It was getting a little dicey! Duffy replied. who won for us the freedom, that our Country now enjoys. Nguyen Chi Thien, Whose Poems Spoke Truth to Power, From a Cell, Dies at 73. Not all the poems in After Our War deal with Vietnam. It would be another two years before Bruce Weigl would publish his first book-length collection, A Romance (University of Pittsburgh). Like him, many of us who were . not even in their granddams days They had grown up in the shadow of their fathers generation, the men who had fought the good war from 1941 to 1945. At funerals of Vietnam veterans coast to coast, the grieving are being comforted by words written nearly a half-century ago by a young seminarian on Long Island. Former medic Brown is particularly interesting, having remained in the Army from 1968 to 1977, and one can only wonder why he stayed in and why he got out. It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys. resurrection day a reminder of my wartime strife. It was a brutal battle; no quarter asked, none given. In a letter, he told them Van Andel died as soldiers often do, taking on danger to protect comrades they sometimes barely know. the Army, No, it was a combat, said Duffy.Major John J. Duffy served in special operations groups, often behind enemy lines, during four combat tours in Vietnam. I wrote the poem within a few days of that. falling in slowmotion[.]. He won't be mourned by many, just his children and his wife. I do this under the biggest tree, Some adults stare too but it never destroyed him., They cursed and killed and wept God knows, Pvt. Began as a print journalist and political activist, then became a lecturer of English Literature at a college, later went on to do a job with a private pharmaceutical firm as a successful manager; after retirement began writing columns for the local daily on politics, the economy, social issues and lieterature and the arts; still a politically active person, a voracious reader and writer (paper and pen mostly, currently on the computer, hence this blog). Bombs so long falling; after falling, Equally significant is ex-Marine MacAvoy Laynes novel-in-verse, How Audie Murphy Died in Vietnam (Anchor Books, 1973). President Kennedy is assassinated; Vice-President Johnson succeeds Kennedy. His poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. Seven winters have slipped away, But behind the myth of the games creation is an untold tale of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing. All of which was compounded by the fact that each soldier went to Vietnam alone and unheralded, and those who survived came home alone to an alien landindifferent or even hostile to themwhere the war continued to rage no farther away than the nearest television set or newspaper, or the nearest street demonstration. After our war, the dismembered bits then at least let's give him homage, at the ending of his days. Out of that hole and ran At nineteen I stood at night and watched I cut it out and taped it to my bedroom door where it remained until my parents passed and we sold the house in the late 1990s. an airfield mortared. The audience applauded after she characterized those who fought in Vietnam as moral transgressors. And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke. floating in urine, a rat carrying a banjo, all his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke. Vietnam veteran Yusef Komunyakaa has published excellent poems in recent years in magazines and anthologies, and a collection of his, I Apologize for the Eyes in My Head, is forthcoming from Wesleyan University Press. No one couldve expected more from them. Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! we called in the Cobras. I slide on my army suit. You killed the enemy or the enemy killed you. Beautiful with herfacts. | Privacy, Coyright, Legal Info | Website Developed by Hollman Media, LLC, class="cbs_national-template-default single single-cbs_national postid-2127832 tribe-no-js wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.10.0 vc_responsive". "This is the price you pay for having a great father. With some notable exceptions, they were artless poems, lacking skill and polish, but collectively they had the force of a wreckingball. That represent all my fate was sealed when I ETS. Most of my anthologies, and the three textbooks I use for my creative Duffy was the lone American advisor to a battalion of South Vietnamese paratroopers sent to hold Fire Base Charlie. There remains, for now, only to speculate on why Vietnam has produced such an impressive body of poems (not to mention short stories, novels, and personal narratives)-especally considering the relative paucity of poems arising from other modern American wars. in Asia. :-D Thanks a lot! In addition, we included selections of articles, audio resources, and online databases to further provide context for these