Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is at most six steps away from, or connected to, any other person on Earth. While the Vietnam War was raging, silver bracelets were created to raise awareness of, and show support for, American servicemen who were prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA). After the war, black bracelets were produced to pay homage to any of our armed forces killed in action (KIA). The orange bracelet is more recent and symbolizes all those, living and deceased, who have suffered from diseases, combat wounds, and post traumatic stress resulting from their Vietnam service. These bracelets honor the memory and sacrifice of our troops—one of the central goals of this book. In December 2009, John Siegfried discovered the silver POW/MIA bracelet that his mother-in-law had worn for over 20 years. Curiosity urged him to contact the person named on the bracelet, a contact that inspired him profoundly and set him on a path that resulted in this book. Colonel Myron Donald willingly shared the story of both his service and imprisonment as a POW in Vietnam. In a personal meeting with Colonel Donald, Siegfried learned the harrowing details of how Donald overcame over five years imprisonment in the horrid conditions of North Vietnamese prisons. This story opened his eyes to the harsh reality and bitter tragedy of a savage war and inspired him to begin researching the stories of others affected by the Vietnam War. This book contains many of those stories, as well as compelling insights into Siegfried’s own journey of discovery. All interviews within this book are true accounts and were conducted in person throughout the United States. You will be riveted by the indescribable stories told by veterans, about veterans, and for veterans, and by the families of the lost or still missing MIAs. More than 3,400,000 men and women served in Southeast Asia. Although close to 60 percent of all Vietnam veterans who served in-country are no longer alive, the families of all these veterans will continue to be affected by the Vietnam War for generations. This book illustrates the misery and despair experienced by both soldiers and victims of this visceral war, but also the exhilaration of combat, and the camaraderie felt, during their respective tours, to present day. The understanding of warfare, combined with the appreciation of all the elements derived from combat, is necessary to better comprehend the effects of battle on those who have sworn to protect our country. Even if our soldiers did not incur flesh wounds, they may have suffered irreparable damage to their emotions, their psyche, and their soul. We civilians may never know or be able to comprehend the degradation caused to their human spirit and the violence and brutality they encountered. We need also to continue to support these men and women in the aftermath of their courageous service.

A sort of nebulous sad thing happening forever and ever : childhood socialization to the Vietnam War -- Why couldn't I fight in a nice, simpler war? : comic books and Mad magazine -- Who bombed Santa's workshop? : militarizing play with commercial war toys -- One of the most agonizing years of my life : knowing someone in Vietnam -- Mom tried to make it for us like he wasn't even gone : father separation and reunion -- God bless dad wherever you are : POW/MIA -- How come the flags around town aren't flying at half-mast? : Gold Star children -- Yes, I am My Lai, but My Lai is better than Viet Cong! : Vietnamese adoptees and Amerasians.

David Maraniss tells the epic story of Vietnam and the sixties through the events of a few gripping, passionate days of war and peace in October 1967. With meticulous and captivating detail, They Marched Into Sunlight brings that catastrophic time back to life while examining questions about the meaning of dissent and the official manipulation of truth—issues that are as relevant today as they were decades ago. In a seamless narrative, Maraniss weaves together the stories of three very different worlds: the death and heroism of soldiers in Vietnam, the anger and anxiety of antiwar students back home, and the confusion and obfuscating behavior of officials in Washington. To understand what happens to the people in these interconnected stories is to understand America's anguish. Based on thousands of primary documents and 180 on-the-record interviews, the book describes the battles that evoked cultural and political conflicts that still reverberate.

A runaway bestseller in Quebec, with foreign rights sold to 15 countries around the world, Kim Thúy's Governor General's Literary Award-winning Ru is a lullaby for Vietnam and a love letter to a new homeland. Ru. In Vietnamese it means lullaby; in French it is a small stream, but also signifies a flow - of tears, blood, money. Kim Thúy's Ru is literature at its most crystalline: the flow of a life on the tides of unrest and on to more peaceful waters. In vignettes of exquisite clarity, sharp observation and sly wit, we are carried along on an unforgettable journey from a palatial residence in Saigon to a crowded and muddy Malaysian refugee camp, and onward to a new life in Quebec. There, the young girl feels the embrace of a new community, and revels in the chance to be part of the American Dream. As an adult, the waters become rough again: now a mother of two sons, she must learn to shape her love around the younger boy's autism. Moving seamlessly from past to present, from history to memory and back again, Ru is a book that celebrates life in all its wonder: its moments of beauty and sensuality, brutality and sorrow, comfort and comedy.

As a Skywitness to History, helicopter pilot LTC Gene T. Boyer flew tours of duty in Korea and Vietnam before joining the Executive Flight Detachment, gradually working his way up to the White House Senior Pilot position during the LBJ, Nixon, and Ford administrations.

King mesmerizes readers with fiction deeply rooted in the sixties, exploring in five interconnected narratives, spanning 1960 to 1999, the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War. "Engaging . . . King's gift of storytelling is rich".--"The Los Angles Times Book Review".