A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and the road to wartime healing begins with one shared memory at a time. The unspoken memories often do not go away. They may go deep inside the soul where they lie dormant like a volcano that finally blows after years, decades, of saving up the pain.

Not all the memories of wartime are painful. Some people remember the happy moments, the moments of respite from a madness called war—moments of sharing, of giving, of laughter, even moments of love.

Many of the images of war portrayed in the poems and stories in this book are disturbing. Some may bring a tear to the reader’s eyes, others may bring a smile to the heart. Whatever the reader’s response, keep in mind that the images are real. The poets and storytellers are real. The Vietnam experience was real for over a quarter of a million American men and women and for thousands more from New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

I have been thinking of writing this book for over 15 years. I did not serve in Vietnam, but I flew helicopters in the Army with many wonderful Vietnam veteran crew chiefs and pilots. In addition to the men, I kept thinking about the courage as well as the suffering of the women who also served our country during this time. As a writer, it occurred to me that I could do something to tell their stories. Then it dawned on me—who better to tell their stories than the women veterans and the men who knew them? So began my search for those who wanted to share their stories. I set up a Web site, http://www.geocities.com/vietnamfront, to find those who wanted to be a part of this project. The response was wonderful.

Many Vietnam veterans wrote to encourage me in my endeavor. Some women veterans wrote to say they could not share a poem or story, but that they were grateful for my wanting to do this. Some shared their stories but wish to remain anonymous. Some women wrote a note to tell me why they went to Vietnam. One woman’s simple yet poignant statement expresses many others’ comments to me, “I was young, and I felt I could do something for our men in Vietnam and for my country.”

Many of the men and women who served their country in Vietnam know they have to let their war memories out for themselves as well for those who can no longer speak for themselves—those whose hands they held during death, whose faces they saw once and never again, those whose cries they shushed. Over 58,000 American men, nearly five dozen military and civilian American women, approximately 500 Australians, and 39 New Zealanders did not come home alive from Vietnam. For those that survived, the journey continues, the healing goes on.

Thank you to all of you who contributed to this book with stories, poems, pictures, and words of support, encouragement, and friendship. Thank you to all of you whose names may not appear in this book but still contributed through your e-mails with words of support.

To all Vietnam veterans, “Welcome Home and Thank You.”
Jan Hornung