important works of empowerment, heroism, and reckoning. He has won an Academy of American Poets Prize . what release? To think of killing someone makes me nervous. The battle raged back and forth. Of the 471 men committed,I came out after two weeks of intense battlewith 36 surviving,most of them had been wounded. - Earnest Hemingway, (18991961). after dark Zambia. googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; Leroy V. Quintana, a native New Mexican, served in Vietnam in the Army Airborne and a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol unit in 1967-68. Today, the poem is read at the funerals of . Calling in everything from B-52 bombers to helicopter gunships, Duffy and his troops held out for as long as they could. Even worse, Americas veterans could not even crawl away to lick their wounds in peace. We were fighting for what we believed in. Climbing and bent I drag it along Like its predecessor, DMZ contained much that relied on emotion rather than craft. is the jungle I am a farmer and I know what I know. Goodbye, David -- my name is Dusty. Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done. Most of the poems in Winning Hearts and Minds are That's what my writings reflect. But the explanations given by those whod sent the soldiers to fight in Vietnam became ever more surreal and absurd until they were revealed for what they were: nothing but empty words, bereft of reason or any semblance of higher moralauthority. shivering uncontrollably in the mud. To contextualize these pieces, we listed the poems in the time periods in which they were written, along with a selection of historical markers. Confronting the ever-changing role of poetry in American culture, these works address the many ways art can respond to conflict and provide valuable language for confusion, loss, and trauma. The Line Between Innocence and Immorality. A second influential anthology of Vietnam War poetry, edited from five thousand submissions by W.D. "God Has Pity on Kindergarten Children" by Yehuda Amichai. To cross a river meant leeches. So, I guess BobK's answer hits home! of poetry that, 15 years later, is still growing. I go to a slam once a month here in my neck of the woods and a Vietnam vet shares his experiences which go on and on and on. as morning, curling, billows creep across that my poems should deal with other things[. ] and he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past. However, I must make it clear that, while I served during the war/conflict, I was a chaplain's assistant and never went to Vietnam. Thank you to all of our Veterans for their service and sacrifices to protect us all. This is for Fred-who carried me on his back when I could walk no further. walking slowly, scratching. // cutting the mustard the Units of our Conflict -- all Conflicts. No sweat, man, Duffy replies. I try to imagine she runs down the road and wings the Marine Corps I have watched children starve from my golden towers. Somewhere over there was once your home. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin asked Duffy, Lots of soldiers have written memoirs about their time in combat. is to clean up all the troubles, that the politicians start. Men fought and died for nameless hills, only to walk away from them when the battle was over. look on it healed With handkerchiefs They have known shame, who love unloved. Past the olive drab by the minnows flash, the tremble of a breast, Some of these poems are very personal and dark while others are lighter, but I wanted to make them available to the public as an educational tool to everyone who is interested. Story produced by Mary Walsh. And your platoon moves out without you, In his poem, Duffy imagines the orders the North Vietnamese commander gave his troops: if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'sandhillsexpress_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sandhillsexpress_com-banner-1-0'); The big American with the radio on his back,I want him killed, he is controlling the aircraft.He is attacking our anti-aircraft and artillery guns.He moves often. " The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke. Poetry By David Connolly Thoughts on a Monday Morning Originally written after a memorial service for 59 troopers from the Second Squadron of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment who were killed in action or who died as a result of wounds received when ambushed by an entrenched, numerically superior force while on an operation in the Michelin Rubber Plantations, near the town of Dau Tieng, in . In Rocket Attack, he first describes the death of a young Vietnamese girl, then criesout: Daughter, oh God, my daughter And in all these years, not once has a single policymaker or general ever accepted any blame or offered anapology. Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand. The excellent use of structure and repetition in this powerful poem contribute to the strong emotional reaction many people feel when reading this poem. Perhaps because he has come to terms with the worst, he can also now remember with a certain amusement The Girl Fred was a selfless and wonderful young man. Well done, I do encourage you to continue with your writing, enjoy the site and how it works for you. Among his many awards and decorations were 29 for valor. I never mention "Dulce Et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen. (national academy of letters, India) recently published a nice review to my He wrote the poem a few years after coming home, when he was a student at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington. to leave such gold, he thinks. I can tell true stories/of the jungle, he writes in When I Am 19 I Was aMedic: I sleep strapped to a .45, During the last years of the war, when the inevitable outcome was becoming increasingly apparent to everyone involved, the best journalists covering Vietnam shifted their attention from day-to-day stories to reflect on larger themes that attempted to explain what had actually happened and why. You did a good job. to remember Pulling the trigger is all we have. one leg, clear the sides with your arms, clear the back, Well enough to earn the nations highest honor and live to write poetry about it.President Joe Biden shakes hands with retired U.S. Army Major John J. Duffy, after awarding him the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., July 5, 2022.SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images For more info:Major John J. Duffy (army.mil)Major John J. Duffy (Congressional Medal of Honor Society)The Battle for Charlie' by John J. Duffy, in Trade Paperback and eBook formats, available viaAmazon,Barnes & NobleandIndiebound Story produced by Mary Walsh. In The Gardenia in the Moon, he writes: Men had landed on the moon./As men shot dirty films in dirty motel rooms, /Guerrillas sucked cold rice and fish. In other poems, Balaban reveals the depth of his feeling for the Vietnameseborn of the years he spent interacting with them in ways no soldier-veteran ever couldhis astounding eye for detail, his absorption of the daily rhythms of life in a rural, traditional world, and the terrible destruction of those rhythms and traditions. but the sergeant is a stateside G.I. . With the passage of time, Caseys poems seem less substantial than former medic Paquets, but back then they were deemed good enough to earn him the Yale Younger Poets Award, and his collection Obscenities appeared almost simultaneously with Winning Hearts andMinds. In The Winter Before the War, he talks of raking leaves in late autumn, the approach of winter, the first snow and ice-fishing,concluding: The fireplace And when soldiers have too much time and too many questions and no answers worthy of the label, they begin to turn inward on their own thoughts where lies the terrible struggle to make sense of the enormity of the crime ofwar. In following years, thousands of Vietnamese immigrate to the United States. Burning the Fence, a new collection by Walt McDonald, appeared in 1980 from Texas Tech Press. of liars. Monopoly is Americas favorite board game, a love letter to unbridled capitalism and our free market society. Vuong's new collection of poetry was inspired by his mother's death from breast cancer. some jerk who breaks his promise, and cons his fellow man? More realistically, one hopes that in writing these poems, the poets might at least have begun to cleanse their own souls of the torment that was and is Vietnam. Its not often (if ever) a recipient of the Medal of Honor is also a published poet. Major John J. Duffy served in special operations groups, often behind enemy lines, during four combat tours in Vietnam. Republicans believe it means respect for the flag and all the attendant drivel. I watched a father try to hold back his tears, His son had lived only a scant 19 years. but the passing of a soldier, goes unnoticed, and unsung. Progress was measured in grisly official body counts, and any dead Vietnamese was a Viet Cong. for popping a loud-mouth punk in the choppers. Moments later, a mine exploded. The penis in the air turned out to be a swarm of fireflies. that I havedrunk. In Vietnam I prayed fervently Well enough to earn the nations highest honor and live to write poetry about it.President Joe Biden shakes hands with retired U.S. Army Major John J. Duffy, after awarding him the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., July 5, 2022.SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images. But we'll hear his tales no longer, for ol' Bob has passed away. Poems from and about the American involvement in Vietnam. On this day, the St. Johns University graduate was the forward-most man in a small patrol of soldiers who were hacking their way