Boston globe dear america is painful, but it must be difficult to be realistic and. The way i see the situation, i would rather fight to stop communism in south vietnam than in kincaid, humbolt blue mound or kansas city, and that is just about what it would end up being. Based on the book of the same name, this 1987 emmy award winning hbo documentary features actors and actresses reading actual letters home from men and women serving in the vietnam war. The book, which simulates a tour of duty in vietnam, offers context for the excerpts of the letters and poems selected for. Letters home from vietnam for the commission, was associate producer of the peabody and emmy awardwinning film based on the book. Absolutely no words can describe exactly how this book made me feel. Due in part to escalating advances in military technology, twentiethcentury modern combat was exponentially more devastating than any previous incarnation. Letters home from vietnam was compiled from the letters and poems received by the commission for consideration to be included on the. Contains letters and poems written to families and friends by soldiers. Nearly forty years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear ame. Eloquent, gutwrenching letters from american men and women stationed in vietnam paint a poignant picture of wars agonies and joys. David halberstam nearly forty years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam.
The series was originally canceled in 2004 after its thirtysixth book but was relaunched in september 2010 with a new book and rereleases of three older books. New york vietnam veterans memorial commission this anthology consists of 208 letters, poems, clippings, and diary entries written by american servicemen in vietnam. Based on the book of the same name, this 1987 emmy awardwinning hbo documentary features actors and actresses reading actual letters home from men and women serving in the vietnam war. Letters home from vietnam was compiled entirely from the avalanche of letters and poems received by the commission for consideration to be included on the memorial.
In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family, their emotions over the conduct of the war, and their ache at. An overwhelmingly eloquent book of the purest and most simple writing on vietnam. The memorial was to be a glassblock structure etched with excerpts of letters sent to and from servicemen during the vietnam war. Dear america letters home from vietnam part 1 8 youtube. The means of turning this concept into a film came from cowriter richard dewhurst, who showed couturie a copy of the book dear america.
Not a history book, not a war novel dear america is a book of truth. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family, their emotions over the conduct of the war, and. Considered by many to be the best movie ever about the vietnam war, dear america letters home from vietnam won two emmy awards in 1988, one for outstanding informational special and one for outstanding individual achievement informational programming. Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book. Vietnam war books good military history reading on the vietnam war.
Letters home from vietnam 19671979the twentieth century was a decade of war. Letters home from vietnam recalls the vietnam war in the words of the men and women who fought it, in letters written in haste, without selfconsciousness and. Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book along with many more and archive footage, the film creates a highly personal. Letters home from vietnam, the hbo movie now being released theatrically, is the first film about vietnam to come to us free of bias, free of rhetoric. A major reason for the visceral clout of dear america is the coordination of rock music by bob dylan, the rolling stones, the doors, and others with the images on the screen. Letters home from vietnam is a 1987 american documentary film.
In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family. More than 25 years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women. This incredibly moving documentary adds immeasurably to the growing stockpile of testaments about the vietnam war. Decades after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america. Dear america does more than merely state about the vietnam warit allows the reader to see it through the words of those straight involved. Letters home from vietnam allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served there. Nearly forty years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. David halberstamdecades after the end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. Dear america letters home from vietnam part 1 8 royalfool1195. In 1981, six years after the official end of the vietnam war, mayor edward koch of new york city appointed a task force of twentyseven leading citizens of the city to develop a framework for a fitting memorial to vietnam war veterans. Letters home from vietnam by edited by bernard edelman for the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam in this powerful collection of more than 200 poignant, honest, and very human letters. Not having much knowledge on the vietnam war, this book really opened my eyes and. Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the firstperson narrative by men and women who were in the war, some of whom.
Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book along with many more and archive footage, the film creates a highly personal experience of the vietnam war. Bernard edelman, a vietnam veteran who was an associate producer of the film and also edited the companion book for the new york vietnam veterans memorial. Vietnam is the thirtyfourth and latest book in my australian story by scholastic. This book is about constantly hiding from the government and, in the process, hiding from ourselves. The book is an anthology of letters assembled by the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission, to which the director offered the profits from the film in exchange for rights to the letters. The entire books is all real letters from soldiers that were stationed.
It weaves the words of the soldiers who served into a poignant verbal history. The war stemmed from americas efforts to contain the spread of communism in southeast asia. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush. The film is based on a book of the same name which was commissioned by the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission. Koch to serve on the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission, he edited the book dear america. Dear america more than twentyfive years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. Vietnam war dear america letters home from vietnam. After 25 years of living illegally in a country that does not consider me one of its own, this book is the closest thing i have to freedom. Emi music publishing, cmrra, latinautor, aresa, ascap, sony atv publishing, abramus digital. Letters home from vietnam on thursday, january 18 at 7 p. Letters home from vietnam tv movie 1987 dear america. I was a teenageryoung adult while this war took place, and each letter reminded me of someone i knew.
Collects letters, poems, and petitions from the front, written mostly by infantrymen to their families and friends. The world war ii diary of madeline beck, long island, new york 1941 dear america series by mary pope osborne with the might of angels. Vietnam became split into a communist north and prowest south. More than 25 years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served there. More than twentyfive years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. Decades after the end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. Dear america is a middle grade series of historical novels for girls published by scholastic. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the. This book is about what it means to not have a home. Dear uncle and aunt, some people wonder why americans are in vietnam.
Due to the overwhelming response to the commissions request for letters, dear america. Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book along with many more and archive footage, the film. The fall of an empire and the making of america s vietnam by. Most are a page or less, and they give a vivid insight into attitudes of the men there, though possibly selfcensored to put the authors in a better light. The series was cancelled in 2004 with its final release, hear my sorrow. Letters home from vietnam definitely captures the essence of the vietnam war. Each book is written in the form of a diary of a young womans life during important events or time periods in american history.
Letters home from vietnam, originally published in 1985. Letters home from vietnam is a compilation of the letters of certain american soldiers who fought in the vietnam war. The common theme of each of the writers was their sense of duty to their country despite the hardships. Letters home from vietnam is a collection of letters written home from soldiers and other personal serving in the vietnam war with the exception of a couple letters being to a soldier. Vietnam war videos dear america letters home from vietnam. More than twentyfive years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and. Dear america letters home from vietnam vietnam war books.