In 2003, I moved back to Hue, Vietnam, to be closer to my past and to the guys who didn’t make it. There I began writing down the first words that would become Perfume River Nights. It took more than twelve years before it was completed and would become a book. But the story is one I’ve carried since I was an infantryman in Vietnam in 1968.
Like with any project that takes years to complete, many people helped me to various degrees with the telling of Perfume River Nights. Some of them unknowingly. Unfortunately, I can only acknowledge a few of them here.
Most prominently, I want to recognize the soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Their unheralded courage and struggles to protect each other and prove themselves in the most difficult of circumstances, which cost so many their lives, gave me the idea for this story.
Additionally, I extend my deepest thanks to:
Corinne Dwyer, Anne Rasset, and Curtis Weinrich of North Star Press, for giving this story life as a book.
Mary Logue, editor, poet, and author, for her editing that helped me refine the story. Her support and advocacy was instrumental in my perseverance and publication of the story.
My daughters, Jennie Bosl and Melissa Thiebaut, for loving and sustaining me regardless of whether the story they knew I carried would ever be a book.
Walailux Sringam, for providing me companionship and encouragement during my years of editing this story.
Dr. Ernest Boswell, for making it possible for me to be here and to write. He was a constant supporter of me and the story. Our conversations about Vietnam and his questions about Perfume River Nights helped me advance the story and continue the effort to tell it.
Fred Bengston; Lisa Edelbrock; Harry Larson; Ann Marie Biermaier, OSB; Mike Sweeney; and Stefanie Weisgram, OSB; who enthusiastically read and commented on the lengthy manuscript. Their excitement for the story buoyed me during times of doubt.
John Buck, for composing the reading guide questions that add to the value of the book as a starting point for discussions on the difficult topics of war, ethics, courage, and violence. His excitement for the story and conversations about life were immeasurably helpful.
The Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict affiliated with Studium, especially Studium Director Ann Marie Biermaier, OSB, and Assistant Director Theresa Schumacher, OSB, for providing me a place to live and write upon my return from Asia. The sisters’ kindness and hospitality eased a difficult transition and provided a supportive atmosphere in which to write.
Barry Pomeroy, professor and author, whom I met by chance in Krabi, Thailand. Even though he was on vacation, he offered to meet with me to review my writing and discuss Perfume River Nights. His encouraging words and belief that I could do it stayed with me through the difficult years of writing and editing.
Author Judy Healy, for her interest in Perfume River Nights and for referring me to editor Mary Logue.
Natalie Goldberg, who unknowingly saved Perfume River Nights through her books Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind, which I discovered in a small bookshop of used titles in Northeastern Thailand at a time when I was close to abandoning and discarding the manuscript.
Le Quynh Anh in Hanoi and Pham Thi Yen Nhi in Hue, for their years of friendship, support for my writing, and help with Vietnamese.
Danny Bowes, for adapting the cover photo to suit my wishes and for the English-American summits we held in Hanoi, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai that were a comfort during the troubling news of wars.
Jerry Fangel and John Hurt, Vietnam combat veterans, for helping me recall or verify a military post, piece of equipment, or procedure. Any error in this regard, though, is entirely my own.
My uncle, Dick Maley, a Korean War veteran, Don Miller and Bob Harringer, World War II veterans, for the stories, letters, and adventures they shared with me. Their company and correspondence were both a comfort and inspiration. Don’s advice before I left for Vietnam to “never get up in the same place you go down” stayed with me throughout my combat tour and the intervening years.
Family members, friends, and acquaintances in the States and Asia, including the Caribou crowd, the Paramount Painting Group, and the Hue Coffee Group for offering stories, counsel, and encouragement through the years. Though far too numerous to mention, all added some valuable piece toward the completion of Perfume River Nights.