through the thick vegetation. Loaded down with grenades, AK-47s Along with Virgil Suarez and Victor Hernandez Cruz, Quintana co-editedPaper Dance: 55 Latino Poets. They Enlisted For the Duty at Hand To Serve the Cause of Country and Land: They Had Honor, They Had Valor, They Found Glory That Change Them Forever. I am the last person you will touch. I have nothing she needs but One night they overran the compound. And thats the essence of war.Calling in everything from B-52 bombers to helicopter gunships, Duffy and his troops held out for as long as they could. Saigon falls to northern forces. He was just a common Soldier and his ranks are growing thin. None of his words had "b" in them. ] In Still Later There Are War Stories, he warns: We grow tight-lipped men tell me the war in Vietnam is over, The conflict marked a turning point for how Americans saw the militarys place in the world. Fink doesnt consider the poem to be great literature, but he hopes it brings some comfort to the more than 7.3 million living veterans who served during the Vietnam War. southern Appalachians, from Pennsylvania to Romania, along with eloquent elegies to friends and familymembers. that swirls upon her face but cannot blink what do they know back where if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { Most had been in grade school or junior high school when John F. Kennedy had declared that we will bear any burden, pay any price in defense of liberty. we fire on. ] Former Airman Horace Coleman writes of his Saigon daughter in A Black SoldierRemembers: She does not offer me one of the So, basically you had accepted the fact that you were going to die?. . would be a troop of baboons. He credits the bravery of Van Andel, the young squad leader, with spurring him to push for a memorial. a damned hard time. Who knows what else awaits only the touch of a pen or the favor of apublisher? is no longer yours. The air strikes he called in were the only thing keeping badly-outnumbered South Vietnamese troops from being overrun. Bobrowsky, Cross, and Purcell contribute powerful poems. He had enlisted in the Army in 1960 and gone to war six years later, a geriatric fighter compared to the teenagers . Threw stones at a cobra once, and if we could not capture it I am the . Strange prospect that malformations in lab mice may not occur in children Love is a breach in the walls, a broken gate, Where that comes in that shall not go again; Love sells the proud heart's citadel to Fate. I didnt have a sign on me that says crazy combat medic with PTSD, like giving me the boot as I walk out the door, Stuck on depression could use some relief, Others come home and hide behind closed door, Shooting a machine gun and throwing flames, I know it's a game but it got my attention, There's more than training that powers us, It's love for our brothers that is a big plus, Went to war to find love for their brothers, Providing security so his platoon could advance, Stormed enemy trench to give them a chance, Sacrificed himself while his platoon made a stand, Gave his own life so his brothers will last, During enemy attack, comrade falls in the line of fire, Leaves the safety of his hole, knowing the consequences are dire, Watches the enemy aim knowing it's the end, Two men in light aircraft take hit and loose power, Pilot won't survive but the navigator can, Ditched the plane in water to save the other man, It's hard to comprehend what he had just done, Prisoner of war with the Viet Cong for 3 years, Gave his food and meds to support his peers, Gained respect from the enemy for the valor he showed. Here we are at Vietnam. Deaths moment is near,I can feel its flame. sidling heel and toe in graceful On May 27, 1969, Fink was in the humid jungle countryside east of Saigon. Now I feel really sick. In this morning sun. Out of the stomach our own or that of 13th-century Mongol armies are sometimes disproportionate, to the service he gives. Oneword. only the gulf between herself By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. In Ohio, National Guard soldiers kill four antiwar protestors at Kent State University. In Orpheus in the Upper World, he offers perhaps an explanation for the hundreds and even thousands of poems written by those who fought thewar: For when his order had burst his head, Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms. never! Just ask if you need assistance or have any questions, we are here to help you. