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Author Penny Simon-Nielson and Mayor Joseph Winfield hold “Never Forgotten: A Tribute to Southern Arizona’s Vietnam Veterans.” [Pati Olson/Submitted]
Episode 2691 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the new book “Never Forgotten: A Tribute to Southern Arizona’s Vietnam Veterans” which is a compilation of interviews with Vietnam Veterans in southern Arizona. The featured story appeared in The Explorer section of the Tucson Local Media and was titled, Oro Valley author pens book honoring veteran. It was submitted by Hayden Dobb, a Tucson Local Media Staff Writer.
In his story, Dobb reported that at a recent Veterans Club of Sun City Oro Valley meeting, member Pati Olson approached another woman in the group, Penny Simon-Nielson, about interviewing local Vietnam veterans to gain insight from their combat experiences.
During the next four months, Olson and Simon-Nielson interviewed 14 veterans. “The most challenging task was finding veterans who were willing to share their stories, but the ones who did impact my life did so greatly,” Olson said.
She continued with this “I don’t know how they could go through what they did and still remain so positive and true to their freedom. I learned so much from each of them.”
These interviews were published as Simon-Nielson’s “Never Forgotten: A Tribute to Southern Arizona’s Vietnam Veterans.”
In “Never Forgotten,” one story includes the narrative of a veteran who was a prisoner of war for five years. He gave his perspective on PTSD and how he survived the trauma. “Never Forgotten” can be found at the Sun City Oro Valley Library and Pima County Public Library.
Nielsen said “Each of our local veterans deserves recognition. Initiating meaningful conversations with veterans is something that I hope more people will consider. These stories influenced me, and taught me, and I think it could do the same for others.”
CLICK HERE for more information about the Veterans Club of Sun City Oro Valley.
Listen to episode 2691 and discover more about the new book about Vietnam Veterans in Tucson.
