Lecture: Jack McLean and Dick Hughes, two American heroes - "Vietnam in Context: The Healing Continues"

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On November 13, American heroes Jack McLean and Dick Hughes will present "Vietnam in Context: The Healing Continues" to share lessons learned from the Vietnam War and their work with survivor groups. This event will be held at 7 p.m. in Lehr Room, Bolger Conference Center, Gordinier Hall.

For many people, the Vietnam War continues to bear witness to a conflict that they cannot talk about because the memories still are too painful. Veterans Administration officials report that there has been an increase in the number of Vietnam-era veterans seeking first-time treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other war-time symptoms not reported in decades past.

To help promote wellness, representatives from the nonprofit organization Give An Hour will also be present to discuss current mental health services available for U.S. military and their families affected by war and offer recovery strategies for survivors and their families so that they may heal.

About McLean: McLean is author of "Loon: A Marine Story," the highly-acclaimed and gripping memoir about  his life from a civilian-to enlisted Marine at Parris Island-to combat veteran in Vietnam-to the first Vietnam veteran to graduate from Harvard. McLean will discuss the tumultuous political times of the late 1960s and the effect those events had on the average-Marine fighting in Vietnam. He will include personal insights not only for today's student-veteran, but for veterans and their families across all generations.

About Hughes: Hughes has been helping to heal the wounds of Vietnam for more than 40 years beginning with his Shoeshine Boys Project in Saigon and Da Nang that provided assistance to some 2,500 homeless Vietnamese street-children by helping them find food and shelter. More recently, Hughes is leading the nonprofit organization Loose Cannons, Inc., a group dedicated to bringing awareness to the health effects of Agent Orange. Hughes will explain ways that people can make a difference in the world, and provide current information about the lingering effects of chemical warfare.

During the spring of 1968, both McLean and Hughes were at Con Thien, located just south of Khe Sahn, near the Vietnam border with Laos; McLean as a Marine with Charlie Company and Hughes as a reporter covering Delta Company, both units of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. Both men bear witness to the atrocities associated with war and today continue their work to bring healing and understanding to all those whom have endured war.

Price: This event is free and open to the public.