Kissing the Tarmac

Kissing The Tarmac is unlike most Vietnam War memoirs. James Hansen’s story is focused on both the development and resolution of Post Traumatic Stress Order. The story is told in a unique manner, describing his war experiences along with passages from his daily journal and the author’s letters he wrote home during his tour of duty. This style creates a window into the author’s thought processes. Horrific events are revealed that he tried to put behind him. The reader comes to understand why the road to his recovery, like so many others with PTSD, was long and difficult. The author arrived in South Vietnam on the heels of the Tet Offensive in 1968 and was assigned to Charlie Company, 2/501st Infantry, 101st Airborne. The unit suffered tremendous losses with forty-nine of his buddies being killed while operating in a region surrounding the ancient city of Hue. Returning home a year later, James struggled to erase the horrific images of combat from his mind. Following three decades of keeping his PTSD mostly in check, the author began to experience an increase in symptoms, not unlike some older veterans. In 2004, a therapist suggested he write out his combat experiences as a way to release the memories that still haunt him. The exercise was so effective he eventually uncovered the ingredients to his PTSD. Returning to Vietnam with his wife in 2009, he revisited old battlefields, paid tribute to his fallen brothers and created fresh memories of a beautiful and thriving country. By 2015, James found the peace of mind he was seeking for over forty-five years. He shares his path of recovery summarized in ten steps entitled: “What Worked for Me Might Work for You.”