History 21 The Podcast - 2.02 Dennis Berg
Family is a constant thought in Dennis Berg’s life, and it was for them he wrote his autobiography, “Growing Up Barefoot.” Listen as he reads excerpts from it about his childhood on the farm (complete with outhouse!), meeting his wife, finding employment with the Greenberg’s and being drafted to serving in Vietnam.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
CW: This episode contains descriptions of engagements in Vietnam. If you would like to skip this section entirely, it lasts from the 22-34 minute mark of the episode.
Dennis Berg next to a truck in Vietnam
Dennis Berg
A short chronology of Dennis Berg’s life covered in his Autobiography
1945 - Born Glenwood, MN
1956 - the Berg family moved from Starbuck to Ham Lake, and then St. Francis.
1963 - Graduated from St. Francis High School.
1965 - drafted into the military to be a truck driver with the 87th Transportation Company.
August 20, 1966 - married his childhood sweetheart, Darlene, during his two-week leave from the Army.
November 21, 1966 - Survived an ambush with the 11th Armored Cavalry, Black horse regiment west of Xuan Loc, Vietnam.
1971 - elected to the Burns Township Board of Supervisors
1991 - elected to the Anoka County Board of Commissioners in a special election.
2011 - retired from the County Board after 20 years as the Board chairman.
Bunks on the ship as Dennis Berg shipped to Vietnam
Camp in mud in Vietnam
Dennis and Darlene Berg wearing matching red and black flannel shirts.
Anoka County Library Minute
Further Reading:
Nonfiction:
Autopsy of War: a personal history by John A. Parrish (959.70437 PAR)
This book is a memoir highlighting how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can sometimes show up in a stark juxtaposition of outward appearance and internal struggle. PTSD is often referred to as an invisible wound. While Parrish on the outside is a successful doctor, he writes candidly about his decades-long internal struggles after returning from Vietnam. He recounts his childhood living in a southern Baptist town with a pastor for a father and the isolation from his family upon returning home. He also recounts his experiences with homelessness, addiction, and more. Parrish’s memoir is described as both “intensely personal” and a “universally relevant trip through the world of war and recovery.”
Our Year of War: two brothers, Vietnam, and a nation divided by Daniel P. Bolger (959.7043 BOL)
Following two brothers who grew up in the Midwest, Our Year of War highlights the ways in which the brothers had each other’s backs during the war in Vietnam, only to come home with opposing opinions about the war. Their story of juxtaposing unity and division all at once, mirrors the sentiments of the nation as a whole.
Vietnam: a view from the front lines by Andrew Wiest (959.70434 WIE)
This book is not for the faint of heart as the story of the war is told as seen through the eyes of the men and women who experienced it. It is described as a “grunt’s-eye view of the conflict.” The first-hand accounts throughout the book were culled from collections from the National Archive, the Center of Military History, and at the Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech.
This book is a practical guide for anyone experiencing combat-related PTSD. The authors cover both traumatic brain injuries as well as PTSD and so they spend some time defining and differentiating the two before going on to provide information on symptoms, treatment options, prevention techniques and barriers to care. There is even an entire section of the book devoted to highlight resources like support services as well as state and national organizations or programs.
Historical Fiction:
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (FICTION OBR)
This work of fiction brings together a string of stories from Vietnam veterans on the emotional weight they brought back with them. Achieving such accolades as being a New York Times Book of the Century as well as a Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Things They Carried might well be considered a modern classic.
The Mountains Sing by Phan Que Mai Nguyen (FICTION NGU)
This work of historical fiction follows the Trần family over 50 years, including the war years. Though the story is a work of fiction, it is informed by hundreds of interviews conducted by the author, who grew up in Vietnam, as well as her own personal experiences. The Mountains Sing offers readers a look into the historical trauma that endures from the perspective of the Vietnamese people. While conveying a story set during war means depicting devastation, the story also conveys a sense of hope.
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (Graphic 921 BUI)
If graphic novels are your thing, check out The Best We Could Do. It deals with both the historical trauma a Vietnamese family endures post-war, as well as parent-child relationships. The story is told alternating between present-day familial struggles, and from the parent’s point of view during the war. The illustrations are attention-grabbing, in a monochromatic rusty, red-orange.
Documentary Films:
The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novik (DVD 959.7043 VIE)
If documentaries are your ideal way to learn about something, one can hardly go wrong with Ken Burns. Learn about the myriad perspectives of the war, from Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam. This documentary provides learners with nearly 18 hours of archival footage, photographs, television broadcast footage, home movies and more.
To Be of Service by Josh Aronson (DVD 616.8521 TO)
This documentary film looks at the relationship between veterans suffering from PTSD and the service animals that help them. For many returning veterans, medication and other therapies are insufficient. This documentary shows how the introduction of a service animal can help struggling veterans regain independence and find solace.