Information on Women and the Vietnam War is found in two sections on this website:

Books About the War
Web Links

The Vietnam Women's Memorial

Books About the War>Non-Fiction>Women & the War
Web Links>Women & the War

Women & the Vietnam War
A Selected Bibliography

Adler, Bill, ed. Letters from Vietnam. New York: Dutton, 1967.

Appy, Christian. Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides. New York: Viking, 2003.

Arrowsmith, Pat, ed. To Asia in Peace: Story of a Non-Violent Action Mission to Indo China. London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1972.

Bartimus, Tad. War Torn: Stories of War from the Women Reporters Who Covered Vietnam. New York: Random House, 2002.

Beechy, Atlee, and Winifred Beechy. Vietnam: Who Cares? Scottdale, Penn.: Herald Press, 1968.

Bigler, Philip. Hostile Fire: The Life and Death of First Lieutenant Sharon Lane. Arlington, Va.: Vandamere Press, 1996.

Boardman, Elizabeth Jelinek. The Phoenix Trip: Notes on a Quaker Mission to Haiphong. Burnsville, N.C.: Celo Press, 1985

Borton, Lady. Sensing the Enemy: An American Woman Among the Boat People of Vietnam. Garden City, N.Y.: Dial, 1984.

Brandon, Heather. Casualties: Death in Vietnam, Anguish and Survival in America. New York: St. Martin's, 1984.

Butler, Deborah. American Women Writers on Vietnam: Unheard Voices: A Selected Annotated Bibliography. New York: Garland, 1990.

Byrd, Barthy. Home Front: Women and Vietnam. Berkeley, Calif.: Shameless Hussy Press, 1986.

Clark, Marjorie A. Captive on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974.

Dickerson, James. North to Canada: Men and Women Against the Vietnam War. New York: Praeger, 1999.

Duong Thu Huong. Novel Without a Name. New York: Morrow, 1995.

_____. Paradise of the Blind. New York: Morrow, 1992.

Elwood-Akers, Virginia. Women War Correspondents in the Vietnam War, 1961-1975. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1988.

Emerson, Gloria. Winners and Losers: Battles, Retreats, Gains, Losses and Ruins from the Vietnam War. New York: Random House, 1976.

Evans, Barbara. Caduceus in Saigon: A Medical Mission to South Viet-Nam. London: Hutchinson, 1968.

Fallaci, Oriana. Nothing, and So Be It. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1972.

Farish, Terry. Flower Shadows. New York: Morrow, 1992.

Freedman, Dan, and Jacquelin Rhoads, ed. Nurses in Vietnam: The Forgotten Veterans. Austin, Tex.: Texas Monthly, Press, 1987.

Freeman, James M. Hearts of Sorrow: Vietnamese-American Lives. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1989.

Gellhorn, Martha. A New Kind of War. Manchester, England: Manchester Guardian and Evening News, 1966.

Genz, Marilyn. 20,000 Men and Me. Carpentersville, Ill.: Crossroads Communications, 1988.

Gruzhit-Hoyt, Olga. A Time Remembered: American Women in the Vietnam War. Novato, Calif.: Presidio Press, 1999.

Hampton, Lynn. The Fighting Strength: Memoirs of a Combat Nurse in Vietnam. New York: Warner, 1992.

Hasselblad, Marva with Dorothy Brandon. Lucky-Lucky: A Nurse's Story of a Provincial Hospital in Vietnam. New York: M. Evans, 1966.

Hawthorne, Leslyanne, ed. Refugee: The Vietnamese Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982.

Hayslip, Le Ly with James Hayslip. Child of War, Woman of Peace. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

Hayslip, Le Ly and Jay Wurts. When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace. New York: Doubleday, 1989.

Hayton-Keeva, Sally, ed. Valiant Women in War and Exile: Thirty-Eight True Stories. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1987. Reprinted: Pullman : Washington State University Press, 2003.

