Two years ago I self-published a book about the Vietnam War. It is the story of what my beloved late husband, Johnny F. Pugh, experienced as an army infantry soldier after he was drafted and sent to Cu Chi, South Vietnam in the summer of 1966. This book started out as a series of journals he wrote to help him understand and cope with the severe PTSD affecting his mental state after he returned to the United States a little over a year later. With his permission, I read his journals and I was blown away by how powerful his writing was, especially the colorful descriptions of the soldiers he fought alongside and the often horrifying details of the firefights and battles he survived in the steamy exotic jungles and rice paddies of southeast Asia. Tragically, in 2007 he suffered a massive stroke that left him partially paralyzed and unable to write anymore. In January, 2011, he suddenly died from lung cancer that was partially attributed to his exposure to Agent Orange. But before he passed away, I promised him I would finish his book and publish it so his suffering and that of his soldier buddies would not be forgotten by the world. This website to let anyone interested in him and his book to learn more about who he was as an author, poet and artist. I also hope to encourage more people to read his book by providing information about how and where to purchase a copy of his book. In addition, I will provide links to other websites where his editorial and customer reviews of his book can be read. Lastly, I hope to reach out to other combat veterans and their family members and encourage them to write about their own war and postwar experiences and/or memoirs, poetry and stories.
A quienes hablan Español: Mi esposo era un Chicano y él estaba muy orgulloso hablar en Español. Su libro tienen muchas palabras en Español y en Inglés. Si ustedes quieren escribirme en Español, o si tienen preguntas en Español, yo doy la bienvenida qualquier cosa ustedes quieren contribuir. Muchas gracias,
Cristina Pugh
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Published by throughsmoketearedeyes
The author of this book, my late husband, Johnny Pugh, continues to live on in a couple of ways: in my mind, through my memories of him and in my heart, because of my enduring love for him. In addition, his spirit seems timeless, continuing to remain young and very alive within the words on the pages of his book. It is a deeply moving and brutally honest tale of the war in Vietnam, which he witnessed and experienced personally out in the bush as a rifleman, exposed daily to the dangers of combat. Sniper fire, booby-traps and mortar fire from the enemy guerilla fighters, and sometimes short rounds fired by inexperienced GIs, or canisters of napalm dropped from above by careless jet fighters, all a constant threat to the soldiers' lives. Tragically, Johnny died in 2011 from lung cancer, which was linked to his exposure to Agent Orange while stationed in Cu Chi, South Vietnam, 1966-1967. He was drafted and sent to fight in the Vietnam War as a Wolfhound, a member of the 2/27th Infantry Battalion, part of the U.S. Army's 25th Division. This group, consisting of 15,000 or so soldiers, built their base camp on top of a large underground tunnel network, dug decades earlier and still used by the VC guerilla fighters and commanders. Prior to his death, Johnny had a severe stroke (also linked to Agent Orange) before he had a chance to finish writing his Vietnam War memoir. Before he left this planet, I promised him that I would finish his manuscript and try to publish the final book. It took a great deal of research and many hours of my time and all of my savings, but I published the book's 1st edition in the fall of 2017. In 2018, Johnny's memoir won the grand prize in the San Francisco Book Festival, earned a bronze medal in the MWSA Book Contest, and was an autobiography/biography finalist in the NY Book Festival. In 2020, I republished "Through Smoke-Teared Eyes" so that it would be more affordable and hopefully be read by more people around the world. His book is also available to download in eBook/Kindle formats for only $3.99. This WordPress website is dedicated to all Vietnam combat veterans and those who they love. On these webpages I will attempt to acquaint you with the extraordinarily talented and complicated man who is the author of this remarkable and courageous tale about the suffering and sacrifices he and his fellow combat veterans endured fighting in a senseless and bloody war. Johnny and I hope his memoir will hopefully never be forgotten by all those who read it.
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Through Smoke-Teared Eyes: The Vietnam War I Fought 