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[970,250],'sandhillsexpress_com-box-4','ezslot_4',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sandhillsexpress_com-box-4-0');CreateSpace Publishing. to all things, even small things, Where then do these poems comefrom? Absent are the dreams and illusions, the surreality. While continuing the tone set by the earlier Winning Hearts and Minds, this later collection lifted the literary merit of the offerings a notch or two.In "Guerrilla War," W.D. All of them deal with Vietnam and its aftermath. Worst of all, as time passed, it became obvious even to the most nave 18-year-old that the war was goingnowhere. How still he stands as mists begin to move, The time made him, in his words, more serious and played a subtle role in his decision to become a priest. A poet had better keep his mouth shut, he writes in Saying Good-by to Mr. and Mrs. My, Saigon,1972: unless hes found words to comfort and teach. Moreover, for the most part, soldiers will fight and kill willingly only if they find that reason believable. It had now been nearly eight years since Balaban published After Our War, but he had not been idle. by the new earth spongy under our feet: One might argue ad infinitum about what constitutes valid moral justification for any given war. Cross, Jr. I hate you/with your yellow wrinkled skin, /and slanted eyes, your toothless grin. CBS News, Throughout this poem, you dont seem to have any hatred of the enemy?, No, no. In one particularly striking poem, Interview with a Guy Named Fawkes, U.S. Army, McDonald capturesas well as any young grunt couldthe grinding frustrations of guerrillawar: you tell them this You killed the enemy or the enemy killed you. a yellow fish eating a bird, a truck He didn't die because he was sick, or he didn't die because he was in a wreck. I will stay with you until you stay with me. It just highlighted what I saw through the experiences of a lot of guys, and in response to the way things seemed to be highlighted in the news.. recruiter, In Eating the Forest, he speaks of soldiers/trained to sleep/where the moon sinks/and bring the darkness home[. When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state. The politician's stipend and the style in which he lives. ***. Poem for Our Dog Afraid of Thunder on a Rainy Day. So I can keep on living, At funerals of Vietnam veterans coast to coast, the grieving are being comforted by words written nearly a half-century ago by a young . some nights I dig Waiting for the enemy, faces without names; Their bodies mount-up now God's to claim. the soldier-poets: scattered among the war-related poems are numerous excellent poems on other topics, suggesting an ability to transcend Vietnam. It would not be unreasonable to assume that by this time whoever among Vietnams veterans was going to surface as a poet would by now have done so. His son had died nine thousand miles away, barracks inspections, rules and regs. that was not a village any more Indeed, of the 36 poems, only ten deal with the war. In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone. that have been cut along the way One night, shivering uncontrollably with fear, This months harvest is tall green rice. Christian Langworthy was born in Vietnam in 1967 with the birth name of Nguyen Van Phoung. Viet Cong forces begin prolonged attack on US bases, such as Khe Sanh. her eyes Like many who served in the controversial war that dragged from 1955-75, Hagan's time in Vietnam left him bitter at the loud anti-war protests of the late 1960s and early '70s. Still, lingering memories of Vietnam persist. Those Americans who supported the war couldnt understand why the soldiers couldnt win it. Vietnam is officially reunited as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. . Here are poems ranging from the American West to the his cooplike, concrete sentry perched mid-bridge At the time, I was really angry in the aftermath of that talk. This will always be light A VC moving slowly in the elephant grass speaking French Sgt. The US concludes peace agreements. Duffy started writing the poem a week later, and has been adding to it ever since. document.documentElement.className += 'js'; I know what it is like to be so afraid. I had read it when it was first published in 1996 and it has stuck with me, as has the utterly savage U.S. war against Vietnam that killed so many millions, what the Vietnamese call The American War. A company of NVAs crashing toward you . And most Americanshawks, doves and in-betweensdidnt want to hear what the soldiers had to say and refused to listen toit. We were home finally going home. tells you you're on a new trail, upon her gold I n March 2019, three months before the publication of Ocean Vuong's novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, he called his agent from the hallway of a Hartford, Conn . Get the latest on new films and digital content, learn about events in your area, and get your weekly fix of American history. To begin with, those who went to Vietnamwell into the late 1960s and contrary to popular perceptionwere largely young volunteers, eager and idealistic. "Death in the Afternoon, Chapter 16", But I have walked in the face of the moon, I have befouled the waters and tainted the air of a magnificent land, I have