Thank you, Paul Nichols, for your kind words on “The Women.” My brother Matt put in his one year of service in Vietnam. He volunteered for the draft to “get it over with” as his number was high on the list, he had just graduated college, and wanted to get his service over with before starting a career. His letters home were about friends he had made (set me up as a pen pal with Charlie), seeing Martha Raye perform, meals with locals who befriended him, etc. but nothing about what he was really doing. At home, we watched news from Vietnam, but know it wasn’t the whole story. He didn’t start to share until years later that his first assignment was as an MP in Saigon but, in truth, they needed him on a helicopter more, so off he went into major combat.

We thought he was relatively safe in Saigon (1965-66). The importance of “The Women” to me was that it gave me further insight into what Matt experienced. It also made me think of my Aunt Nan who was an Army nurse during WWII in England. She was one of my heroes as a young girl. She didn’t share her experiences, but I always knew she was someone to admire. Vietnam is the nightmare that keeps on giving. When Matt was 57, he died of a neurological disease that most likely was connected to Agent Orange, but never confirmed. Thank you, Kristen Hannah, for bringing this part of history to life, and Paul for sharing your thoughts.

Judith Ackerson

Franklin