James Dehner
Author
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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Wolf 17 –
Great read. First hand accounts and true challenges of a young soldier in a war zone and sacrifices they make for our country.
Margaret Maresh –
Well written. Insightful. I learned a lot from it.
Mike Tharp –
Jim,
I’ve gotten my breath back after finishing your book-and it’s not due to the pneumonia that has me in hospital.
It’s the sheer power of your prose. I’ve read scores of books on Nam since I got there in 1969. None hit me in the gut and balls like yours did.
I won’t comment on the personal toll this has taken on you, other than to say that’s it’s all part of the incandescent corrosion of your soul you describe so well.
I’ll strongly recommend this book to anybody.
Thanks for trusting me with it.
Mike