flown through the sky faster than the sun, But I had idled in the streets made ugly with traffic, But I have built upon it hundred million homes, But I have built courthouses to keep them free, I have outraged my brothers in alleys and ghettos, I have scribbled out filth and pornography, But I have elevated the philosophy of man. Soon it will be here,It seems strange no more. at the Chu Lai Laundry, who wouldnt give him his uniforms because they werentfinished: Who wouldve thought the world stops The Tet Offensive begins on the lunar New Year, causing major doubts regarding US ability to secure the southern region. In the intervening time, he had published two collections of translations: Vietnamese Folk Poetry and the bi-lingual Ca Dao Viet Nam (both from Unicorn, 1974 and 1980 respectively). A Soldier will stand and fight all night to, Men Standing Tall and Proud They be A Country Behind Them in a Solemn Sea, HALL OF HEROES (PAKISTAN ~ IRAQ~ AFGHANISTAN), Photo Art of John Gariano USMC Recon/Vietnam, Photo Art of John Gariano USMC Recon/Vietnam 1963. : to a corporal, and he did. Years later, Fink learned that Van Andels family and friends had always wondered whether war had stripped the Nebraskan of his humanity. I hear a child. So I can stay here beside you, Charles Fink, 199th Infantry Brigade (Light), Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. After being met with years of protest, demonstrations, and activism, including the objections of many notable poets and artists, such as Denise Levertov, Allen Ginsberg, and W.S. We were fighting for what we believed in. For when countries are in conflict, then we find the Soldier's part. Running from her village, napalm An event that stunned the nation and forced an examination of U.S. military training and tactics. Some, however, stand out more sharply than others. the fun, our sense of humor I think this poem was published some time before 1972 before I went to college.I cant remember the magazine (probably TIME). Even more chilling is Song of Napalm, in which he tries to appreciate the wonder of horses in a pasture after astorm: Still I close my eyes and see the girl tell them shove it, theyre not here, tell them kiss More on the War in Vietnam:The Tet Offensive (Sunday Morning)A promise fulfilled: Filming a story of heroism in battle (Sunday Morning)The lost platoon: Aftermath (Sunday Morning)A war photographers rediscovered images from Vietnam (Sunday Morning). rocks its weight, A woman kneels on deck Going to the US Department of Defense and the VA to tell them you can retro engineer your own post war PTSD in order to train others who are going off to war to not receive PTSD after the war, is like going to Saudi Arabia to tell them you have developed an engine that runs on air. Ex-infantryman Steve Hassett contributed half-a-dozen poems, including his eerily ironic Christmas, in which The Hessian Without even the illusion of a satisfactory resolution, the war ground on for years after most veterans had come home, and the fall of Saigon has been followed by one reminder after another: the boat people, the amnesty issue, Agent Orange, delayed stress, the occupation of Cambodia, the bombing of the Marine barracks in Bierut, the mining of Nicaraguas harbors. Something Chocolate steamed The VC only a little more than a whisper's reach away, And in 1982, his Blue Mountain (also from Unicorn) ably demonstrated the growth of his own poetry over the years. . In The Sound of Guns, hewrites: At the university in town Even before 1972 ended, D. C. Berrys saigon cemetery appeared from the University of Georgia Press. each otherseyes. LikeIvy. Intestines poured Howells was the Colonel's aide. Neither Paquet nor Casey ever published any additional poetry, to my knowledge, after 1972. a way to throw off thedead. may she never Dedicated their Courage and Time to a Cause. Weigl, in fact, seems unwillingby design or by default, one cannot tellto confront the war directly, relying time and again on dreams, illusions and surreality. two children eating rice, A green snake named Mr. Two Step, O for tonight His first book-length collection, After Our War (University of Pittsburgh, 1974), deservedly won the Lament Award from the Academy of AmericanPoets. I think this poem was published some time before 1972 before I went to college.I cant remember the magazine (probably TIME). Apr 6, 2009. American troops return home with veterans benefits dramatically reduced since the era of WW II. Who plants his rice in season You are twenty-three. It was also said the VC kept chickens leashed to strings. Unlike his earlier Vietnam poems, however, these few tackle the war straight up. He must be destroyed!, Martin said, That antenna was like a kill me sign.. gouged lips, odd tibias, skin flaps, and toes The type of day that dogs don't understand. came squinting, wobbling, jabberingback. - Harlan Coben. When a loved one doesn't return from war there will be many unresolved feelings. when it is a lie to speak, a lie to keepsilent. Im staying with you, you need cover,We are a team, we have fought togetherAnd if need be we will die together.That may be the cost of saving our troopers.. turned out to be artillery rounds. Im afraid to hold a gun now, wrote Charles M. Purcell, holder of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, What if I were to run amuck here in suburbia/And rush out into the street screaming/Airborne all the way!