Hefley, James and Marti Hefley. No Time for Tombstones: Life and Death in the Vietnamese Jungle. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publications, 1974.

Higgins, Marguerite. Our Vietnam Nightmare. New York: Harper & Row, 1965.

Hovis, Bobbi. Station Hospital Saigon: A Navy Nurse in Vietnam, 1963-1964. Annapolis. Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1991.

Jansen, Jann. Paper Bridges: From Vietnam with Love. New York: Signet, 1991.

Keenan, Barbara Mullen. Every Effort. New York: St. Martin's, 1986.

Kelly, Katie. A Year in Saigon: How I Gave Up My Glitzy Job in Television to Have the Time of My Life Teaching Amerasian Kids in Vietnam. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.

Kimball, William R. Vietnam: The Other Side of Glory. Canton, Ohio: Daring Books, 1987.

Labin, Suzanne. Vietnam: An Eyewitness Account. Springfield, Va.: Crestwood Books, 1964.

Laurent, Pauline. Grief Denied: A Vietnam Widow's Story. Santa Rosa, Calif.: Catalyst For Change, 1999.

Lifton, Betty Jean and Thomas C. Fox. Children of Vietnam. New York: Atheneum, 1972.

Ly Qui Chung, ed. Between Two Fires: The Unheard Voices of Vietnam. New York: Praeger, 1970.

McCarthy, Mary. Hanoi. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968.

_____. Vietnam. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967.

Marshall, Kathryn. In the Combat Zone: An Oral History of American Women in Vietnam, 1966-1975. Boston: Little, Brown, 1987.

Mason, Patience H. C. Recovering from the War: A Woman's Guide to Helping Your Vietnam Vet, Your Family, and Yourself. New York: Viking, 1990.

Merrell, Betty J. and Priscilla Tunnell. Stories That Won't Go Away: Women in Vietnam, 1959-1975. Birmingham, Ala.: New Hope, 1995.

Miller, Carolyn P. Captured! Chappaqua, N.Y.: Christian Herald Books, 1977.

Mullen, Peg. Unfriendly Fire: A Mother's Memoir. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1995.

Nasmyth, Virginia, and Spike Nasmyth. Hanoi Release John Nasmyth: A Family Love Story. Santa Paula, Calif.: V Parr Publishers, 1984.

Nguyen Thi Dinh. No Other Road to Take: Memoir of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dinh. Ithaca, N.Y.: Southeast Asian Program, Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University, 1976.

Noel, Chris, with Bill Tredwell. Matter of Survival: The "War" Jane Never Saw. Boston: Branden, 1987.

Noel, Reuben, and Nancy Noel. Saigon for a Song: The True Story of a Vietnam Gig to Remember. Phoenix: USC Press, 1987.

Norman, Elizabeth M. Women at War: The Story of Fifty Military Nurses Who Served in Vietnam. Philadelphia: University of Pensylvania Press, 1990.

Novak, Marian Faye. Lonely Girls With Burning Eyes: A Wife Recalls Her Husband's Journey Home from Vietnam. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991.

O'Neill, Susan. Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Vietnam. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001.

Ostroff, Roberta. Fire in the Wind: The Life of Dickey Chapelle. New York: Ballantine, 1992.

Palmer, Laura. Shrapnel in the Heart. New York: Random House, 1987.

Powell, Mary Reynolds. A World of Hurt. Cleveland, Ohio: Greenleaf Enterprises, Inc.

Purcell, Ben, and Anne Purcell. Love and Duty. New York: St.Martin's, 1992.

Ray, Michele. The Two Shores of Hell: A French Journalist's Life Among the Vietcong and the GI's of Vietnam. New York: McKay, 1968.

Rogers, Dale Evans. Salute to Sandy. Westwood, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell, 1967.

Rosenberger, Mary Sue H. Harmless as Doves: Witnessing for Peace in Vietnam. Elgin, Ill.: Brethern Press, 1988.

