The personal narratives of some of the veterans are riveting as they pedaled deeper into the heart of rural Vietnam.  The rice paddies and hills brought back vivid memories of firefights in the often oppressive weather of Vietnam.  The bicycling veterans once again experienced weather conditions that included a deluge of soaking rains that were harder than anything they ever saw in America, stifling humidity, and consistent 100-degree temperatures.  Another vet had memories of being kneedeep in mud and recalls giant red ants swarming all over him when he served in the late 1960s.  The veterans drove past many scarred landscapes from former battles.  A couple of astonished vets noticed when approaching a village an unexploded grenade and mortar shell from the 1970s that were still laying in a field.     

The gritty documentary shows that many of the returning vets suffered lost limbs, terrible wounds, and burns during the war, but for some the most painful scars are emotional.  Most of them were barely out of high school and not old enough to drink liquor or vote when they were drafted into the middle of the violent war.  Many young people from the Springfield area made the 9,000-mile trip to Vietnam.  One of the film's best personal narratives follows the experiences of an introspective Latino combat medic Jose G. Ramos. Ramos served in the Vietnam War from 1965-68 and was wounded twice.  When Ramos returned home he said, "The very first day I got home I was a liar."  He told everyone that he served in Germany and was in total denial and haunted by his war service.  He slipped into deep despair during the war because he had to treat so many soldiers with horrific injuries and sadly placed some of his fallen comrades into body bags.  When he returned to America he abused drugs and alcohol to anesthetize the pain of his war experience.  An African American vet talked to a group of Vietnamese citizens about how he was blinded by a land mine in 1966.  A kind Vietnamese man in the gathering told the veteran that he was also blind, as a result of an American bombing raid when he was only 12 years old.  With no apparent resentment in his heart he said with more vision than some sighted people, "Americans and Vietnamese are both equal under God.  At this point we must look towards the future, and put the past behind us."   

East Forest Park Library's new Monday afternoon book group meets on the first Monday of each month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.  Anyone is welcome to show up at any meeting.  Library Associate Scott Johnson helps facilitate the meetings, and I caught up with him to ask a few questions about the group.

Elizabeth Oedel:  "How did this new book group come into being?"
Scott Johnson:  "Many patrons wanted a book group that could meet during the day.  Some people wanted to avoid driving at night, and others prefer going out during the daytime.  I was new to the East Forest Park Library, and was interested both in programming and being part of a book group, so I started the East Forest Park Afternoon Book Group."

Elizabeth:  "Could you explain the format of this book group and how it differs from the Tuesday evening book group at East Forest Park Library?"
Scott:  "This is a different kind of group from the traditional book of the month format. Because of a wide range of book interests among members and interested patrons, I created an open format where members read whatever they like. Each month we all share with the group what we as individuals have read. This creates a forum in which people can be excited about sharing their favorite books and also get many great ideas about what to read next."
Elizabeth:  "I understand that the meeting on November third will include discussion of the book China Road.  Can you tell me a little bit about that?"
Scott:  "November is the time for the regional event 'City Thinks.'  The topic is China, and as part of the Springfield Forum, during which author and NPR correspondent Rob Gifford will be speaking about his book China Road, the book group will focus some of its energy on this specific book."