Voices from Vietnam - Sample Stories

Michael An 18 year old soldier in 1966, Michael was assigned to one of the wars most dangerous jobs. He spent his tour of duty as a door gunner in a medivac helicopter, retrieving the dead and wounded from the battlefields. "We were inexperienced, hardly more than boys, in the adult world of war, and we were terrified."
Photo courtesy of Michael


*Lana and Byron* "She shimmered in time." Lana's poetic words describe her adopted Vietnamese daughter, Heather, whose short life ended 27 years ago. "I'm sorry we couldn't save her, but I'm so very glad we had the opportunity to love her."
Photo Courtesty of Lana

Hoi Quang Hoi Quang joined the South Vietnamese Navy at the age of 17. During silent nights and early quiet mornings, he would dive into the calm sea just after low or high tides to check for enemy booby traps planted on American and South Vietnamese ships. On April 22, 1972 he discovered and then removed three magnetic mines attached to an American Navy troop carrier. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal for his bravery for saving the lives of thousands.
Photo courtesy of Hoi Quang