Rutledge, Howard, and Phyllis Rutledge. In the Presence of Mine Enemies, 1965-1973: A Prisoner of War. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell, 1973.

Sachs, Dana. The House on Dream Street: Memoir of an American Woman in Vietnam. Chapel Hill, N.C. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2000.

Santoli, Al. Everything We Had: An Oral History of the Vietnam War. New York: Random House, 1981.

_____. To Bear Any Burden: The Vietnam War and Its Aftermath in the Words of Americans and Southeast Asians. New York: Dutton, 1985.

Saywell, Shelley. Women in War: First-Hand Accounts from World War II to El Salvador. New York: Viking, 1985.

Schuyler, Philippa Duke. Good Men Die. New York: Twin Circle, 1969.

Schwinn, Monika, and Bernhard Diehl. We Came to Help. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1976.

Schynert, Mark. Women of the Vietnam War. Detroit: Lucent Books, 2005.

Scott, Joanna C. Indochina's Refugees: Oral Histories from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Jefferson, N. C.: McFarland, 1989.

Sheehan, Susan. Ten Vietnamese. New York: Knopf, 1967.

Smith, Laura Irene. Ten Dangerous Years. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975.

_____. Victory in Viet Nam. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1966.

Smith, Winnie. American Daughter Gone to War: On the Front Lines With an Army Nurse in Vietnam. New York: Morrow, 1992.

Smolenski, Mary C. et al. A Fit, Fighting Force: The Air Force Nursing Services Chronology. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, 2005.

Sontag, Susan. Trip to Hanoi. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1968.

Stafford, Ann. Saigon Journey. New York: Taplinger, 1960.

Stockdale, James B., and Sybil Stockdale. In Love and War: The Story of a Family's Ordeal and Sacrifice During the Vietnam Years. New York: Harper & Row, 1984.

Taylor, Ethel Barol. We Made a Difference: My Personal Journey with Women Strike for Peace. Philadelphia: Camino, 1998.

Taylor, Rosemary, with Wende Grant. Orphans of War: Work with the Abandoned Children of Vietnam, 1967-1975. London: Collins, 1988.

Taylor, Sandra C. Vietnamese Women at War: Fighting for Ho Chi Minh and the Revolution. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1999.

Terry, Susan. House of Love: Life in a Vietnamese Hospital. Melbourne, Australia: Landsdowne, 1966.

Thomas, Liz. Dust of Life. New York: Dutton, 1977.

Trembly, Diane L. Petticoat Medic in Vietnam: Adventures of a Woman Doctor. New York: Vantage, 1976.

Trotta, Liz. Fighting for Air: In the Trenches with Television News. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.

Turner, Karen Gottschang with Phan Thanh Hao. Even the Women Must Fight: Memories of War from North Vietnam. New York: Wiley, 1998.

Van Devanter, Lynda. Home Before Morning: The Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam. New York: Beaufort Books, 1983.

Van Devanter, Lynda and Furey, Joan S., eds. Visions of War, Dreams of Peace: Writings of Women in the Vietnam War. New York: Warner Books, 1991.

Walker, Keith. A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 AmericanWomen Who Served in Vietnam. Novato, Calif.: Presidio Press, 1985.

Webb, Kate. On the Other Side: 23 Days with the Viet Cong. New York: Quadrangle, 1972.

Weiss, Stephen. A War Remembered: Voices from Vietnam. Boston: The Company, 1986.

Wildwind, Sharon. Dreams That Blister Sleep: A Nurse in Vietnam. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: River Books, 1999.

Zasloff, Tela. Saigon Dreaming: Recollections of Indochina Days. New York: St. Martin's 1990.


For additional information, see Wittman, Sandra. Writing About Vietnam: A Bibliography of the Literature of the Vietnam Conflict. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1989.

