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Return to Vietnam, The Memories: Facing my Demons and Coming to Terms With Them
Stan Bain served 13 months in Vietnam, from June of 1967 to July of 1968. While stationed in Dong Tam he visited an orphanage in the nearby town of MyTho. Two of the children there became special to him, and when the ultimately died due to an act of the enemy 54 years of trauma ensued. Stan returned to Vietnam with the goal of finding the orphanage and a sense of closure.
"Return to Vietnam, The Memories" is the touching story of a man grappling with the things that have haunted him for decades. Readers will learn that to bring a nightmare to an end we must meet with our demons.
"Return to Vietnam, The Memories" is the touching story of a man grappling with the things that have haunted him for decades. Readers will learn that to bring a nightmare to an end we must meet with our demons.
122 pages, Paperback
Published September 29, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 13, 2025
The Vietnam War has obviously created a lasting impact on the cultures of both America and the country that the US invaded. Even so many years after the fact, it’s difficult for the individuals involved to get on the same page regarding whether the war was worth it or who precisely walked away the victors. At this point, though, that’s almost beside the point. The war has become a part of the public consciousness of both countries, and also of former soldiers like the author of this book. This is his tale of returning to Vietnam during peace time and of what he discovered there.
Return to Vietnam-The Memories: Facing My Demons and Coming to Terms with Them, by Stan Bain, is an account of the author going back to Vietname some four-and-a-half decades after his 13-month tour there as a soldier in 1967-68. Some portions of it may remind readers of movies like Platoon or Apocalypse Now.
Bain proves himself a capable narrator. He describes in vivid detail the emotions he felt and thoughts that went through his mind while searching for the orphanage along the Mekong River where two boys were accidentally killed during his deployment. He also doesn’t shirk from laying out what his life has been like in the many long years that have passed.
Diagnosed with PTSD, as so many others were who fought in the war, the author explains how difficult it has been to find peace, and how he genuinely feared that it would always be beyond his grasp. However, upon finding the school that now exists where the orphanage once stood, he is nearly upended by a groundswell of emotions so complex and powerful that the reader can very clearly feel them as well. This speaks to Bain’s ability as a storyteller.
This is not an entirely pleasant book, as it deals with trauma in a very frank and open way. However, it also leads to a form of catharsis. The author should be commended for telling his story so fearlessly. This literary exploration of a painful chapter in American history should be required reading for all who wish to know more about it.
Return to Vietnam-The Memories: Facing My Demons and Coming to Terms with Them, by Stan Bain, is an account of the author going back to Vietname some four-and-a-half decades after his 13-month tour there as a soldier in 1967-68. Some portions of it may remind readers of movies like Platoon or Apocalypse Now.
Bain proves himself a capable narrator. He describes in vivid detail the emotions he felt and thoughts that went through his mind while searching for the orphanage along the Mekong River where two boys were accidentally killed during his deployment. He also doesn’t shirk from laying out what his life has been like in the many long years that have passed.
Diagnosed with PTSD, as so many others were who fought in the war, the author explains how difficult it has been to find peace, and how he genuinely feared that it would always be beyond his grasp. However, upon finding the school that now exists where the orphanage once stood, he is nearly upended by a groundswell of emotions so complex and powerful that the reader can very clearly feel them as well. This speaks to Bain’s ability as a storyteller.
This is not an entirely pleasant book, as it deals with trauma in a very frank and open way. However, it also leads to a form of catharsis. The author should be commended for telling his story so fearlessly. This literary exploration of a painful chapter in American history should be required reading for all who wish to know more about it.
March 24, 2025
Stan Bain’s Return to Vietnam: Facing my Demons and Coming to Terms with Them offers readers a poignant look at a personal journey decades after the Vietnam War. This book chronicles the author’s return to Vietnam in November 2019, a trip sparked by conversations following a book signing for his first work, “You Are Never Alone.”
Bain’s primary motivation for this journey is deeply personal. He explicitly states his hope to revisit locations that impacted his life during the war. The book’s dedication further emphasizes this, as it addresses Vietnam veterans struggling with haunting memories, hoping that sharing his experience might inspire them to consider a similar return. This suggests a central theme of confronting the past and seeking peace or understanding.
