A Corpsman's Legacy: He Continues to Heal Others Through the Daughter He Never Knew

When the premise of this book was described to me, a daughter of a Vietnam veteran who was given up for adoption when her father was killed in action before she was born, I was turned off. I expected a story of a bitter woman. Instead I found a story of a young lady who was curious about the identity of her birth father, made some tentative inquiries to veterans, and continued her search as she was energized and motivated by the warm reception from marines she contacted. The book describes in fine detail the incident that took her father's life, including the men who removed his body from the wreckage under heavy enemy fire. With that, the author created realism and and feel for the day to day life of a corpsman in Vietnam that I had not experienced before. She also introduces us to several veterans both as they were then and as they are now, over 30 years later. This also explains the bond that exists among Vietnam Veterans, especially those in the Marine Corps.

"A Corpsman's Legacy" is a well-written story of a brave young woman's quest to learn about the father she never knew. Her determination pays off over a two-year period where she not only learns a great deal about her hero Dad, Gary Young, who was a Navy Corpsman during the heart breaking Vietnam War, but also about many brave soldiers who also served. Ms. Hanson's love for people is exemplified throughout the book. She becomes a powerful spiritual instrument used to unify many men who had not openly spoken about their frightful experiences of Vietnam since their return to the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Nor had many of them seen each other for more than 30 years. Stephanie became a safe haven for many of these men. They began to trust her, and with great care and compassion she listened to story after story. Through her perseverance the healing had begun. She soon fell in love with these war veterans, and they fell in love with her. Stephanie may have lost her Dad in 1969, but his compassion and gentle spirit lives on in the heart and soul of his little girl. Moreover, Stephanie has a newfound relationship with her birth mother, and her family. And, she has acquired an even larger family with more brothers than any sister could ever ask for! "A Corpsman's Legacy" is certainly deserving of the attention of Mr. Steven Spielberg and Mr. Tom Hanks. I'm certain that when they read this heart warming book, they would discover a great deal of love, compassion, strength, determination, fortitude and respect. The quality of their movies is found in this book. More movies need to be made where love and selflessness bring forth such strength and healing. On a personal note, my brother was also a Corpsman in Vietnam. I never knew what a Corpsman was, or their position during the war. Stephanie's book taught me not only about the Vietnam War and Purple Foxes, but also about the compassion and bravery of Corpsmen. I have, therefore, developed a deep respect for all Corpsmen, and especially for my brother. They are only concerned about the welfare of others by their sheer determination to save lives, and to "leave no man behind." Perhaps the sentiment of Albert Einstein resides in the heart and soul of many Corpsmen, "Only a life lived for others is worth living. " I echo the recommendation of "Boomer" that this book should be read by all active duty and retired military personnel as well as their families. This book is pure love, and deserves five stars!

As a pilot with the Purple Foxes at the time of the ill-fated medevac mission, I can vouch for the accuracy of the years of research spent on this book. The tenacity of the author in gathering the facts, solving the mystery of her heritage, and obtaining recognition for her father is a compelling read that will hold your attention to the conclusion of her quest.

I have never struggled so hard to write a book review as much as I did with this book "A Corpsman's Legacy". It wasn't anything negative about the book (just the opposite) but because of my own reactions to it. I simply was moved beyond words. I could not find the right way to tell others that this is more than just a book but a story of undying love. Author Stephanie Hanson writes a heartfelt memoir of her search for her birth parents. This spiritual quest leads to several amazing discoveries and many great new people in her life. It also leads her to discover that she is also helping others to heal as well as just herself. Stephanie was happily adopted and she had no great desire to look for her birth parents. However, promoted by her need to have medical information; she searched and found her birth mother. In an emotional reunion, her mother gave her an old tattered newspaper clipping of an obituary for her father Gary Young, who was killed in Vietnam in 1969. It was from that small piece of information that sprang an emotional journey for her, her family and so many others. This is why the story is so deeply appealing because it is not just about some self-serving personal discovery but more like a group march for truth and fellowship. She really connected emotionally and spiritually with those who were somehow involved with her father, or with his unit in Nam, or who were just supportive of her quest. One of the more endearing and beautiful events in the book (And there are many!) is when she is given her father's old watch that he had been wearing in Vietnam when he was killed. Gary's brother still had it after all those years; but it never worked and he was never able to get around to getting it fixed. So the watch had stopped and was fixed on a time long ago when her dad died. When she was given the watch it again begins to run and work like it was never broken; it was almost like a signal from the beyond--which I firmly believe it was since I do not accept mere accidents of fate. I believe that everything happens for a reason and her whole story emulates that same kind spiritual energy. She chronicles her contacts with veteran Marines on the internet where she posts messages which eventually lead to connections and those connections lead to even more. This search begins to take on a life of its own and a powerful spiritual healing takes place for those involved in the search as they each find a part of their missing soul. Stephanie allows those other voices to be heard by including their email messages in the book. So the reader can fully follow how this quest unfolded and evolved. The old tape recordings from her father that he sent from Vietnam were another gift to Stephanie from her father's step-father; but it was Gary's dog-tag that meant the most to her--a tag that no one realized that they still had. Her story has so many emotional twists and turns that I do not wish to spoil the reading experience for others. This book

What a wonderful story of the search of her birth father that she never knew. He was a Navy Corpsman who was KIA in Vietnam. The book is well written and accurately researched. All Corpsmen and Marines (especially those who served in Vietnam) will enjoy this book. I also recommend it to all active duty military personnel and their families.