Vietnam in Verse

About the Book

I am Michael D. Mullins. I have written a book of poetry, telling my story when I was a grunt in Vietnam. I served there from March 1968 until March 1969. My unit was Delta Company, 3rd Battalion of the 7th Infantry in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. Our motto was "Light, swift and accurate." It could have easily been "light, sweaty and persistent." We were mobile and proved it every day.

The stories I tell are about friends, vets I have met in various situations and my own experiences in the rice paddies of Southeast Asia. I continue to seek stories that inspire, concern, and delight me. They make me thoughtful, proud, and committed to their telling.

I have more to write and will continue to listen to the veterans I encounter on life's road. There are 8.2 million of us, so I am sure I will not get to everyone, but to those from whom I have already learned and those in my future I offer my gratitude, my respect, and my thanks.

The book was awarded the Gold Medal for best book of poetry in 2007 by the Military Writers Society of America.

About the Author

Michael D. Mullins, a native Hoosier with roots in the mountains of Southeastern Virginia. After serving his country in Vietnam, he attended a small college in that region and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. He married while in college, returned to Indiana, and started a family. He and his wife are the parents of two sons and three grandchildren. He completed a second undergraduate degree while working full time for a steel producer. Currently he works as a Team Leader for DaimlerChrysler. Mullins has served his community in a variety of service organizations. He was also a member of a local school board of trustees for sixteen years and established a local scholarship committee. He was and is a believer in all that is good about the United States of America.