The narrative clearly revolves around his experiences during the Vietnam War and the lasting impact of those memories. His mention of hoping to better understand the Vietnam War and how the Vietnamese people survived indicates an intention to learn and gain new perspectives on a conflict that profoundly shaped his life.
Return to Vietnam is a deeply personal and introspective account of a Vietnam veteran’s journey back to a land marked by war. Readers can anticipate a chronological narrative filled with observations of the present-day country, reflections on past experiences, and a central quest for peace and understanding. The book seems geared towards those interested in the human impact of war, the process of confronting trauma, and the potential for healing through revisiting significant past events.
Bain’s primary motivation for this journey is deeply personal. He explicitly states his hope to revisit locations that impacted his life during the war. The book’s dedication further emphasizes this, as it addresses Vietnam veterans struggling with haunting memories, hoping that sharing his experience might inspire them to consider a similar return. This suggests a central theme of confronting the past and seeking peace or understanding.
The narrative clearly revolves around his experiences during the Vietnam War and the lasting impact of those memories. His mention of hoping to better understand the Vietnam War and how the Vietnamese people survived indicates an intention to learn and gain new perspectives on a conflict that profoundly shaped his life.
Return to Vietnam is a deeply personal and introspective account of a Vietnam veteran’s journey back to a land marked by war. Readers can anticipate a chronological narrative filled with observations of the present-day country, reflections on past experiences, and a central quest for peace and understanding. The book seems geared towards those interested in the human impact of war, the process of confronting trauma, and the potential for healing through revisiting significant past events.
March 14, 2025
Finding Peace in Unexpected Places: A Veteran's Memoir...
Stan Bain's Return to Vietnam - The Memories: Facing My Demons and Coming to Terms with Them poignantly explores war's psychological scars and the difficult path to healing. Bain's return to Vietnam decades after his military service is a moving, hopeful journey that reveals his PTSD and relentless pursuit of peace.
Bain's introspective narrative transcends memoir with visceral prose that transports readers to his past battlegrounds. His unwavering vulnerability turns wartime memories into a universal meditation on trauma, inviting readers to witness the fragile but transformative journey toward self-forgiveness.
This book's haunting firsthand account of combat and quiet wisdom about reconciliation elevate it. Bain's fortitude in confronting buried anguish makes the book a must-read for veterans, military families, and anybody suffering struggle. This is a resilience lesson, not a war story, demonstrating how compassion can heal decades-old scars.
Bain's experience tells us that salvation comes from confronting our anxieties, not ignoring them. After the final page, its message remains: healing begins when we stop avoiding our ghosts and let them speak. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Stan Bain's Return to Vietnam - The Memories: Facing My Demons and Coming to Terms with Them poignantly explores war's psychological scars and the difficult path to healing. Bain's return to Vietnam decades after his military service is a moving, hopeful journey that reveals his PTSD and relentless pursuit of peace.
Bain's introspective narrative transcends memoir with visceral prose that transports readers to his past battlegrounds. His unwavering vulnerability turns wartime memories into a universal meditation on trauma, inviting readers to witness the fragile but transformative journey toward self-forgiveness.
This book's haunting firsthand account of combat and quiet wisdom about reconciliation elevate it. Bain's fortitude in confronting buried anguish makes the book a must-read for veterans, military families, and anybody suffering struggle. This is a resilience lesson, not a war story, demonstrating how compassion can heal decades-old scars.
Bain's experience tells us that salvation comes from confronting our anxieties, not ignoring them. After the final page, its message remains: healing begins when we stop avoiding our ghosts and let them speak. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
November 5, 2020
Stain Bain tells his story about his return to Vietnam to face his demons after the war. Reading this book I could feel his tension, his pain, his frustrations, his annoyances and his relief. He had me questioning things I had seen, read and experienced on my own trip to Vietnam and brought a whole knew perspective to the Vietnam War. The detail from the past was extraordinarily interesting and made it impossible to put the book down!
One of my favorite quotes from this book:
"It seemed so unfair that innocent children had to suffer and die for cause they couldn't possibly understand"
One of my favorite quotes from this book:
"It seemed so unfair that innocent children had to suffer and die for cause they couldn't possibly understand"
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews