Poems About Vietnam

By Robert Chapin

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is one of the most visited monuments in the country. Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year, it is about America's involvement in Vietnam and a tribute to the 59,000+ men and women who paid the supreme sacrifice. It has received national acclaim following display by President Ronald Reagan on January 24, 1984, and as a result has sold in excess of 150,000 copies.

The Three Fighting Men is the larger than life sculprute by the late Frederick Hart and stands at the entrance to The Memorial. Three comrades, The Black, The Hispanic and The White Man stand sentry over the thousands of names.

The Vietnam Unknown is a poem about the internment of America's Vietnam Unknown who was buried with full military honors and awarded The Medal Of Honor by President Ronald Reagan on May 28, 1984 at The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

However, in 1998, Department of Defense scientists were able to produce an identifiable DNA sample from the remains of The Vietnam Unknown and he was eventually identified as 1st Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie United States Air Force.

Lt. Blassie a 24 year old graduate of The U.S. Air Force Academy and a pilot, was shot down on May 11, 1972 in An Loc South Vietnam.

Following identification of Lt. Blassie, The Pentagon stripped him of The Medal Of Honor. The MOH is awarded to The Unknown - and not a person by name. Subsequently, his family argued their case that for 14 years he was The Vietnam Unknown, and based on that criteria should be awarded The Medal Of Honor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Chapin
• Release date: Oct 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465795854

Robert Chapin

No stranger to writing, acting and singing, in 2006, Bob was chosen to play Charles Ryan in the Kent Brown Summer Love series "ARE WE THERE YET?" A summer theatre production by The Falls Run Players of Fredericksburg, Virginia. This was Bob's first acting role and his performance earned him the best actor's award for 2006. A hidden talent also become apparent when Bob was selected to sing John Travolta's Summer Nights from the smash hit "Grease". He is also a member of The First Baptist Church of Bonita Springs, FL where he has been actively involved in the choir for the past 6 years - and his tenor voice has allowed him to produce over a half dozen Christian songs by Randy Travis Following an impressive career with U.S. Airways, Bob retired in 2000 and has devoted much of his time to producing ORPHANS OF THE MOURNING, his first novel about a soldier in Vietnam who eventually becomes the first Vietnam veteran President of The United States. This book is currently available in the e-book format from Barnes & Noble. Bob was thrust into the nationwide scene in 1983 with his nationally acclaimed Vietnam poster poem The Wall, a statement about the emotional pain and anger of Vietnam - frrlings and sentiments he was not permitted to express while in uniform, but once discharged, a trip to The Wall evoked his deep personal feelings. The Wall was displayed in The White House in 1983 and as a result received instant success when President Ronald Reagan personally honored Bob for his contribution to all Vietnam Veterans. To date, tens of thousands of copies have been sold. Bob has also recently finished his second novel, MURDER IN OGUNQUIT a mystery which takes place in the small New England coastal town of Ogunquit, Maine known as "A Beautiful Place By The Sea". In addition to his full length novels, Bob is offering a series of his "folksy" down to earth short stories at no charge for your enjoyment here on Smashwords, and it is the author's desire that you will consider purchasing his novels after a brief sampling. Prior to his assignment in Vietnam in 1967, Bob served 16 months in Frankfurt Germany as a civilian with the U.S. Army's prestigious unit; The 513th Military Intelligence Group as a Top Secret Cryptographer In Vietnam he was assigned to the First Cavalry Division (Airmobile), 13th Signal Battalion and was awarded The Purple Heart for wounds received in action in additi...

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