Fragments: The long coming home from Vietnam

Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bruce Berger, the author, finally came home 50 years after the Vietnam war when his memories crystallized into the 34 poems in this chapbook. He shipped to Vietnam as an Infantryman in 1970 but was assigned most of the year to the Casualty Branch of the 101^st Airborne Division at Camp Eagle, near Phu Bai. As "next-of-kin" editor, he wrote hundreds of sympathy letters to grieving families back home for loss of their soldier, and sometimes helped gather fallen brothers on battle grounds to begin their long journeys home. Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through this lens, his poems evoke an overwhelming sense of loss on many fronts: the brave American soldiers who gave their lives in the long war; a village of South Vietnamese widows; the thousands of bui doi, innocent but reviled half-breed (Amerasian) children; the empty afterness of battle grounds and burials; the long, deadly reach of Agent Orange and PTSD into veterans' lives still today; and the thunderous silence of missing parades back home. Writing these poems brought him home. Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of the poems are illustrated with artwork created by members of the Providence Art Club in Rhode Island. All earnings from this book will be donated to the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Author: Bruce K. Berger
Publisher: Wordworthypress LLC
Published: 04/13/2020
Pages: 94
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.40lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.26d
ISBN: 9780985504816


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001

About the Author
Berger, Bruce K.: - Bruce K. Berger served in Vietnam in 1970 with the Casualty Branch of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Eagle near Phu Bai. As next-of-kin editor, he wrote hundreds of sympathy letters to grieving families back home for the loss of their soldier that year. Today he's professor emeritus, University of Alabama, where he taught for 17 years and was founding director of The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. He has written/edited three books and dozens of articles about leadership. Before teaching, he spent 20 years as a communication specialist working on diverse projects in more than 30 countries for two international companies-The Upjohn Company and Whirlpool Corporation. Bruce resides with his wife, Joan, and German shepherd, Gretchen, outside Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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