Additional Resources Relating to Gerald Brown's Interview

Online Resources about the Vietnam War: 

• An overview of the Vietnam War from Gale US History in Context.
• Another overview of the Vietnam War, complete with pictures and links for even more information from Credo Reference.
• "History and Hindsight: Lessons from Vietnam" is a 1985 New York Times article written by Charles Mohr. In this article, Mohr describes the major points of the war and the problems he now sees with the United States involvement.
• A look at the Vietnam War with a strong emphasis on the French colonization leading to the United State's involvement. Found through Credo Reference, from France and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History.
• Information on the draft, especially in regards to how it was used for the Vietnam War from Gale US History in Context.
• Map of Vietnam, Laos,Thailand, and Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Shows battles, places where US dropped bombs, location of US bases, and more. Found through Credo Reference, from Chambers Dictionary of World History.
• A series of maps of Vietnam and the surrounding areas during the war. Found through Credo Reference, from the Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History.
• Vietnam Magazine is an online resource devoted to telling the whole story of the Vietnam War through first-hand accounts, videos, and articles.

Books from NYPL's Catalog:

General Histories of the American War in Vietnam:

• America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 by George C. Herring, first published 1979. This book is considered a staple in Vietnam information, and currently this book is in its fourth updated edition.
• Lyndon Johnson's War: America's Cold War Crusade in Vietnam, 1945-1968 by Michael Hunt, published 1996. A look at the war during the Johnson administration. The reader can see how the administration decisions impacted life in the jungle and life at home.
• The Vietnam War: A Concise International History by Mark Atwood Laurence, published 2008. In this book, Laurence attempts to view the war from all sides, bringing in global history to strengthen his variety of perspectives.
• Where the Domino Fell: America in Vietnam, 1945-1990 by James Stuart Olson and Randy Roberts, published 1991. Olson and Roberts create a concise history of America's involvement in Vietnam beginning at the end of World War II. This book also looks at how our popular culture has taken in war over the years. Also available to read at the Schwarzman Building.
• The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990 by Marilynn Blatt Young, published 1991. This book equally looks at the Vietnam War from both the American and Vietnamese sides to allow the reader to see both perspectives.

Oral Histories and Memoirs:

• Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides by Christian G. Appy, published 2003. An oral history that shares stories of all sorts of people who were involved during the war and how they experienced it.
• Nam: The Vietnam War in the Words of the Men and Women Who Fought There by Mark Baker, published 1981. Another oral history that gives the reader first hand accounts of people who lived the jungle life in Vietnam, serving our country.
• A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo, published 1977. Caputo's personal memoir of his time as a Marine in Vietnam as well as the time he spent there reporting.
• Dispatches by Michael Herr, published 1977. Journalist Michael Herr followed American soldiers in Vietnam and helped to uncover the day-to-day activities and horrors of the Vietnam War.
• Strange Ground: Americans in Vietnam, 1945-1975, Oral History by Harry Maurer, published 1989. A third oral history that showcases the lives of people involved in the Vietnam War.
• If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien, published 1999. O'Brien is one of the most well known Vietnam authors today. This book is his personal experience as a foot soldier for one year in Vietnam.
• Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War: An Oral History, published 2006. This book tells the stories of 20 black men and their experiences during the Vietnam War.

Novels

• The 13th Valley by John M. Del Vecchio, published 1982. A group of American airbourne infantry find themselves stranded in a Vietnamese valley for 12 horrible days.
• Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, published 2010. A very successful Vietnam novel, it tells the story of a Marine and his peers who fight in the war and become men, see the harsh sides of war and the military, and learn all sorts of new things.
• The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh, published 1993. A novel that views the other side of the war and this book was first published, against the Vietnamese government's wishes. It tells the story of a soldier and the discoveries he makes while in the war.
• Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien, published 1999. O'Brien's most well known book about the war; he shows the reader the horrors of the war, blending fact and fiction together for a spell-binding story.
• The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, published 2009. A collection of short stories about several different men, O'Brien once again shows his the reader the horrors and impacts of the war.

Items Related to Stories Told in Interview:

• Down Highway One: Journeys Through Vietnam and Cambodia by Susan Downie, published 1992. Downie was the first Westerner to travel down Highway One after the Vietnam War. This book shares her stories as she makes a 2000 kilometer journey.
• More information on Highway One from PBS Hitchiking Vietnam: Letters from the Trail.
• An in-depth explanation of jungle warfare from the International Military and Defense Encyclopedia, published 1993. Found through Gale US History in Context.
• "US Vietnam War Soliders and Maleria" An article about quinine pills, maleria, and PTSD from a fellow Vietnam War located in Cedar Rapids, IA. This article is from Historynet.com.
• Brown was awarded three purple hearts. A brief article in American History, published December 2011, explains the background behind this award. Found through Gale US History in Context.
• The Blue Casade: A Memoir of Life After War by Mike Scotti, published 2012. Brown spends part of his interview discussing his problems when returning from the war and dealing with PTSD. Scotti, a Iraq veteran, also faces the challenge of readjusting when he returns home. This memoir shows Scotti's journey to recovering and the ways he dealt with the emotion he was feeling.
• Called to Serve: Stories of Men and Women Confronted by the Vietnam War Draft. This audio recording shares stories about the Vietnam draft, a topic Brown covers when describing his choices to enlist in the war. From the Gale US History in Context.
• Towards the end of the interview, Brown talks about his R&R, rest and relaxation vacation. A defintion from the Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War (published 1996) gives a brief summary of this trip and popular destinations.
• A CD found at the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center called In Country: Folk Songs of Americans in the Vietnam War. All the songs on the CD relate to the Vietnam War and were written by veterans.

Vietnam War Memorials:

• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. is the spot Brown returns to each year.

• The National Vietnam War Musuem located near Mineral Wells, Texas.

Resources for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

• A general overivew of what PTSD is as well as links to other articles and books. From Credo Reference.
• A definition of PTSD in the context of the Vietnam War. Found through Credo Reference, from the Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History.
• A 2012 editorial in the New York Times about the treatment of Vietnam veterans who were given other-than-honorable charges because they believe their PTSD pushed them to do something they normally wouldn't do.
• United States Department of Veteran Affairs National Center for PTSD. The goal of this center is to continue to research and make strides knowledge about PTSD as well as help people understand what PTSD is and how to help others who have it.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Victim's Guide to Healing and Recovery by Raymond B. Flannery, published 2004. This is a book which can be checked out through NYPL.
• The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Relationship: How to Support Your Partner and Keep Your Relationship Healthy by Diane England, published 2009. A resource for someone whose loved one is experiencing PTSD.
• For a look at PTSD today, check out The Wounded Platoon, a documentary with Frontline and PBS that looks at PTSD of troops returning home. Focuses on the murder of a soldier who was killed at Fort Collins, CO base camp after a night of drinking with his friends.

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