James Dehner

Drafted in 1968, James Dehner says his service in the Vietnam War deeply affected him and the way he lived for years afterward. Loss of friends and even the enemy resulted in him living with guilt-guilt of “being in one piece, the guilt of having done less than what I somehow thought other people might have expected of me.”

Now retired after a distinguished career as an executive in the railway industry and an entrepreneur, Dehner spends a lot of time woodcarving and building models. He lives in Texas with his wife and black lab by his side.

In his debut book, An Empty Shell, Dehner draws readers into his story as he talks about this guilt and feelings of loneliness, leading to self-isolation while serving and even when he returned home.

James Dehner worked on his story for almost 40 years and recently finished it. He hopes that sharing his account and lessons learned can help former and current soldiers and their family members who have been hit hard by the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“Going through the several drafts of this book has been tough,” said Dehner, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. “I don’t want to remember Vietnam. I don’t want to think about the kind of person that I have been since I came home. But if I can help just one more person, one family member, or someone affected by people like me, then I don’t mind sharing my story.”

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