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A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam

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Being a Vietnam vet,I had never Watched any of the movies or read any of the many books, till this one came alone,and I'm still not sure why. Once I started it I never wanted to put it down. I could feel all their pains,fears,anger,and depression as the war still put holes in my heart.As I read the book the 3rd time it was as if a weight of 20 years ago was suddenly lifted from my chest.A light came on and said -you're not alone,many suffered as you had,in silence. My ist book is now so worn from me passing it around to my friends that I my soon have to buy the 2nd edition model.If you want to understand the human sufferings of war--read this book

this is quite possibly one of the most moving books i have ever read. the honesty of the women's memoirs -- their bravery and sacrificial service are to be applauded! kudos to keith walker for compiling a story that needed to be told! read it read it read it!

It has been a few years since I read this book. I found it stunning. I was an infantryman with the 1st Air Cav, wounded Aug of '71 and evaced to the 24th Evac hospital. I saw and even felt the experiences these women went through. This book is tells the stories of all types of women and the many jobs they performed both civilian and military, the trouble they had coming home. This book made me feel thankful that all I had to do was fight the war. I would especially recommend it to veterans of all periods. It will make you love these ladies.

... for all of the women who served in Vietnam. Read this book, plus the late Lynda Van Devanter's Home Before Morning and you'll see why.

While Lynda's book is a hauntingly graphic record of the triumphs and tragedies that the ANC nurses and Army surgeons experienced in Nam, A Piece Of My Heart gives the reader a very broad perspective of the contributions of women in many other areas.

The foreword to the book was written by the wonderful Martha Raye, whose unflinching commitment to the men and women who served in Nam led to her being a two-time Purple Heart recipient. That even an entertainer could be wounded twice in the line of duty speaks volumes about the risk level In Country.

Equally, Civilian Flight Attendant Micki Voisard almost met her end when her airliner almost collided with a B-52 that was maintaining radio silence during an airstrike.

Yet even though the Red Cross Donut Dollies, such as Penni Evans and "Sam" Bokina Christie and WACs such as Doris Allen all have compelling stories to relate, it is the experiences of the nurses that really stay with you, long after you have put the book down.

For most of her post-Nam life, former ANC nurse and author Lynda Van Devanter (Home Before Morning - available through Amazon.com) was haunted by the memory of a young soldier who had no face, and who eventually had to be left to die because of the extent of his injuries.

When you read the piece by Anne Simon Auger (91st Evac. - Chu Lai) you realize that injuries of that magnitude were not as uncommon as you might hope and pray. Anne also described a young soldier whose face had been shot away, leaving him blind and in her words, "a vegetable".

While my own view is that people in such terrible physical condition should be given enough morphine to shut down their breathing, or in the absence of that, on the battlefield, a mercy round from an M-16, I fully accept that however you have to deal with such shocking injuries, it will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Let us not forget that while the cowardly Stalinist flag burners were calling the returning troops "baby killers", thousands of true blue American women were risking their own lives to support the largely teenaged US soldiers in a war that increasingly made no sense to the people who were being asked to fight it.

These women were Vets. These women were heroes. These women were angels.

We must constantly seek ways to honour them. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten.

Two hundred Vietnam vets--women and men both--ranked this book among the top five "oral histories" from the war, and those five oral histories among the top fifteen books from the war period. The other four? EVERYTHING WE HAD (Santoli), NAM (baker), CASUALTIES (Brandon) and BLOODS (Terry).

I poured over this book untill the wee hours of the morning. Simply put; its AWESOME. Any woman can appreciate and relate to the touching stories told here. Its an important book and should be read by anyone with a heart. Two thumbs WAY up!

"A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam," by Keith Walker, is a powerful addition to the large body of writings about the Vietnam War. Walker's technique for compiling this book was to interview the featured women and turn the transcripts of the interviews into chapters. One chapter is drawn from a dual interview of two of the women, and another chapter consists of a letter written by a woman whom Walker did not get to interview. The book is full of black-and-white photographs that further document the women's service in Vietnam. Also noteworthy is the stirring foreword by entertainer Martha Raye, who briefly discusses her own experiences in Vietnam.

Most of the women featured were Army nurses, but the book also includes women who served as WACs, Red Cross personnel, a civilian flight attendant, a USO worker, and more. There are some significant recurring themes that connect a number of chapters: the experience of being under hostile fire; men, women, sex, and dating in the war zone; encounters with the Vietnamese people; fun and recreation in Vietnam; challenges the women faced in doing their jobs in a war zone; and personal and psychological problems some of the women faced after returning home from Vietnam. Also, two of the women discuss possible Agent Orange-connected health problems faced by children they had after serving.

There are some extremely graphic and disturbing accounts by some of the nurses as they recall the horrific injuries suffered by their patients, as well as their own struggles to deliver compassionate care in the combat zone environment. There are many other noteworthy memories, some heartbreaking, some funny. Army nurse Pat Johnson describes painting the barracks "red-and-white striped with pink polka dots." Entertainer Bobbi Jo Pettit recalls touring Vietnam as part of an all-girl band called "The Pretty Kittens." Navy nurse Maureen Walsh delivers a vivid account of an enemy rocket attack at Da Nang.

The voices of these women strike many tones: feisty, introspective, proud, caring. I was especially moved by the memories of post-war reunions and experiences at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I consider this book to be an absolutely essential complement to the many fine works, both fiction and nonfiction, written by male Vietnam veterans. Recommended as a companion text: Wallace Terry's "Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans," which is similar in both format and impact to this book.

I'm not going to explain the circumstances that led me to his book. However, one author in this book guided me to it. My first encounter with it was on this site, Amazon.com.

I saw the cover, and read the reviews and got misty eyed. I decided to buy the book which came in the mail 3 days later.

I opened the box and held the book, looking at the cover and getting misty eyed again. Then I read a story of one nurse's experience in South Vietnam.

Her story was not what one would expect from a skilled novelist, or from one who graduated from a university with a degree in writing, plunging into a world of literature and impeccable diction and grammar.

Oh no. Her words had the impact of .45 bullets at point blank range.

This is a book all future Presidents of the United States must read as a required text.

The day after Inauguration Day.

These stories are so heart-wrenching I had to take a break while reading simply to keep from falling to pieces. These women are so amazing and strong - they're inspiring. I Loved this book and GREATLY recommend the play with the same title by Shirely Lauro that was based off of these stories. It's so unbelievable and so real it makes you feel for those 6 women more than you'd ever imagine!

This book should be required reading for students of Vietnam War history classes in high schools and colleges in America. Sincerely, Diana J. Dell, author, "A Saigon Party: And Other Vietnam War Short Stories."