access (education, experience, know how) to getting a book published.
This is an ongoing project nationally and the possibility of being incorporated into a new non-profit, Veterans in the Arts, here in Minnesota.
In my workshop there was a brother piecing his brothers story together for his family (KIA Iraq - trying to disarm a bomb). Another Iraq veteran worked along side his mother as they both traced his journey to war and home and the dynamics of his changes in response to being a medic at Abu Ghraib.
My story was about my deployment, as a woman traveling alone, to the first Persian Gulf war, landing at my Top Secret destination a day and a half before the war started. No combat training at all, but given an M-16 and 200 rounds of ammunition for God knows what?
It concludes with my coming home and change of heart about war and violence against us all.
Book is available for free to view and download

Wise, Dayl - Post Traumatic Press 2007

poems by veterans, Dayl Wise, Editor

This book tells the stories of veterans with direct experience of the military. For some, the intense experience of war can only be expressed in poetry, while others are driven by the need to say something openly political. This chapbook includes veterans from World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam War, peace time and the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Contributors: Camillo "Mac" Bica, Richard Boes, Thomas Brinson, Michael Embrich, Michael Gillen, Marc Levy, Bob Lusk, Gerald McCarthy, Jim Murphy, Fred Nagel, Ron Thompson, Robert "Tack" Trostle, Jose Vasquez, Jay Wenk, Dan Wilcox, Sam Weinreb and Larry Winters. Some of these US veterans are seasoned writers, who have been published before. For others, this is their first time writing, their first time out crossing that line in public.

All works are poems, songs, short stories or spoken word with the exception of chapter 10 of Richard Boes' book The Last Dead Soldier Left Alive.

All proceeds go to Veterans for Peace...and its tax deductible. To order your copy, send $12 plus $3 shipping to:
Post Traumatic Press
Dayl Wise, Editor
104 Orchard Lane North, Woodstock, NY 12498
dswbike@aol.com

Make checks payable to:
VFP Catskill Mountain Chapter 058
Write "PTP 2007" in memo line

Wright, Ann - DISSENT: Voices of Conscience

During the run-up to war in Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.) and diplomat Ann Wright resigned her State Department post. She was one among dozens of government insiders and active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal. In Dissent: Voices of Conscience, Ann Wright and Susan Dixon tell the stories of these men and women, who risked careers, reputations, and even freedom out of loyalty to the Constitution and the rule of law.