{"id":2802,"date":"2017-10-27T16:18:41","date_gmt":"2017-10-27T16:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=2802"},"modified":"2025-02-13T13:03:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T18:03:52","slug":"vietnam-experience-talk-focuses-on-soldiers-fears-hopes-and-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2017\/10\/27\/vietnam-experience-talk-focuses-on-soldiers-fears-hopes-and-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Vietnam Experience Talk Focuses on Soldiers\u2019 Fears, Hopes and Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column2802_d29b74-8e dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9\"]{font-size:1.5rem;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-family:proxima-nova;color:#808080;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading2802_0283f7-d9\">For many, the Vietnam Conflict is a distant memory of a contentious time in our nation\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image2802_a7ad1e-3c .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image2802_a7ad1e-3c\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam-Mailbag-Cover-lr.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-14413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam-Mailbag-Cover-lr.jpg 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam-Mailbag-Cover-lr-204x250.jpg 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>But for those veterans living today, the memories of that time and the sacrifices they made are just as sharp and real as if they were made yesterday \u2014 memories that include returning home to an indifferent society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one way to honor and commemorate the men and women who served their country in that conflict, the Wilmington University College of Arts &amp; Sciences, Library, and Student Life, partnering with Delaware Humanities Forum, present a special event \u2014 The Vietnam Experience, on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 4 \u2013 7:30 p.m., in the Doberstein Admissions Center Auditorium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event will include a talk by former News Journal reporter Nancy E. Lynch, the author of an award-winning social history, \u201cVietnam Mailbag, Voices From the War: 1968-1972,\u201das well as a video and an historical display of Vietnam era artifacts provided by Richard S. Lovekin of the Delaware Vietnam Veterans of America and a veteran\u2019s advocate. Lovekin and Lynch will begin their presentation at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lynch\u2019s book, which won the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards gold medal for Best Non-Fiction in the Mid-Atlantic region, is based on nearly 900 letters young soldiers sent to her at the newspaper over five years, many of which appeared in her column \u201cNancy\u2019s Vietnam Mailbag.\u201d The letters detail their daily trials and fears, as well as hopes and dreams, often accompanied by photos, drawings and other memorabilia.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image2802_8d95db-b6.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image2802_8d95db-b6 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:300px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image2802_8d95db-b6.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image2802_8d95db-b6 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image2802_8d95db-b6 figure{max-width:300px;}.kb-image2802_8d95db-b6 .image-is-svg, .kb-image2802_8d95db-b6 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image2802_8d95db-b6 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image2802_8d95db-b6\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"488\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam_Lovekin-1024x1008-1-488x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-14414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam_Lovekin-1024x1008-1-488x480.jpg 488w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam_Lovekin-1024x1008-1-250x246.jpg 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam_Lovekin-1024x1008-1-768x756.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Vietnam_Lovekin-1024x1008-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 488px) 100vw, 488px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As the book jacket notes, \u201cThrough the column, servicemen found their voices and let those at home know where they stood on issues ranging from the war to the weather. Readers hungered for their \u2018tell it like it is\u2019 letters which eclipsed nightly televised sound bites.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lovekin, who as a young solider corresponded regularly with Lynch, is featured in the book, as well. Although he had a medical disability exemption, he enlisted anyway and served in Vietnam for two years, as a door gunner on a Huey helicopter and later as crew chief on a Cobra helicopter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the book narrative, Lovekin says he was proud to serve his country. \u201cI just did my job,\u201d he says. Today, he takes the artifacts on tour to high schools and other organizations, noting that politics are not discussed at these stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not going to debate history,\u201d he continues. \u201cWe feel that gets us away from what happened to us.\u201d He works today as a veteran\u2019s advocate, and says that his great desire is to ensure that the current generation of veterans is not treated like those who served in Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The College of Arts and Sciences offers students academic courses in mathematics, science, history, humanities, and philosophy to obtain a well-rounded education. Learn more&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/artsandsciences\/indexa.aspx\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many, the Vietnam Conflict is a distant memory of a contentious time in our nation\u2019s history. But for those veterans living today, the memories&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"ACADEMIC NEWS"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/vietnam-artifacts-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Rebecca Slinger","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/rebecca\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":2,"name":"ACADEMIC NEWS","slug":"academic-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":559,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":460,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":2,"category_count":460,"category_description":"","cat_name":"ACADEMIC NEWS","category_nicename":"academic-news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2802"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16418,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2802\/revisions\/16418"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}