Query: Women and the Viet Nam War "home front"

Virginia Laffey (vlaffey@edgenet.net)
Fri, 06 Feb 1998 10:13:15 +0000

Hi,
My name is Virginia Laffey, and I am currently working on a Ph.D. in
History at Boston University. My dissertation will examine the effect
the conditions of the Viet Nam "home front" had on the wives, mothers
and girlfriends of American soldiers fighting in Viet Nam. Because
little has been written on this topic, much of my study will be based on
interviews and letters from the women themselves. I hope that anyone on
the list that was (is) one of these wives, girlfriends or mothers, will
contact me and share their experiences. Also, if anyone knows of such
women, would they please put me in touch with them. My e-mail address
is vlaffey@edgenet.net.
I have placed queries for letters from these women in various
newsletters and magazines, with limited success. (The letters I have
received, as well as the interviews I have conducted to date are
incredibly moving and illuminating; I just need more!) If anyone has
any thoughts on ways to contact more of them I would appreciate the
suggestions. I believe that the women who waited at home for their
loved ones to return from a controversial war half-way around the world,
waited invisibly and in isolation. They are still largely invisible
among us today, which makes locating them a challenge. I would love to
hear any thoughts on this, as well as secondary sources, fiction,
movies and music that touch on this topic.
Thanks in advance.