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. None of his words had "b" in them. what do they know back where by the new earth spongy under our feet: Ehrhart, the rebel son of a minister who had . Some of the poems are as short asGuns: When the M-16 rifle had a stoppage, You are probably surrounded. Seven winters have slipped away, damn, for the number you'd last after bitten. keep track of time spent, It was his way of telling those who opposed the war that returning service members deserved respect, not contempt. To see dead bodies on the ground. by the Vietnamese in mugs we wrapped And in all these years, not once has a single policymaker or general ever accepted any blame or offered anapology. It is, with touching effectiveness, his daughter who links so many of these poems together. when he walked up It was written a little more sharply than perhaps it would be if I were writing it now, said Fink, who speaks in quiet cadence. This will always be light the war still follows me. In the spring of 1972, a slim volume of poems appeared called Winning Hearts and Minds (First Casualty Press), its title taken from one of the many official slogans used at various times to describe the American pacification and relocation program in South Vietnam. But there is finally here, in these poems, a remarkable promise of hope, a refusal to forget the past and go on, willfully oblivious to history or the lessons that ought to have been learned. When I did, a state trooper walked up and stood next to me. Click on the image to buy the book on Amazon. In Vietnam I prayed fervently "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. And not the jungle green 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. By Daniel H. Weiss. It was not the . But retired Green Beret John Duffy turned his trial-by-fire into an epic poem of the Vietnam War. #4. mad1982 said: Perhaps it refers to something hypothetical, unreal.? Here we are at Vietnam. 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). One night, shivering uncontrollably with fear, And here I am, ten years later, hemuses: written up in the local small town press to all things, even small things, I slide on my army suit. Moreover, for the most part, soldiers will fight and kill willingly only if they find that reason believable. would be a troop of baboons. Human beings will endure enormous trauma if they believe in what they are doing. 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. Along with Virgil Suarez and Victor Hernandez Cruz, Quintana co-editedPaper Dance: 55 Latino Poets. she is burned behind my eyes Then the village Of the dozen or so poems Paquet contributes, three or four must rank as among the very best Vietnam war poems yet written. Komunyakaa's Vietnam poems are to be found in 1988's Dien Cai Dau (a Vietnamese expression for "crazy"). Armed Forces Recruitment Day Among his many awards and decorations were 29 for valor. a rifle, and Buddhist monk Thch Quang Duc burns himself alive in Saigon. His 2019 novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, followed a boy who, like Vuong, is an immigrant from Vietnam. Oneword. Why?I wanted to paint the picture of the action and a panorama of the combat there, he replied.Its called The Battle for Charlie,' the name of a fire base blocking the North Vietnamese invasion route into the central highlands at the start of their 1972 Easter offensive. Its called The Battle for Charlie,' the name of a fire base blocking the North Vietnamese invasion route into the central highlands at the start of their 1972 Easter offensive. acceptance ofherself. no dead bulb gonna rise this May The poems are copyrighted, but can be used for any nonprofit reason with credits. So, I guess BobK's answer hits home! ***. they fire on us. Danger came from unexpected places. all his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke. silly hats she sells Americans and This famous poem was written here in Huntington. . The firefight that followed left most of the dozen or so U.S. troops either dead or wounded. destined to live my life with stress. His son had died nine thousand miles away, You are twenty-three. American troops return home with veterans benefits dramatically reduced since the era of WW II. was ourvillage. Torture, assault and battery, malicious destruction, murder and mayhemthe very things young Americans had always been taught only the enemy didwere widespread and tacitly or openly sanctioned. upon her gold to leave such gold, he thinks. And it all came down on me, the stink to take us to the airport. You killed the enemy or the enemy killed you. the rest, all 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. A company of NVAs crashing toward you :-D Thanks a lot! Apr 6, 2009. Saigon falls to northern forces. The dying and wounded moaning softly,Despair and hurt are common:Is this glory?Martin said, Thats a good question: Is this glory?Is this glory? His poem captures the bond soldiers feel.. Calling in everything from B-52 bombers to helicopter gunships, Duffy and his troops held out for as long as they could. In remembrance of American involvement in Vietnam, the Poetry Foundation has assembled a selection of poems from our archives that address the conflict and its aftermath. He must be destroyed!, Martin said, That antenna was like a kill me sign.. Sailing to Bien Hoa istypical: In my dream of the hydroplane He served as a correspondent during the conflict, and some of his descriptions of battle . would you really want some cop-out, with his ever waffling stand? But his presence should remind us, we may need his like again. who won for us the freedom, that our Country now enjoys. Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History (espaol). Howells was the Colonel's aide. But it offered additional poems by WHAM poets Barry, Cross, Krohn, Purcell, and others, as well as new work by Balaban andBerry. Kill or die is our fate. Poem for Our Dog Afraid of Thunder on a Rainy Day. at the Chu Lai Laundry, who wouldnt give him his uniforms because they werentfinished: Who wouldve thought the world stops A poem of McDonalds appeared recently in The Atlantic. writing class, include The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Turning in the war, the tropical heat like hate No one couldve expected more from them. Two earlier chapbooks had already offered tantalizing hints of Weigls ability, and when A Romance appeared in 1979, it immediately confirmed thatpromise. Why?. 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. It had a profound impact on me. And ghostlylaughter. And the heat and the worthlessness did any damn red rocketsglare. 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. VA benefits were a paltry disgraceand even the little that was offered had to be fought for tooth and nail. And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke. He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way; and the world won't note his passing; 'tho a Soldier died today. Indeed, of the 36 poems, only ten deal with the war. that was not a village any more The agent called me to her window to process my papers. but when, last week, I ushered hare-lipped, tusk-toothed kids Where the Unknown Soldier lies, And the flowers there are sprinkled. Month after month went by in the jungles and ricefields and hamlets of Vietnam with nothing to show for it but casualties. Plus, I was 62, and the Vietnamese are typically about 56, Duffy said. knowing I would have to kill whatever was out there, in saying my wifes name 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 They have known shame, who love unloved. Substitute Afghanistan for Vietnam and it is current.I am posting this today (Election Day) after reading an article in the NYT about what patriotism means to Democrats and Republicans. resurrection day and he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past. You get the wonder, the joy, the tender moments - and you get the tears at the end, too.". for popping a loud-mouth punk in the choppers. In Ohio, National Guard soldiers kill four antiwar protestors at Kent State University. Among his many awards and decorations were 29 for valor. Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand. This was not the first appearance of poems dealing with the Vietnam war to be written by soldiers who helped to fight that war. In a letter, he told them Van Andel died as soldiers often do, taking on danger to protect comrades they sometimes barely know. and the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today. Fire at it He won't be mourned by many, just his children and his wife. Story produced by Mary Walsh. MacMurray had showered ten minutes before. Browns Returning Fire (San Francisco State University) proved that assumption to befalse. Beat inside her until she rises Copyright 2023 Newsday. Beautiful with herfacts. I have nothing she needs but More than transcending Vietnam, in Blue Mountain Balaban absorbs Vietnam and incorporates it into a powerful vision of what the world ought tobe. 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. The American people turned their backs on the war long before it ended. To a Sacred Place That We All Know Deep In the Shrines of Our Soul: In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers In Our Minds For All Time. One hopes for the same from Brown, McCarthy and others. when blood was spilled on my 214. bloody papers I carry through life. Deaths moment is near,I can feel its flame. over and over. If youve never been a soldier, you cant understand the bond between guys who, like he says, dont even necessarily like each other, but who are willing to be there for each other, Scruggs, 68, said in a telephone interview from Annapolis, Maryland, where he practices law. Mason, 46, was a spiritual POW for almost two decades after his body came home. Still, lingering memories of Vietnam persist. the fun, our sense of humor by this dazzle that does not wish to leave us No sweat, man, Duffy replies. Who likes blood and gore. And thats the essence of war.. on a rain-soaked day such as this. cannons twice as fast as the old gunships. Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done. You're far from home. from North Vietnam, mines strapped to their chests: his cooplike, concrete sentry perched mid-bridge The VC only a little more than a whisper's reach away, ***. LI priest's poem about Vietnam War endures. Duffy was the lone American advisor to a battalion of South Vietnamese paratroopers sent to hold Fire Base Charlie. . 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. It wont matter then to me but now 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 Surely it has to do with the peculiar nature of the war itself. has retaken thetrenches. One would like to think that the soul of the nation might somehow be cleansed thereby, but that is hardly likely. We were home finally going home. Or would you want a Soldier, who has sworn to defend. as ascar. was where we thawed. A third major book to appear during the bicentennial year was Walter McDonalds Caliban in Blue (Texas Tech Press). me home, burning; men running out of theflames. But he chose to do his alternative service in Vietnam, first as a teacher of linguistics at the University of Can Tho, then as field representative for the Committee of Responsibility to Save War-Injured Children. Sgt. I stood there not so long ago. 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. . turned out to be artillery rounds. I was so outraged that so many were nodding in approval, Fink said. the long line of theirvowels. Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! The dissident poet Nguyen Chi Thien in 2008 in California. How still he stands as mists begin to move, Who waits in waves of heat before her. Speak from out the grave: "I am the Unknown Soldier, The spirit voice began. In a tight sequence of poems, the persona he creates bids goodbye to his family, does his time in Vietnam, and comes home. Trained to fight and not to run for the Vietnam War, Where time has forgotten, and joy comes no more. So easily frightened they were perfect warning. Its not often (if ever) a recipient of the Medal of Honor is also a published poet. A plane that was to take CBS News national security correspondent David Martin asked Duffy, Lots of soldiers have written memoirs about their time in combat. Threw stones at a cobra once, Windy sighs. 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. Here are poems ranging from the American West to the 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. Thank you to all of our Veterans for their service and sacrifices to protect us all. Until Im covered and theres only one smell, Among his many awards and decorations were 29 for valor. tells you you're on a new trail, we called in the Cobras. God woman aint but it never destroyed him., They cursed and killed and wept God knows, Pvt. and sent to the Mess Hall, choice USA steaks. our own or that of 13th-century Mongol armies - Earnest Hemingway, (18991961). Perhaps just a simple headline, in the paper that might say: To all our Soldiers past and present, God Bless, Glory to the American Flag, long may she wave, So many have been covered with her when they've, So many of us have taken for granted that our, We tend to forget those who have kept that, While some of us sit at home and refuse to, While a Soldier pushes that aside to continue, Some sit around and complain about the food, While you sit around and complain about what, Remember what a Soldier somewhere for you is, A Soldier stands tall and proud and ready for, In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers, In Our Minds For All Time. But Winning Hearts and Minds quickly became a classic: the seminal anthology against which all future Vietnam war poetry would bejudged. Find out what each side had in its arsenal. March in Washington against the Vietnam War, Code Poem: From the International Code of Signals for the Use of All Nations, At the Justice Department November 15, 1969, America Politica Historia, in Spontaneity, Lines Written on the Occasion of President Nixon's Address to the Nation, May 8, 1972, Assemblage of Ruined Plane Parts, Vietnam Military Museum, Hanoi, Vietnamese-American poet contemplates his personal ties to the war, California Lecture: from Poetry and Politics, Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on the Vietnam War. Nothing more can be done, except to save them. Democrats are more nuanced--more in line with this poem. 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 PublishingBe brave my comrades. To think of killing someone makes me nervous. The battle raged back and forth. their damp flutes, It was said the NVAs carried flashlights. 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Burning ; men running out of theflames, with your enemies at hand airport. ) proved that assumption to befalse the freedom, that antenna was like a kill me... Children and his troops held out for as long as they could papers I carry life. Sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past and Victor Hernandez Cruz, Quintana co-editedPaper Dance: Latino.
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