A Corpsman's Legacy Continues - How a Navy Corpsman Killed in Vietnam Continues to Heal Others Through the Daughter He Never Knew
Madison, MS (PRWEB) January 12, 2015 -- It's often said that truth is stranger than fiction, and Stephanie Hanson Caisse’s story definitely falls into that category.
• On February 7, 1969, a helicopter from Marine unit HMM-364 was shot down in Vietnam, carrying five Marines and two Navy Corpsmen.
• On February 7, 2007, a helicopter from Marine unit HMM-364 was shot down in Iraq, carrying five Marines and two Navy Corpsmen.
And, as if that wasn't incredible enough, the crew in Iraq was carrying a flag in memory of the crew from Vietnam, which included Stephanie’s father. The odds of this happening are incalculable and a first in Marine Corps history.
In 1996, Stephanie Hanson Caisse discovered her birth father had been killed in the Vietnam War, two months before she was born, never knowing he was about to have a child. Adopted at birth, she grew up never knowing who her birth parents were. However, at the age of twenty-six, she was forced to find her birth family when she was diagnosed with a congenital illness. The story she uncovered is amazing, and has changed her life, as well as the lives of many others.
Her first book, titled "A Corpsman's Legacy," chronicles her journey to find out about her father and how he died. It brought her in contact with thousands of Marines and their families, and recounts the tremendous kindness and courage of our nation's veterans as they talk openly about a time that shaped their lives forever. And, woven throughout the many stories, is the power of one man's legacy to heal the wounds of war. Christy Sauro, author of "The Twins Platoon," states it is “one of the best books I’ve ever read…I could hardly put the book down.”
Stephanie wrote her first book mainly for the men who served in Vietnam, but was soon astounded by how popular her story became with all audiences. She has had numerous emails from mothers, wives, and daughters thanking her for finally helping them better understand what our servicemen and women go through during wartime. New York Times best-selling author, J.A. Jance, just wrote about her first book in a recent blog, calling it a "must read."
Her second book, "A Corpsman's Legacy Continues," was published last November and is already gaining acclaim. As she uncovers even more information about her father and his crewmembers, she continues to help Vietnam veterans open up and realize that through all the heartache, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Her journey also follows HMM-364 to Iraq, as a new generation of Marines goes to war, including the above stunning twist of fate that ties the Vietnam and Iraq wars together like never before. Corpsman John Little from Vietnam says of both books that “…the author has the ability to pull you and your emotions into the story…a wonderful bridge between the past and present.”
Stephanie’s journey is more than just an account of her father’s life; her story is about the healing that is still taking place from one of the most turbulent times in our country’s past.
Visit http://www.acorpsmanslegacy.com for contact details, review copies, photographs, and author information.
Stephanie Caisse, http://www.acorpsmanslegacy.com, +1 503-334-7433, [email protected]
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