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| Letters From Readers |
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| Theresa C. Chang |
| Dear Mr. Flynn: Anthony [my husband] had the pleasure of meeting with you and he is kind enough to share your book with me. Vietnam was a turning point in our lives, an overseas job opportunity turned out to be an eye opener for life's misery, war, human suffering and all kinds of question marks on life itself. Anthony and I are a few people that went through the Tet Offensive in 1968, lived in Vietnam and worked for the American government during the height of the war. We had not met any one that can share this experience with us. Vietnam certainly made a profound impact on all of us. Again, thank you for the book. Theresa C. Chang |
| Kieth Cossey |
| Dear Tom, I completed today my reading of A VOICE OF HOPE; I had only got started on it earlier in the week. What I particularly appreciated was your eye for detail and irony. There were many "little things" that I'd forgotten-The nature of our food and our courtesies and the slang that we utilized. Given situation revealed more about the war than any "objective" newspaper report could. It was good, too, to know that there was someone who felt what I felt, who questioned what I questioned and who pondered what I pondered. despite the intimacy of the CAC/CAP compounds, there was a me against the world feeling at times. It is still hard for me to sleep at night. There was a tremendous sense of vulnerability that I retain to this day. Perhaps that is why I write. I don't write only about VietNam, but that furnace of feelings has its primary fuel source in the experiences of being a 20-21 yr. old Marine Corps reservist "over his head" while assigned to active duty in the Nam, Nov66 to July 68. The fact that you describe places and events from that same period that I was there made the text especially meaningful to me. It was interesting that the cover of A VOICE OF HOPE depicted you with a rosary around your neck; I was medivaced with a rosary around my neck. Although I was not catholic. It was interesting for me, this past spring, to return to my "ville" in Viet Nam for a visit. Thank you Tom, for making the "Beyond-the-call-od-duty effort in writing your book, getting it published, and making its availability known. I don't know if my family members will ever read it- Though I hope they do for a little clearer insight into this husband and father of theirs...via the related experiences of a spiritual kinsman {you} who passed through the same type of "trial by fire" as I did- But I am content with having read it myself for my own sake. It makes the emotional burns more like spiritual beauty marks. I will recommend it to anyone who wishes |
| Anonymous |
| Dear Tom, I am halfway through your book on the day of my arrival. I was released from the local hospital after one of my, not to infrequent, "episodes". I know no one, out of choice and was grateful to a crisis team member that attended me while in hospital. He made a sincere effort to understand that which I am unable to verbalize. Please send him a copy of your book with my regards. Mr.******** ******** ******************* Westfield, Ma. None of my family understands either so maybe a copy to them would help them in that endeavor. Mr. & Mrs. **** ******* *********************** Albuquerque, NM Forgive the handwriting, damm cuffs are too tight. Thanks again, Semper Fi, Eric |
| Bob Caulkins |
| Dear Tom, I received your book and finished it in two sittings. It would have been one sitting, but my wife insisted that I eat dinner with her. Except for that interruption, I was unapproachable during the time I was reading the book. As a matter of fact, while reading the book, I was not here in Georgia at all, but back in Vietnam again, at least in my mind I was. And, isn't that what a writer strives for, to transport people into the world they are writing about. I am now even more convinced than I was when I wrote my order to you, that your book deserves a publisher to give it the treatment it deserves. You may be interested to know that I arrived in Vietnam on Christmas morning 1966 and left in Feb 1968 shortly after Tet began. I believe that that was the approximate time frame you were there. I served most of my time as a combat correspondant with the First marine division at such places as Hill 55, Hill 65, the Arizona territory, Happy Valley, Nam O Bridge and rode Rough Rider convoys from DaNang to Phu Bai. Up and over the Hai Van Pass more times than I care to remember. I also spent some time flying out of Chu Lai as a chopper gunner with VMO-6, that is until the stupid pills wore off and I went back to 1st MAR DIV, happy to put my feet back on the ground one after the other. I got dinged once, but nowhere near as seriously as you were. Thanks very much for the autograph and the accompanying note. I also thank you for the information regarding the self-publishing aspect of writing. I have been, and always will be, a writer of short, non-fiction, military oriented magazine features and articles. I don't have the fortitude, nor, to be truthful, the patience to undertake large, long-time projects like a book. As I said in my first note to you, I envy guys like you who can master the intracacies of putting together a product such as you have. The most im[portant thing of all, Tom, is that you've got to have a story to tell, |
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