In honor of Veterans Day 2019 we are releasing a free PDF edition of Peacemaking Under Fire.
If you find it meaningful and would like to own a physical copy, the print version is still available from Amazon.com – or contact us if you want a bunch.
Remembering John on Father’s Day, 2012
John Arnold, author of Peacemaking Under Fire, died quietly at home from prostate cancer at the end of March 2012. His death has been grieved by many, especially his family and those who knew him as a leader and innovator in developing charity resources to end hunger in the United States.
His immediate family will be remembering him this Father’s Day by gathering together near White Cloud, Michigan, to scatter his ashes on family property. All Peacemaking Under Fire readers are welcome to visit John’s memorial web page to read his obituary, learn more about John’s work after his years in Vietnam, and to join in the celebration of his life: http://www.johnmemorial.com.
Peacemaking Under Fire Reviewed
We are pleased to announce that The Veteran, the newspaper of Vietnam Veterans Against the War has published not one, but two, reviews of Peacemaking Under Fire!
We don’t want to stop you from visiting their site, so we’ll limit ourselves to quoting just one key passage here, from Gerald R. Gioglio’s review:
These days, VVAW Contacts frequently get requests from high school and college students seeking interviews and for information about the war and GI resistance. Some of us who respond to these requests ponder the best approach to help these students. Do we agree to the interview or send them packing to the library to do the research? I submit that Peacemaking Under Fire provides us with a third way. Like, “Dear X, we got your request for an interview. Go read John Arnold’s book, get shocked, awed and inspired to learn more, and then yeah, call us.”
The bottom line is this. The book is worthy of your shelf. Hopefully, it will soon be an eBook. With luck, some publisher will latch on to it, address some of the loose ends and give it a greater distribution. Meanwhile, let me recommend it to vets, GIs, anybody thinking about enlisting and/or those currently being harassed by recruiters, and anybody else wanting a fresh take on military training or the national nightmare known as the Vietnam War.
A special note for publishers regarding the above: We’re game if you are. If you’d like to talk, drop us a line!
For the rest of you, here are links to the reviews on VVAW’s website:
Peacemaking Under Fire: A Vietnam War Memoir – Aaron Davis (reviewer)
Peacemaking Under Fire – Another Look by Gerald R. Gioglio (reviewer)
Vietnam Snapshots
Pictures taken during the author’s tour of duty, 1969-1970.
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- Headquarters, 5th Marines at An Hoa, cited on Page 94.
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- John in front of his tent at An Hoa, cited on Page 95.
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- The Marine Corps base at An Hoa, as seen from the air, cited on page 102.
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- The Marine Corps base at An Hoa as seen from outside the outer perimeter of barbed wire, cited on page 102.
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- The Communications Center at An Hoa, cited on page 103.
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- The MedCap Team at work providing free, no-questions-asked medical care out in the villages near An Hoa, cited on page 106.
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- The notorious “Scout Sniper Platoon ‘number of enemies killed (primarily as part of Operation Phoenix)’ scoreboard, cited on page 124-25.
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- John out in a village near An Hoa on a MedCap run, cited on page 146.
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- One of the two 1st Recon Choppers that locked rotors, exploded and burned at An Hoa prior to that Recon Team’s ill-fated insertion that cost them all their lives, cited on page 154.
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- The corporal stripes John was awarded in the weeks after he began trying to get the Marine Corps to believe he didn’t work for them anymore, cited on page 161.
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- A truck like the one John took to Chu Lai in order to ‘requisition’ chairs for the 5th Marines’ officers, cited on pages 171-72.
Want an autographed copy?
John won’t be doing a book tour, but if you’d like an autographed copy of Peacemaking Under Fire, we’ve got a solution for you! E-mail your address (and who you want the book signed for) to info@peacemakingunderfire.com and we’ll send you an autographed book plate (a special kind of sticker to go on the inside cover of your book). This is a limited time offer, so act now!
Peacemaking Under Fire Released
After eighteen months and many many drafts, we are pleased to announce that Peacemaking Under Fire is now finished and available for sale at Create Space and on Amazon.com! Next up on our agenda is an ebook version, so if you’re a fan of reading on your computer, Kindle, Nook, or iPad, stay tuned!
In the meantime, if you’ve read Peacemaking Under Fire and would like to share your thoughts or own experiences, please feel free to leave a comment on this post, or send us an e-mail at info@peacemakingunderfire.com. Because of John’s health situation* we can’t promise that he will have the energy to respond to everyone personally, but he’ll do his best!
*In December John went into hospice home care for Stage IV Agent Orange-induced prostate cancer.