P.O. Box 1535
Downey, CA 90240
November 11, 2004
Dear
Papas-san Capt. (Ret.) Paul Faidley Sr and Col. (Ret.) Mike Bell,
Thank
you for the memories in which I am grateful to cherish the time we gathered for
a lunch in Dallas. It seems not
long ago. As these words are being
written, Major Paul Faidley Jr is stationed in Baghdad, fighting the terrorists
before America being terrorized again.
This
Veterans Day I pray that my burning wish will come true:
I wanted to go to Iraq for a week or two as an embedded poet -- as I am a
writer in my own right with God's Blessing.
Right
after the tragedy of September 11, I wrote a letter to President George W. Bush,
via e-mail and also US post office, to volunteer to help our American soldiers
in whatever capacity that I am blessed with.
Today,
I am writing this letter to passionately ask you to help me find a way to go to
Iraq to be with our Americans, so that I can capture their sacrifice with my pen
and let it be reflected in my poetry. Since
I have published two volumes of poems collection, I can also do poetry reading,
just like the USO and its entertainments for my Papas-san during the Vietnam
War.
There
are no ulterior motives in my quest to express my love and gratitude to this
great land, America, and to you who have adopted me with love.
I was born a poet. I am blessed to live a poet.
May
God Bless you and America.
Linh
Duy Vo
A
grateful American citizen who once was a refugee from Nam
.
. . .
Even with one American soldier I will meet, I am just happy to say "Thank
You, Sir, for giving your all for America's calling."
My pen will never be as great as Emily Dickinson's, but with my pure desire to
pay tribute to the great sacrifice of America's sons and daughters going off to
war, my pen will make her proud -- I so pray. It's a blessed calling.
"If I should die,
And you should live,
And time should gurgle on
And morn should beam
And noon should burn,
As it has usual done...."
-- Emily Dickinson
© Copyright by Linh Duy Vo. All rights reserved.