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Australian Civilian Nurses as Vietnam Veterans
This site seeks to make the public aware of the many Australian civilian nurses who served in Vietnam and who are now ill or ailing as a result of their experience in the war and are receiving no compensation for their disabilities. The site discusses the problems and conditions resulting from war service and the nurses' war experiences utilizing first-person accounts and photographs. A bibliography is also included.

My Thirty Year Anniversary Trip
Ann Kelsey volunteered to go to Vietnam as a librarian with Army Special Services in August, 1969. This is her account of her return to Vietnam 30 years later. Also included are pictures from her trip.

Regret to Inform
Barbara Sonneborn, whose husband was killed in the Vietnam War, is the creator of the poignant documentary Regret to Inform which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998 and won awards for best director, best cinematographer, and best feature documentary at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999. Twenty years later after her husband's death, Sonneborn embarked on a journey through Vietnam. Woven into her personal odyssey are interviews with American and Vietnamese widows from both sides of the conflict who speak openly about the men they loved and how war changed their lives forever. The website includes information about the director, crew biographies, background stories, a list of awards, quotes from the film, a faq, a film trailer, a list of events associated with the film and film showings, purchase information, and a list of related website links. Of particular interest is the section called Letters to the Heart which includes letters from Barbara Sonneborn to her husband Jeff and also allows site visitors to add their own letters and read those of other visitors.

The Sharon Ann Lane Foundation
The Sharon Ann Lane Foundation was established in June 2001, to honor the memory of Lane, an Army Nurse killed on duty in the Vietnamese Ward 4 of the 312th Evacuation Hospital, Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam, as a result of a rocket's direct hit on the nurses' station. The foundation is planning the construction of and seeking funding for a clinic to be built in her memory that would serve the villagers of Tam Hiep commune, Chu Lai, Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam and for the collection and transport of medical supplies and equipment.

About the Vietnam Women's Memorial
The Vietnam Women's Memorial
Vietnam Women's Memorial Dedication

For information on Glenna Goodacre, the sculptor of the memorial statue, see:
Glenna Goodacre: American Sculptor
Glenna Goodacre's website

Vietnam Women Veterans
The Vietnam Women Veterans web site includes information on conferences, a history of U.S. women in Vietnam, medals, memoirs and other narratives and poetry, a memorial section, and links to related sites.

War Widows International Peace Alliance
Widows of War, a website from the creators of the film Regret to Inform, provides a place where widows of all wars and conflicts can record and share their stories, celebrating women an a force for peace, healing, and reconciliation and to educate the public about the lasting efffects of war. Widows can add their own stories and pictures and read the testimonies of war widows from around the world including Afghanistan, Cambodia, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Armenia, Tibet, Guatamala, Angola, and Laos. Site visitors will see the personal side of war in an attempt to change the way people look at war. Also included are links to other related websites.

Women in Military Service
The Women's Memorial Web site is dedicated to recognizing the achievements of women who have served in the military and also honors other women who have served in direct support of the U.S. armed forces, particularly during times of war or conflict. The site offers historical data, educational resources for teachers and students, and information on how to plan a trip to the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Women in Vietnam
Marilyn Knapp Litt's excellent website on the women who served in Vietnam provides interviews, articles, and personal accounts from and about nurses, Red Cross workers, entertainers and civilian personnel. Also included are photographs, a chat room, links to bibliographies, videos, projects, Dusty's Poetry Page, a Shrapnel in the Heart webpage, Women in Country, and announcements of related events. Research requests are accepted.

For a list of the women who died in the Vietnam war, see American Women Who Died in the Vietnam War (1959-1975) and A Place on the Wall and in our Hearts which includes women from allied countries who died.

See also:

American Women Who Died in the Vietnam War (1959-1975)
Bringing Together Women Veterans (PTSD)
In-Country Women
Military Woman Home Page
Mlitary Women Memorials
Military Women in Vietnam
Women: Vietnam War
Women Vietnam War Veterans