[Video from Instagram Reel—see caption at the end of this short post.]
“Does anyone even have the brain space for stories about Vietnam?”
It’s a question that Karen Kaiser (author of Gardens in the Midst of War) and I have discussed more than once as we’ve prepared for our spate of presentations to mark the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
Reading the news these days makes it feel as if nothing will matter, really, ever again. What use is it to talk about the disaster of the Vietnam War now, since its vagaries pale in comparison to the self-destruction being committed by our own government?
“Nixon looks like a Boy Scout,” Karen quipped.
Indeed, sharing a “reel” with my smiling face saying upbeat things about a small presentation about a near-forgotten era feels almost sacrilegious. But honestly, I don’t know what else to do.
Painfully, one of the things that actually gives me hope these days is how, though the Vietnamese people suffered so greatly during the French colonization and the American occupation, they have carried on and in many cases, thrived.
Tariffs and deep economic analyses notwithstanding, the country has been vigorously growing and expanding since the decades after the war’s end. Michael Palin (of the Monty Python Fame) said during his 1995 Full Circle Tour of the world:
“My impression is of a small crowded country riding on a high tide of energy and confidence. A country where there's no point in shouting stop -- no one will hear you.”
In 2015, I returned to Vietnam and I recall feeling welcomed and embraced by our Vietnamese hosts and all who we met there.
Perhaps talking about the Vietnam Era is valuable after all: After the horrors of war and the mindless destruction of that era, life goes on and joy is still found, albeit for some it may be years later. It’s important to remember and keep perspective.
Caption from Instagram Post:
April 12, 2025 | Island Branch of the Manatee Library, Holmes Beach, Florida. I so much enjoyed doing this afternoon presentation with Karen Kaiser in Florida. We had a rapt audience that didn’t mind that we went over the promised hour. And the best part—having Kim Koenn and Liz Jason there. (Thanks Misty and Dick for bringing them!) '
How incredible to meet this way, far from everyone’s usual places of being, and somehow also at the perfect time and place. You never know where your genuine story will take you if you but let it lead.
Enter for a free Kindle Copy of the book
Remember, you can enter the Goodreads Giveaway here. Fifty Kindle books given away in honor of the 50th Anniversary.
About me, curator of “Stories of Vietnam:”
Kat Fitzpatrick is a speaker and a writer (see list of upcoming events below). She was one of the few American dependents living in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War (1975), the daughter of a CIA operative who worked in ultra-secret propaganda. Her first experience with writing was corresponding regularly with her father while he was away on assignment.
The spell of the writing life never released her and she earned two degrees—a Journalism, B.A. and a Creative Writing, M.F.A., and is the author of the 2023 narrative nonfiction book, For the Love of Vietnam: a war, a family, a CIA official, and the best evacuation story never heard.
Upcoming Public Events:
4/30 — “Vietnam Stories” ~ Community Sharing led by Karen Kaiser and Kat Fitzpatrick, Adams Station Clubhouse, Delmar, NY, 6:30pm
05/1 — “Vietnam Stories” ~ Community Sharing led by Karen Kaiser and Kat Fitzpatrick, Round Lake Library, Malta Branch, NY, 6:30pm
05/15- Letters Home exhibit, NY State Museum (A family letter from the evacuation will be on display.)
6/4 - Slideshow Presentation with Karen Kaiser, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, NY, 1-2:30pm
6/28 – Arlington Commons Book Fair, Vermont, 10am-4pm | Presentation at 1:30pm
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