Overview

"Mark M. Smith served two tours in Vietnam, 1967 to 1969, with the 1st Air Cavalry Division. In the 1970s and 80s, Mark wrote about his experience. The story of the first tour was written in short episodes, with exact dates and place names, documenting the war in the villages. The second tour account began as a letter to a friend and expanded into a loosely chronological, emotional, and sensory ride through the war in the jungle. Although they had been classmates in high school, Susan Dixon took a very different path after graduation. She learned about war from observing its aftermath during travel in Europe and the Middle East. She learned about the war in Vietnam by reading the New York Times and watching the nightly news. Her visceral response to politicians and military leaders defending an engagement she could see they did not believe in pushed her into anti-war action based in the Campus Y at UNC-Chapel Hill. Decades later, after Mark and Susan reconnected, traveled with a group to Vietnam, and learned to talk about war, they began work on Seeking Quan Am, Mark's account of his two tours, written in the 70s, Susan's account of her life in connection to war and anti-war, and the story of their reconnection with each other and with Vietnam decades later. Through all runs a theme - the request Mark made of Susan when he handed her his files. He asked her to ""makes some sense of them."""

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9781733489607

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Reviews

I was in Vietnam twice. The first time was in 1967-1968 participating in combat operations with Mark. The second time, by reading Susan's and Mark's story, I was transported to Vietnam as part of their group. In spirit, I was there again. Captain Robert Alekna, US Army Seeking Quan Am opens passageways between different worlds. It connects the lives of war veterans and civilians, Americans and Vietnamese, past and present. Kevin Basl, Iraq War veteran and co-editor, Warrior Writers: A Collection of Writing and Artwork by Veterans Unlike many works that reflect on the war experience, Susan Dixon and Mark Smith have created a unique dialogue between peace advocate and war veteran that expands our sensibilities about the complex personal issues involved. Kate Dahlstedt, MA; Founder, Soldier's Heart [This] book will take you back, break your heart, and make you laugh and cry. I recommend it highly, especially for veterans and civilians who continue to suffer from the physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds of war. Fred A. Wilcox, author of Waiting for an Army to Die: The Tragedy of Agent Orange and Scorched Earth: Legacies of Chemical Warfare in Vietnam

I was in Vietnam twice. The first time was in 1967-1968 participating in combat operations with Mark. The second time, by reading Susan's and Mark's story, I was transported to Vietnam as part of their group. In spirit, I was there again. Captain Robert Alekna, US Army Seeking Quan Am opens passageways between different worlds. It connects the lives of war veterans and civilians, Americans and Vietnamese, past and present. Kevin Basl, Iraq War veteran and co-editor, Warrior Writers: A Collection of Writing and Artwork by Veterans Unlike many works that reflect on the war experience, Susan Dixon and Mark Smith have created a unique dialogue between peace advocate and war veteran that expands our sensibilities about the complex personal issues involved. Kate Dahlstedt, MA; Founder, Soldier's Heart [This] book will take you back, break your heart, and make you laugh and cry. I recommend it highly, especially for veterans and civilians who continue to suffer from the physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds of war. Fred A. Wilcox, author of Waiting for an Army to Die: The Tragedy of Agent Orange and Scorched Earth: Legacies of Chemical Warfare in Vietnam

Author Information

As a writer and editor, museum curator and teacher, Susan R. Dixon has studied the effects of haunting memory, the consequences of suppressed secrets, and the healing power of storytelling. She leads a writing workshop for civilians reflecting on war and maintains a blog at www.susanrdixon.com. She lives in Ithaca, New York, the heart of the Finger Lakes Region. After serving two tours in Vietnam and working as North and South Carolina Coordinator for Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Mark M. Smith pursued a career in journalism. In the 1970s, while living in Chapel Hill and Boston, he began writing about the war. He has lived among the mountains of Juneau, Alaska, the desert of Las Vegas and Pahrump, Nevada, and now in Sparta, North Carolina.

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