Brass Cannon’s Vietnam Project

Francis Hamit and Leigh Strother-Vien have started an Indiegogo fundraiser for a book project, Coming Home From ‘Nam, an anthology of short memoirs by veterans of the Vietnam War about their experiences when returning to the United States and their hometowns — How they were greeted by strangers, friends and family and the impact of those receptions on their lives then and later.

WHY THIS BOOK? It’s simple. The Vietnam generation is dying out and there should be a record of these experiences made for future generations. We want to collect and curate these stories while there is still time to get the story direct from those who experienced it. There is a lot of myth about negative outcomes, but we are also looking for instances of positive homecomings to balance out this narrative and testimony.

Hamit and Strother-Vien are the owners of Brass Cannon Books, a small independent publisher specializing in military and related narratives. Hamit is a Vietnam veteran and served as an enlisted clerk in an Army Security Agency aviation company in the Mekong Delta in 1968-69. Strother-Vien was a supply specialist with a Pershing missile battalion in Germany between 1980 and 1984

The full text follows the jump.

COMING HOME FROM ‘NAM

An anthology by Veterans

CONCEPT: This will be a collection of short memoirs by veterans of the Vietnam War about their experiences when returning to the United States and their hometowns. How they were greeted by strangers, friends and family and the impact of those receptions on their lives then and later. Each anecdote will be between 100 and 1,000 words (and may be longer if the story is a really good one.) Overall length of the book will be about 100,000 words with between 100 and 300 contributors.

WHY THIS BOOK? It’s simple. The Vietnam generation is dying out and there should be a record of these experiences made for future generations. We want to collect and curate these stories while there is still time to get the story direct from those who experienced it. There is a lot of myth about negative outcomes, but we are also looking for instances of positive homecomings to balance out this narrative and testimony.

PUBLICATION: The book will be edited by Francis Hamit and Leigh Strother-Vien, the owners of Brass Cannon Books, a small independent publisher specializing in military and related narratives. Hamit is a Vietnam veteran and served as an enlisted clerk in an Army Security Agency aviation company in the Mekong Delta in 1968-69. Strother-Vien was a supply specialist with a Pershing missile battalion in Germany between 1980 and 1984. They will edit and manage the book for publication worldwide. There will be e-book and print book editions and possibly foreign language rights sold as well. Publication is tentatively scheduled for Veterans Day in 2013.

CONTRIBUTORS may submit their article by e-mail to: [email protected]
If their article is selected they will be asked to provide a copy of their DD 214 so that their service can be verified. They will also be asked to sign a non-exclusive publication agreement allowing their contribution to be included in the book. They will also be asked to write a short biography, not just of their service, but of their life after their service in Vietnam. These will be published in a separate section and the contribution of relevant photos is also encouraged.

COMPENSATION. Each contributor will receive a copy of the printed book. Additionally, each contributor will receive an honorarium between ten and one hundred dollars, the amount to be determined at the sole and exclusive discretion of the Editors. Those who wish to show support for the project may waive the honorarium, but every contributor will get a copy of the book. Original photos taken by contributors will be considered for inclusion in the book, and if selected, will be paid for on a non-exclusive basis, at ten dollars each. This payment will also be for possible use online to promote the book. All photos will be credited.

Additionally there will be a contest for the cover art with a prize of $250.00 for exclusive worldwide rights as a work-for-hire. The winner of the contest will also receive two copies of the book.

FUNDING: There will be a crowd-funding appeal on IndieGoGo.com to raise $17,500 or more for the editing, management, printing and promotion of the book. The incentives will include a way to preorder the book for $25.00 (including shipping and sales tax) and being acknowledged as a “Friend”, “Patron” or “Angel” of the book for contributions ranging from $100 to $2,500 or more. There will also be an option for a five dollar contribution for those who simply want to support this project. The names of all contributors will be printed in a special section in the back of the book.

Brass Cannon Books, as publisher of this anthology, will retain any profits above expenses as compensation for its efforts.

Individual pre-orders for this book can be made by sending a check for $25.00 (California resident add $1.88 for state sales tax) to Brass Cannon Books, P.O. Box 5499, Pine Mountain Club, CA 93222-5499, USA. Foreign orders should add $19.00 for shipping and handling. All checks must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. Bank. Please note “Nam” on the memo line of your check. Paypal orders accepted at [email protected].

[If there are more submissions than expected, it is possible that there will be a “Coming Home from ‘Nam, Vol. 2″]