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PRESS RELEASE: NAM, The Story of a Generation (Vietnam) by Mel Smith

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| PRESS RELEASE | Nam the novel, Story of the Vietnam Generation

NOVELIST MEL SMITH GIVES READERS A “FULL DOSE” OF THE VIETNAM WAR EXPERIENCE IN NAM, THE Story of a Generation

GLENEDEN BEACH, Ore., Aug 9, 2017 — At one point in Mel Smith’s novel Nam, The Story of a Generation, Vietnam War veterans Joe and Cam ponder the perceptions of their service. “The World War II generation,” Joe says, “never appreciated what we did in Nam…. We didn’t fight hard enough. We didn’t support the government of the people…didn’t know the meaning of sacrifice…like they did in doubya, doubya two.” So unfair.

While Ken Burns explores Vietnam in his definitive documentary series this September, author Mel Smith does the same in his sweeping historical fiction novel Nam, Story of a Generation being released the same month by First Steps Publishing.

A Vietnam War veteran, Smith spent more than a decade researching and writing this riveting novel, intending to give readers a “full dose” of the Vietnam War era experience, both in the States and in-country. “The novel is about the Vietnam War, beginning to end, but it is also about commitments, patriotism, culture, Vietnamese history, and the fundamentals of American society—with a little romance thrown in,” he says.

“Smith’s effort is nothing short of extraordinary,” wrote David Aretha, editor of The Sixties Chronicle and books on the Vietnam War. “The story is emotional and heartfelt and feels 100 percent authentic. Most impressively, it covers all major aspects of the war: American culture before, during, and after the conflict; the various mind-sets of young men and their parents before they entered the war (and during and after); debates about the war’s purpose; in-country living, fighting, and friendships; death and war wounds—and coping with both afterward; the rich tapestry of the counterculture; the war from the perspective of Vietnamese fighters and civilians; the protest movement and veterans’ reactions to it; the effect the war had on veterans in the near aftermath as well as thirty years later. It’s a tremendous history lesson and thoroughly entertaining.”

Mel Smith, Author
Mel Smith, Author

Born in Helena, Montana in 1948, Mel Smith grew up in the hardscrabble neighborhood on the edge of town featured in NAM, The story of a Generation. Smith joined the Naval Reserve in the fall of 1966 and went “active” in the Navy in the summer of 1968. He served aboard two Navy destroyers, the U.S.S. TAYLOR DD-468 and the U.S.S. DEHAVEN DD-727 and pulled two WestPac tours to the war zone. He received an early out from active duty in the spring of 1970 as President Nixon trimmed the armed forces then serving. Smith attended Montana State University graduating with a B.S. in Film and Television, 1973. He founded AdSmith, an advertising agency, in 1981 which still operates today. He and wife Alane live in the greater Phoenix area of Arizona.

 

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Mel Smith, Author

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Mel Smith, Author
Mel Smith was born August 15, 1948 in Helena, Montana. He grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood very similar to the one described in “NAM, The Story of a Generation”, on the edge of town, with dirt streets, no sewer service, and one street light on the corner.

He joined the Naval Reserves in the fall of 1966 and started his active duty in July, 1968. He was assigned to the destroyer U.S.S. Taylor out of Pearl Harbor, just after it was deployed on a six month West Pacific tour. On his tour with the Taylor, he was a member of the deck force, the tough ship maintenance division. He transferred to the U.S.S. DeHaven out of Long Beach, California, which left two months later on its own West Pacific tour. On the DeHaven he had the position of Postal Clerk and took over the ship’s post office, the best enlisted duty on the ship. Like all servicemen, he was given an early out in April of 1970, as Nixon was winding down Vietnam.

He returned to Montana State University and completed a B.S. in Film and Television, graduating in June 1973.

Mel Smith currently lives in Arizona with his wife, Alane. He has three children and three grandchildren. He runs his own advertising company, AdSmith and writes in his free time.

Amazon Author Page

Books

NAM, The Story of the Vietnam Generation

A riveting, historically accurate tale of war’s horror, impossible love, and ultimate redemption. This is the Vietnam generation’s story.

Through battle, love’s heartbreak, and unbelievable loss, follow the lives of three Vietnam War combatants: a North Vietnamese patriot and two untested American boys, as they deal with the legacy of their nations’ tragedy. A historically accurate, riveting account of war, its personal cost and lingering aftermath.

It was the sixties. We were the baby boomers and our fathers had fought in World War II—the heroes who saved the world from tyranny. It was our obligation to serve, as they had. To duck service, was not an option; not if you believed in life in America, the American way, and family values.

• • •

“No, Cam…I’m right about Vietnam and World War II,” he said, pointing the two fingers holding his cigarette at me like darts. “You’d better have a damn good reason to ask a man to put his life on the line ’cause there’s no greater sacrifice he can make. Our fathers had Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo to fight…some of the biggest evil the world has ever known. They really were fighting for freedom and our way of life. Losing wasn’t an option.

