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Pennies from Vietnam: A Sister at Home, a Brother at War
In this family story that includes more than 70 letters from Vietnam, the raw honesty of one homesick teenage boy speaks for every lonely soldier at war. Huey crew chief Larry Smith grew into a hardened man in his First Cavalry helicopter while his little sister Tracy started kindergarten back in New Jersey and learned of war from the family television. As Larry turned 19 in December 1967, battles intensified and his letters darkened, casting doubt on his promise to return home.
Decades after the war, as he lay in a coma, Tracy read her brother's letters in full and vowed to uncover the whole truth of his war. What she learned makes the case for generational trauma in the mental health children do not belong in war, nor should they watch one unfold on television.
Decades after the war, as he lay in a coma, Tracy read her brother's letters in full and vowed to uncover the whole truth of his war. What she learned makes the case for generational trauma in the mental health children do not belong in war, nor should they watch one unfold on television.
247 pages, Paperback
Published July 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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February 27, 2025MWSA Review
Pennies from Vietnam is the story of seventeen-year-old Larry Smith who joined the U.S. Army to serve his country and to help himself grow up. He achieved both goals, but at great personal cost. His story is told by his little sister Tracy Smith, who was three and four years old during his eighteen months in the Vietnam War. He served as a crew chief on attack helicopters from 1967 to 1969, the height of U.S. involvement, so his story is one of combat, bravery, and self-sacrifice.
But this story is about more than that. It's about the effects of the war on his family at home, how his absence was felt and how his family dealt with it from day to day. Larry wrote ninety-nine letters home during his first tour. These form the structure of his story in his own words, but his sister Tracy Smith expanded on these through tireless research to provide a nearly complete narrative of his Vietnam service and beyond. The book is recommended for those interested in the Vietnam War and for those who want to learn the largely untold story of how that confusing war affected servicemen's families who struggled to make sense of it in neighborhoods across America.
Review by Jamie Thompson (February 2025)
Pennies from Vietnam is the story of seventeen-year-old Larry Smith who joined the U.S. Army to serve his country and to help himself grow up. He achieved both goals, but at great personal cost. His story is told by his little sister Tracy Smith, who was three and four years old during his eighteen months in the Vietnam War. He served as a crew chief on attack helicopters from 1967 to 1969, the height of U.S. involvement, so his story is one of combat, bravery, and self-sacrifice.
But this story is about more than that. It's about the effects of the war on his family at home, how his absence was felt and how his family dealt with it from day to day. Larry wrote ninety-nine letters home during his first tour. These form the structure of his story in his own words, but his sister Tracy Smith expanded on these through tireless research to provide a nearly complete narrative of his Vietnam service and beyond. The book is recommended for those interested in the Vietnam War and for those who want to learn the largely untold story of how that confusing war affected servicemen's families who struggled to make sense of it in neighborhoods across America.
Review by Jamie Thompson (February 2025)
October 24, 2024
An outstanding raw look into the personal lives of a family caught up in the war. The author does an excellent job of providing context for the wider situation that Larry found himself in. The book is a touching tribute to a group of young men who found themselves in an unwinnable situation. Highly recommend reading it to add a personal experience along with the wealth of other historical records that have been published about this conflict.
October 3, 2024
Great story of the damage war does, but underlying all of it is the love of a brother for his little sister.
August 8, 2024
Captivating story, beautifully written. I couldn’t put it down.
I was honored to read an advance reader copy of Pennies from Vietnam: A Sister at Home, a Brother at War. In this moving tribute to her brother’s military service in Vietnam, Tracy Smith brings her family’s experience to life through letters sent and received over the course of his deployment. While this book offers a first-hand account of the contradictions of war – its camaraderie, heartbreak, boredom and lingering trauma – at its heart, it is a story of love and family told through the eyes of a young girl longing for her brother’s return from war. Emotional and compelling, it is a tour de force!
I was honored to read an advance reader copy of Pennies from Vietnam: A Sister at Home, a Brother at War. In this moving tribute to her brother’s military service in Vietnam, Tracy Smith brings her family’s experience to life through letters sent and received over the course of his deployment. While this book offers a first-hand account of the contradictions of war – its camaraderie, heartbreak, boredom and lingering trauma – at its heart, it is a story of love and family told through the eyes of a young girl longing for her brother’s return from war. Emotional and compelling, it is a tour de force!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews