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A ‘Closet Veteran’ Comes Out
University professor finally sheds his silence on Vietnam
MT PLEASANT, Mich. - Shocking both his colleagues and students, professor JT Caldwell has finally come out … of the Vietnam closet.
The professor of music and director of music theatre at Central Michigan University has written a book loosely based on his service as a low-ranking enlisted man during Vietnam, a time few outside of his family knew about him.
The Chaplain’s Assistant: God, Country, and Vietnam, A Novel, is paper evidence that Caldwell was there as part of the under-the-radar support troops during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Though Caldwell buried his experiences within himself, recent therapy unearthed ugly memories and the realization that he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, an internal caustic drumbeat that manifested itself in damaging ways.
Somehow, the professor of voice found a way to speak out, silencing the memories that plagued him. His book is his mouthpiece, and he speaks with passion for veterans of all wars … and those who love them.
Story synopsis:
For Ted Bertson, being drafted was bad enough. He hoped that by becoming a chaplain’s assistant he might escape the fighting in Vietnam. It doesn’t work. By the end of 1970 he discovers what every veteran knows: War changes the soldiers who fight and the families who wait for them.
Praise for JT Caldwell and his new release,
The Chaplain’s Assistant
“ … a must read for any one who has served, is serving or knows some one serving in the Armed Services … puts into words feelings that solders often can not describe to those who are close to them.”
Paul Lepley, BarnesandNoble.com reviewer
“ … Great novel with so much feeling and emotion…I loved it … thank you not only for your service, but for your courage to write the story you shared.”
M.D., Mt Pleasant, Michigan
“ … will help families and returning soldiers to understand how to care for each other.”
J.K., South Hadley, Massachusetts
About the Author:
JT Caldwell is a vocal professor and director of music theatre at Central Michigan University. The Chaplain’s Assistant is his first novel.