“What did we have?… Huh? What the [*] did we have to fight for? Not a goddamn thing! We went because we were Americans…because we were asked by our country to go…young men always have been. So we went…and we died. That’s bravery and sacrifice above and beyond the call, my friend. Dyin’ for nothin’…that’s a hell of a thing to ask of a man.”

• • •

“NAM, The Story of a Generation” is a tale of times that defined a generation: the counter culture that grew out of it; commitment without conscience; love in impossible circumstances; the unimaginable horror of war, healing hope, and renewal. The Vietnam War is the common thread that binds together the lives and fortunes of the three main characters.

An epic novel about a generation and the conflict that changed two nations.

What People Are Saying:

“Smith’s effort is nothing short of extraordinary. The story is emotional and heartfelt and feels 100 percent authentic. Most impressively, it covers all major aspects of the war: American culture before, during, and after the conflict; the various mind-sets of young men and their parents before they entered the war (and during and after); debates about the war’s purpose; in-country living, fighting, and friendships; death and war wounds–and coping with both afterward; the rich tapestry of the counterculture; the war from the perspective of Vietnamese fighters and civilians; the protest movement and veterans’ reactions to it; the effect the war had on veterans in the near aftermath as well as thirty years later. It’s a tremendous history lesson and thoroughly entertaining.” — David Aretha, editor of The Sixties Chronicle and books on the Vietnam War.

“An ambitious tale that attempts to capture the epic size of the Vietnam conflict.”–Kirkus Review

“…This is one of those rare semi-autobiographical American Vietnam War novels that includes a substantial cast of well drawn and realistically portrayed Vietnamese characters….I highly recommend this well-written book. It held my attention and more.” — David Wilson, Books in Review II, The VVA Veteran

“Mel Smith’s novel NAM is a vivid reminder of why the Vietnam War was such a strong catalyst in our dramatic social changes in the 1960s-1970s.” — Owen “Bud” Burch

NAM, The Story of the Vietnam Generation
A Novel by MEL SMITH

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Synopsis

NAM, The Story of the Vietnam Generation is a tale of times that defined a generation: the counter culture that grew out of it; commitment without conscience; love in impossible circumstances; the unimaginable horror of war; healing hope; and renewal. The Vietnam War is the common thread that binds together the lives and fortunes of the three main characters who are NAM, The Story of a Generation.

August 16, 1948, the day Babe Ruth died, sixteen-year old Le Van Dat, a young Vietnamese patriot, leaves to join Ho Chi Minh’s Vietminh. On the same day, Mark Cameron and JT Johnson are born into very different circumstances in the United States.

Le Van Dat is a nationalist and follower of Confucius. His consuming, idealistic drive to free his country of a thousand years of foreign occupation is fueled by a sense of personal honor and obligation to his ancestors. Though he disdains communism, Le Van Dat will rise to the rank of general in the People’s Army largely through his courage, inspiring leadership and the support of his superior officer and mentor, Tran Van Minh. Dat is intimately involved in the war’s biggest battles and carries the conflict from the novel’s first pages. His affair and infatuation with Nu Chi, a young South Vietnamese with connections to her own government, sparks a fundamental change in Dat that leads to a harrowing search and improbable resolution as the South crumbles in the spring of 1975.

Mark Cameron is a Montanan born into a rough neighborhood on the edge of town. He is a tough little guy who, as a young teen, finds his personality altered after a savage beating from a bully. Growing into manhood he becomes obsessed with avoiding conflict and adopts conniving ways of keeping himself out of trouble. Entering college, he is swept up by the early resistance to the Vietnam War, even though he had already joined the Naval Reserve as a high school senior. Mark enters active duty following his freshman year and meets JT Johnson at the Treasure Island Naval Station.

JT Johnson is the son of an ambitious entrepreneur who builds a golf course in Fullerton, California following World War II. JT is seen as the prodigy; the son who will live the father’s dream and become a golfing legend. Indeed, JT is a gifted athlete and excels as a youngster, winning prestigious amateur tournaments. Rich, privileged, and well-connected, Jay’s father tells the boy he will never have to serve in the military. But when JT flunks out of college, the head of the local Draft Board, a prominent antagonist of the family, arranges for JT’s draft induction. Jay’s father steers him to the Naval Reserve, thinking it the safest option. But JT is a man of action and talks Mark Cameron into volunteering with him for River Patrol Boat duty, the most hazardous river duty in Vietnam.

The death of close friends haunts Mark during his tour and for years following as he copes with his own physical and mental wounds in a society that does not want to hear his story or recognize his sacrifices. He is ultimately saved by the friendship of a Vietnam Veteran double-amputee and the love of a special woman.

