Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War [Hardcover]

Tom Holm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

"This is the first major study of American Indians in Vietnam. . . . Dr. Tom Holm, a Cherokee-Creek himself and a Vietnam veteran, provides the unheard 'Indian Voice,' and he shares an insightful perspective on that controversial war."
-Donald L. Fixico, Professor of History, Western Michigan University

At least 43,000 Native Americans fought in the Vietnam War, yet both the American public and the United States government have been slow to acknowledge their presence and sacrifices in that conflict. In this first-of-its-kind study, Tom Holm draws on extensive interviews with Native American veterans to tell the story of their experiences in Vietnam and their readjustment to civilian life.

Holm describes how Native American motives for going to war, experiences of combat, and readjustment to civilian ways differ from those of other ethnic groups. He explores Native American traditions of warfare and the role of the warrior to explain why many young Indian men chose to fight in Vietnam. He shows how Native Americans drew on tribal customs and religion to sustain them during combat. And he describes the rituals and ceremonies practiced by families and tribes to help heal veterans of the trauma of war and return them to the "white path of peace."

This information, largely unknown outside the Native American community, adds important new perspectives to our national memory of the Vietnam war and its aftermath.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In his first work on Vietnam, Holm, a soldier in the war, provides an overview of one kind of serviceman about which nothing substantive has been written?the Native American. Holm's unique perspective on what at first glance may seem familiar terrain provides a fascinating introduction to the role of military traditions and the warrior ethic in mid-20th-century American Indian life. Moreover, he explores the manner in which these forces shaped the individual soldier's reaction to the stress of combat and the subsequent adjustment to civilian life. Holm offers an important study that should stand as a credible review of both the Native American and Vietnam. Recommended for modern Native American, 20th-century U.S., and Vietnam collections in academic and public libraries.?John R. Vallely, Siena Coll. Lib., Loudonville, N.Y.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Strong Hearts effectively reveals the participation of America's most forgotten minority of the twentieth century in a war most Americans would prefer to forget. Himself a Native American Vietnam veteran, the author connects Indian participation in the war to a traditional warrior spirit... [This] is a valuable and insightful study of Native American Vietnam veterans." New Mexico Historical Review "This is the first major study of American Indians in Vietnam... Dr. Tom Holm, a Cherokee-Creek himself and a Vietnam veteran, provides the unheard 'Indian Voice,' and he shares an insightful perspective on that controversial war." Donald L. Fixico, Professor of History, Western Michigan University --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292730950
• ISBN-13: 978-0292730953
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,788,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very worthwhile read, April 17, 2011

By 

Koz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War (Paperback)

I had seen a PBS program that the author had been on and they mentioned this book. I really had to search to find this book, but it was worth the trouble. In my opinion, this book reads like somewhere between a textbook and a novel, as far as "ease of reading" goes. I was fascinated by the author's accounts of Native American vets returning from Vietnam and the problems the VA faced in trying to reach all the different "ethnic groups" of vets. Of particular interest were the accounts of Native American "beliefs" about war and warriors (how even though it is often viewed as unavoidable or even necessary - it is still considered as "evil" or as "upsetting the natural balance of things"), how the community would treat warriors retuning from battle and the rituals involved in "returning them to society" (such as having them spend time with the older men who had fought in previous wars and sharing strories and thoughts and feelings about what they'd experienced, and having an official ceremony in which all the people welcomed them back into the community). Overall, I found it a very worthwhile read, and recommend it to anyone interested in the issue of war veterans returning to society.