Author Charity Maness: Vietnam Veteran interviews

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Interviews with Vietnam Veterans .... an incredible journey

Interviews with Vietnam Veterans for my new work "In Their Words - Vietnam" are coming along well. Actually better than that!

Most of the veterans I have had to honor and privilege of interviewing also have photos of their experiences while in Nam. These photos create a crystal clear image of the experiences and hardships these veterans encountered. Putting their words into a format that is comprehensive and gripping, though daunting, is without a doubt one of the most moving experiences in my life.

It is an honor.

This photo was reprinted with permission from the photographer. Reprinting in any form is not authorized without written permission from the author Charity Maness.

"It's Lonely Here in Hell" Love Letters from Nam

April 9, 1967, in a letter from Jim Piper to his young bride Michelle, he wrote, "I thank God each night for my wife and my life and also enjoy each breath that I take and praise every morning I wake up too. It means another day gone, another day I'm alive and another day closer to being home with my wife forever."

PFC James Dennis Piper was in killed in action two days later on April 11, 1967 in the jungles of Vietnam.

"In “It’s Lonely Here in Hell” Love Letters from Nam, Charity Maness has masterfully met the challenge of presenting PFC James Piper's letters from Vietnam and his all-too-early death into a book resonant with his character and truthful to all time. Chronologically juxtaposing the personal and tender letters nineteen-year-old Jim wrote to his young bride, Micki, with the public facts of the war on each of those same dates, Maness artfully lets the materials speak for themselves. And they do--powerfully. You won't be able to put it down.Michelle Piper's courageous move to entrust these letters to Charity Maness' care is abundantly rewarded. The author has created a heartfelt and insightful tribute to Jim Piper, the hopeful and loving young husband, and the resolute soldier he must become. What an achievement!"

Judy Hewett, MFA, Professor of English

My Books

In Their Words - Vietnam
In Their Words – Vietnam, is a collection of stories from those who served on the water, in the air, and on the ground in Vietnam from 1964 to 1975. Many are autobiographical, others are a collection of memories of the time they served, and one is posthumous, transcribed from letters and documents left to loved ones. These are their stories, the way they remember, the way they felt… in their words.

It's Lonely Here in Hell, Love Letters from Nam, a collection of love letters written by James Dennis Piper, KIA April 11, 1967 in the jungles of Vietnam. Each letter is transcribed verbatim with historical documentation of events that occurred on that day in history.

From Positive Test to Empty Nest, a humorous journey through motherhood.

Welcome to the Country, a collection of my 2009/10 humor columns about, you guessed it, life in the country.

Prince Charming, a second chance at love for a 49 year old mother of five.

Hopefully, when life hands you a second chance at love, you grab it by the reins and hang on.

Books available at Amazon.com, Kindle, and B&N.com