Five Points of Interest

5 Points of Interest about the Book’s Content or Story

  1. Understand the Vietnam War backstory. Through Le Van Dat readers will develop an understanding of how a poor country like North Vietnam could persevere and ultimately win a war against the world’s largest superpower. Revealed is a historic and cultural backbone of a foe that would never give in and would fight with every available weapon to gain victory; a fact not considered or fully understood by America’s politicians.
  2. Who fought in Vietnam and why. The characters in NAM, The Story of a Generation present a conflicting and confusing rationale for why men fight in war and how different this rationale in combatants can be.
  3. How Vietnam changed war forever in America. The Vietnam Generation was the first to nationally resist, in great numbers, a war declared by the United States. It was a rejection of mindless war-making that changed the country forever, though Vietnam’s lessons are sometimes forgotten today.
  4. The shameful way Vietnam Veterans were treated upon their return is carefully examined in NAM, The Story of a Generation. Many of the problems and issues experienced by the characters in the book are retold from actual accounts. As the Vietnam Generation grew into middle-age, America’s treatment of all military combatants markedly improved as a direct result.
  5. Understand the Baby Boomers. Often called the “Me Generation”, Boomers are often tagged as the spoiled and entitled generation. Understanding this generation means getting inside their heads: how were they raised and who raised them; what were the expectations of the Greatest Generation on their children; were they cowards or patriots; who among them fought, and why?

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The Music of  NAM, The Story of the Vietnam Generation

In the first draft of NAM, The Story of a Generation, I led off every milestone chapter with lyrics to a song from that year that fit the context of an event in the story from the same year. For a generation that was raised on rock ‘n roll, I thought it apt and pretty cool. However, I soon discovered publishing rights and how difficult it is to obtain permission to publish lyrics from any song. The lyrics were removed. However, I can certainly tell you what the songs were, and you might keep them in mind as you go through the novel. Not a bad playlist if I say so myself.

1953: Young at Heart sung by Frank Sinatra

1956: Whatever Will Be, Will Be sung by Doris Day

1960: Mack The Knife sung by Bobby Darin

1962: Wimoweh sung by Karl Denver

1964: Mr. Lonely sung by Bobby Vinton

1965: What The World Needs Now Is Love sung by Jackie Deshannon

1967: I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag sung by Country Joe and the Fish

1968: I Am The Walrus sung by the Beatles

1968: For What It’s Worth sung by Buffalo Springfield

1969: Monster sung by Steppenwolf

1970: Fortunate Son sung by Credence Clearwater Revival

1973: Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight by James Taylor

1975: Lady sung by Styx

1998: Yesterday by Lennon and McCartney

The Vietnam War, Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick

Sunday September 17, 2017 at 8/7c.

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, THE VIETNAM WAR, tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides—Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam.

Ten years in the making, the series includes rarely seen and digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th Century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and secret audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. THE VIETNAM WAR features more than 100 iconic musical recordings from greatest artists of the era and haunting original music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as well as the Silk Road Ensemble featuring Yo-Yo Ma.

Get an advance look at the film below; featuring interviews with filmmakers, behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive clips from the series.

#VietnamWarPBS

source: PBS

“NAM, The Story of a Generation” a novel by Mel Smith

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It was war… not the kind waged in the 21st century, with terrorists; but war with armies and uniforms and borders and national interests. It’s all encompassing, conscripted, waged, politicized, and lied about. It’s cruel, bloody, noisy, messy, rife with mistakes, deadly, gross, inhuman, and unfair. It is never played on an even plain, righteous, warranted, or clear-minded. Every war is mankind’s biggest mistake and what makes it worse is that the men caught up in it are the innocents; the losers, in this case, sold an unrealistic ideal, a patriotic slogan, a vision of greatness in sacrifice they eventually found wanting.

War has a face that’s different depending on your vantage point. Who wins and who loses may not be right, or virtuous, and those who fight are always on the losing side.

In the Vietnam War two ideologies met with predictable results.

The Vietnamese fought not for communism, but for nationalistic goals. Vietnam had been occupied by foreigners for a thousand years, since before Ghangis Kahn. The latest to occupy were the French, then the Japanese, then the French again. The Vietnamese national who led Vietnam’s rebel forces in dispatching the Japanese, also fought the French and the Americans. He was a true Vietnamese patriot; and he was a communist.

Through the Americans, readers will see the conflict of serving and going to war with little understanding of the consequences their commitment would have. Most of these young kids served without a clear vision of America’s interest in Vietnam or a strident reason for putting their lives on the line. Of course, the draft made service mandatory, but our American characters joined the service of their own accord.

NAM (a novel), The Story of a Generation deals with the fallout that happens to both sides of the war and asks questions that never can be truly understood: Why did we fight and what was gained and lost from the war?