April Library Exhibit Openings

On April 11 at 6:00 p.m., in cooperation with Virginia Humanities and Longwood University, Home and Abroad continued its spring program, “Expanding the Audience for Veterans Voices,” with an opening event at the Central Virginia Regional Library (1303 Main Street, Farmville). Dr. Michael Lund, Professor Emeritus of Longwood University, began the event with a brief presentation: “Shaking the Hand of … Read More

Longwood University Announces Library Exhibit Openng

  (Farmville, VA) – On April 11, at 6:00 pm, Central Virginia Regional Library will host an exhibit opening, “Expanding the Audience for Veterans’ Voices,” featuring works written by military, veterans, and families about their experiences serving their country. Dr. Michael Lund, Professor Emeritus of Longwood University, will begin the event with a brief presentation, “Shaking the Hand of History.” … Read More

Praise for Home and Abroad Writer

Kevin Hardy praise of Gary Bowman’s autobiograhical novel, Of Helicopters and Heroes, is featured in The VVA Veteran’s “Books in Review II”: “I enjoyed Of Helicopters and Heroes in which Gary Bowman gives some love to crew chiefs and door gunners. Most Vietnam War books focus on pilots, but the crewmen were an important component of all helicopter operations. . … Read More

Veteran’s story continued . . .

More than five years ago, Gary Bowman of Loveland, Colorado, completed Of Helicopters and Heroes, a fictional account of a Huey helicopter crew chief’s one year tour in Vietnam. Inspired by real events, it includes photos and after-action reports to document the work’s historical accuracy. This 180-page, well-crafted tale offered a compelling narrative of challenge, hardship, and survival. A soldier’s … Read More

Artist and Veteran

Dean Lord grew up in New York state wanting to be an artist. His talent was evident as early as age 6, when he completed this piece. His father thought that would be a hard way to make a living, so introduced him to the carpenter’s trade, where he was successful and might have stayed for many years. Military service … Read More

Memorial Day 2021

The Director’s Memorial Day opinion piece , “Blue  Smoke War/White Bones Men,” was published in the May 31, 2021, Richmond Times-Dispatch. (If the link doesn’t open  and asks you to sign in, click the X in the upper right.) Michael Lund recounts how Farmville, Virginia, veterans groups and law enforcement arranged for the burial of a Vietnam veteran in the … Read More

Tribute to a Fallen Comrade

A tribute to to Marine Sargent Major (retired) Tom Hicks was produced in early 2021 by Farmville, Virginia Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7059, Farmville American Legion Post 32, the Piedmont Area Veterans Council, and friends. The focus of this tribute is Tom’s tireless volunteer contributions to the local community. Accounts by seven veterans tell how he collected clothes for … Read More

Navy veteran tells his story

“The US Navy made profound impressions on my youth and my own evolution into later life. The experiences and shipmates I have known and the opportunities afforded me during my Navy years have granted me a life of pride, joy and hopefully, service to others.”      In summer, 2020, Pamplin, Virginia resident, Fred Hill, completed an account of his military … Read More