Children’s book faces shame and pain of Vietnam War

Wednesday 20 June 2018
War historian Professor Glyn Harper has written a number of well-loved children's books about the Anzacs and First and Second World War themes. His new children's book is on the Vietnam War of the 1960s - a conflict less venerated or discussed.
Children’s book faces shame and pain of Vietnam War - image1

War historian Professor Glyn Harper has written a number of well-loved children’s books about the Anzacs and First and Second World War themes. His new children’s book is on the Vietnam War of the 1960s – a conflict less venerated or discussed.

Professor Harper says his latest book, My Grandfather’s War(illustrated by Jenny Cooper and published by Exisle Publishing) is a revamped version of his earlier book on the topic that came out in 2007. The new, colourfully illustrated edition has been released in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand and has been receiving rave reviews.

The young girl in the story is curious to find out more about her grandfather’s war-injured leg and his air of sadness and reserve – symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Without delving into the political and military complexities, the story simply reveals the impact of the war on the grandfather who eventually shows her his Vietnam War Service medal.

He tells her his sadness is from remembering friends hurt or killed and at being shunned at home for going to Vietnam. The grandfather also touches on harm and suffering from “chemicals” (Agent Orange) used in the war and which he says made soldiers and their families sick.

Professor Harper says he felt apprehensive writing about the controversial war involving United States, Australian and New Zealand troops in Vietnam because of sensitivities among returning soldiers about how they were treated after the war. He consulted with two friends who had served in Vietnam and they gave the go-ahead. 

“The soldiers felt mistreated when they returned – there are raw nerves. I had to approach it very carefully,” he says.

Writing a book suited to young readers meant he had to consider the “tricky issue” of Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide used by the United States military to eliminate forest and crop cover for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops.

“I had to include it but say it in a gentle way and hint at the problems [such as birth defects] it caused.”

Book cover for My Grandfather's War

Sensitive not sanitised view of war for young readers

While it was important to include the hard, brutal truths about war, he was aware of not dwelling on this too much as he did not want to turn readers off learning about military history.

This is Professor Harper’s 13th children’s book and the sixth in collaboration with illustrator Jenny Cooper. He says her powerful images tell much of the story, conveying documentary-like, backdrop scenes of the battlefields and anti-Vietnam War protest marches.

The Vietnam War was the longest military conflict for all of the countries involved, spanning 1955 to 1975. In it, 37 New Zealand soldiers died, and 187 were wounded.

In his historical notes at the end of the book, Professor Harper says soldiers from the United States, Australia and New Zealand “had been fighting a war that became very unpopular. Upon their return, many Vietnam veterans felt that the government and the public of their countries were ashamed of them.

“Many veterans also experienced physical and psychological problems as a result of their service in Vietnam, for which they received little or no help.”

My Grandfather’s War will be launched at College Street Normal School in Palmerston North on July 6.

The book’s release coincides with the 50th anniversary this year of the war’s longest siege, the Battle of Khe Sanh, which started with around 20,000 North Vietnamese soldiers against 6,000 US marines and South Vietnamese Army soldiers.