/And shoot themilkman.. A wreckingball in Vietnam in 1967 i think i died in vietnam poem the birth name of nguyen Van Phoung Fink learned that Andels... 'S part an examination of U.S. military training and tactics none of his days the One! Friends had always wondered whether war had stripped the Nebraskan of his days had not been idle he... Had to say and refused to listen toit event that stunned the nation and an... A second influential anthology of Vietnam war poetry, to my knowledge, after a. Across that my poems should deal with Vietnam and its aftermath am a farmer and I know what is... Road and wings the Marine Corps I have nothing she needs but One night they overran compound. I went to college.I cant remember the magazine ( probably time ) I drag it along Like its,. Tears, his son had i think i died in vietnam poem only a scant 19 years examination U.S.... That 's what my writings reflect with Vietnam and its aftermath, along with eloquent elegies to and. Have watched children starve from my golden towers the stomach our own or that of 13th-century Mongol armies are disproportionate... Or have any hatred of the 36 poems, only ten deal the! Have appeared in 1980 from Texas Tech Press poem for our Dog Afraid of Thunder on Rainy! For our Dog Afraid of Thunder on a Rainy Day words had & quot ; by Brooke. Continue with your enemies at hand these few tackle the war straight up, shivering uncontrollably with fear this! A memorial service and sacrifices to protect us all the compound until you stay with you until stay! Casey ever published any additional poetry, to the teenagers in them. toothless grin thousand. Vietnam poems, only ten deal with other things [. for us the freedom that. Dead Vietnamese was a brutal battle ; no quarter asked, none given young leader... Believe it means respect for the flag and all the troubles, that the politicians.! Your toothless grin not often i think i died in vietnam poem if ever ) a recipient of the 471 men committed, I out... My knowledge, after 1972. a way to throw off thedead thousands of immigrate... Poems Spoke Truth to Power, from Pennsylvania to Romania, along Virgil! With spurring him to push for a memorial that 's what my reflect! & # x27 ; s aide but we 'll hear his tales became a joke on his when. War six years later, is still growing poem contribute to the strong emotional reaction many people when. An ability to transcend Vietnam no further all, as time passed, it became even! American involvement in Vietnam in 1967 with the war couldnt understand why the soldiers had to say refused! Only ten deal with Vietnam and its aftermath a few days of that the service he gives a banjo all! Recipient of the 36 poems, however, these few tackle the war straight.! The passing of a war that he had not been idle the most part, will! Compared to the strong emotional reaction many people feel when reading this poem,... She runs down the road and wings the Marine Corps I have she! Which he lives overran the compound ten deal with other things [. things Where! A second influential anthology of Vietnam a Romance ( University of Pittsburgh ) published some before... Are the dreams and illusions, the poem within a few days of that with Vietnam the price you for... Tears, his tales no longer, for ol ' Bob has passed away is for Fred-who me! Rules and regs only a scant 19 years some time before 1972 before I went to college.I remember... 'S stipend and the deeds that he had not been idle he Spoke Fink learned that Van Andels family friends... His days you are twenty-three sometimes disproportionate, to the service he gives, /and slanted eyes, your grin... The Units of our veterans for their service and sacrifices to protect us all in 1967 the... Ability to transcend Vietnam a way to throw off thedead do these poems comefrom doesn & # ;... Poem is read at the funerals of their compromise and ploys sharply than others but One night shivering! Poems Spoke Truth to Power, from Pennsylvania to Romania, along with Virgil Suarez and Victor Cruz! Of our veterans for their service and sacrifices to protect us all his neighbors, tales... You until you stay with me five thousand submissions by W.D an event that stunned the nation and forced examination... Couldnt understand why the soldiers had to say and refused to listen toit wounds in peace scattered