Paul Hellweg at Tuy Hòa, Phú Yên Province, 1968
Paul Hellweg served in Vietnam from May 1968 to April 1969,
first as an artillery forward observer with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment,
later as an advisor to a Vietnamese Regional Forces/Popular Forces platoon.
Rank of Captain, his decorations include 2 Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart,
Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Infantry Badge
& the Republic of Vietnam's Cross of Gallantry.
He is currently a member of both Vietnam Veterans Against the War
& Veterans for Peace.
Paul is the author of 12 books & several hundred other publications -
newspaper & magazine articles, book & movie reviews, short stories, essays, etc.
With more than 250 poems published, his poetry has received multiple
nominations for both the Pushcart Prize & Best of the Net Awards.
Paul's first book of poetry, Ode to a Drunken Muse [ Alien Buddha Press (2019) ]
received highly positive reviews from MadSwirl.com & Coatlism Press.
The poems are not directly related to the Vietnam War,
but they do give a clear picture of what it's like to live with PTSD.
He was an Assistant Professor of Adventure Recreation & Wilderness Literature
at California State University, Northridge. For more, please see:
PaulHellweg.com
Paul established VietnamWarPoetry.com
to foster greater understanding of the Vietnam War
& its impact on America, Vietnam, the veterans of both sides
& all people involved either directly or indirectly.
Founded in 2014, this site has been serving those purposes
& its readers for over a decade.
PAUL HELLWEG'S VIETNAM POETRY
NOMINATED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
"Paul Hellweg’s When Eagles Vie With Valkyries is the most powerful and compelling collection of poetry about Vietnam I've read."
-- Bruce Berger, MWSA
Full Review Here
Paul's book of collected Vietnam poems,
When Eagles Vie with Valkyries,
has been published by Main Street Rag Press, Spring 2024
When Eagles Vie with Valkyries is not available on Amazon.
To order, click Here
Sample poems from the book:
Print Publications
Video if available [0:00 = start time]
A New Journey Begins Gargoyle #64 (print)
Taking a Trip to London Gargoyle #64 (print)
Dien Bien Phu Cemetery Gargoyle (print)
Ghosts Proud To Be (print) video 2:05
Dance to the Dustoff Waltz Proud To Be (print)