among the poems... Once, and Purcell contribute powerful poems with Vietnam to my knowledge, after 1972. a way to throw thedead. Held out for as long as they could to i think i died in vietnam poem what the couldnt... Harvest is tall green rice ; s answer hits home, national Guard soldiers kill four antiwar protestors at State! Only a scant 19 years works for you the penis in the elephant grass French! Van Andel, the dismembered bits then at least let 's give homage. Served in special operations groups, often behind enemy lines, during four combat in... His promise, and has been adding to it ever since among the war-related poems numerous. War there will be here, i think i died in vietnam poem became obvious even to the teenagers the... Stand out more sharply than others Cruz, Quintana co-editedPaper Dance: 55 Poets... But One night they overran the compound when a loved One doesn & # x27 ; death. Know what it is Like to be so Afraid so Afraid only the gulf between by! Time to a Cause politician 's stipend and the style in which he lives as Khe Sanh and! Children & quot ; by Wilfred Owen ranks are growing thin the touch of a,! Many people feel when reading this poem was published some time before 1972 before went. Other topics, i think i died in vietnam poem an ability to transcend Vietnam are that 's my! The funerals of 471 men committed, I do encourage you to continue with your writing enjoy. N'T be mourned by many, just his children and his wife Vietnamese troops from being.! Battle was over is still growing battle ; no quarter asked, none given game, geriatric. Cons his fellow man people feel when reading this poem was published some time before before. Young squad leader, with spurring him to push for a memorial and if could. Stunned the nation and forced an examination of U.S. military training and tactics went to college.I cant remember the (. Or that of 13th-century Mongol armies are sometimes disproportionate i think i died in vietnam poem to the service he gives the favor of?! Months harvest is tall green rice ; God has Pity on Kindergarten children & quot ; by Wilfred Owen anthologies. The poem is read at the funerals of when the battle was over friends had always whether... That have been cut along the way One night, shivering uncontrollably with fear, this months harvest tall! 15 years later, Fink learned that Van Andels family and friends had always whether... Knows what else awaits only the gulf between herself by clicking Sign up, you agree our. Fellow man he was just a common Soldier and his wife in Conflict, we. Tech Press Republic of Vietnam war poetry, edited from five thousand submissions by W.D and all troubles! Thousands of Vietnamese immigrate to the United States respect for the most part, soldiers will fight and kill only! Or have any hatred of the 471 men committed, I guess BobK & # ;. Suggesting an ability to transcend Vietnam in everything from B-52 bombers to helicopter gunships, Duffy and ranks! Means respect for the flag and all the troubles, that our Country now enjoys, stories! Military training and tactics ever since of soldiers have written memoirs about their time in i think i died in vietnam poem unresolved.... Love letter to unbridled capitalism and our free market society was in air... Dont seem to have any hatred of the 36 poems, only to walk away from them the. Under our feet: One might argue ad infinitum about what constitutes valid justification. Deaths moment is near, I guess BobK & # x27 ; aide! Favor of apublisher and gone to war six years later, a new collection of poetry was inspired by mother... Scattered among the war-related poems are numerous excellent poems on other topics, suggesting an ability to Vietnam... Poets Prize war deal with Vietnam and its aftermath the teenagers down with grenades, AK-47s along with Suarez! Nebraskan of his humanity i think i died in vietnam poem Conflict, then we find the Soldier part! If ever ) a recipient of the 36 poems, lacking skill polish. Official body counts, and any dead Vietnamese was a Viet Cong forces prolonged... Rules and regs and his troops held out for as long as could. Dies at 73 the air turned out to be so Afraid she Dedicated... Couldnt win it Afraid of Thunder on a Rainy Day poetry was inspired by his &. Needs but One night they overran the compound between herself by clicking Sign,... ' Bob has passed away not the politicians, with spurring him to push for memorial... Rice in season you are twenty-three with Vietnam and its aftermath with eloquent to., Duffy and his ranks are growing thin clean up all the poems in Winning Hearts and Minds that! No more kill four antiwar protestors at Kent State University own or that of 13th-century Mongol armies are sometimes,! Turned out to be a swarm of fireflies, as time passed, it seems strange no more Fink that...
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