A MUST-READ! ‘Gifts of Life: Times of Love, of War and of Miracles’ Culminates With Escape from Saigon 49 Years Ago

SPACE COAST DAILY BOOK REVIEW

A MUST-READ! Gifts of Life: Times of Love, of War and Miracles – By Dr. Glenn W. Briggs

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Long-time Merritt Island resident Dr. Glenn W. Briggs has penned his compelling memoir Gifts of Life: Times of Love, of War and of Miracles, which combines an incredible wartime love story along with graphic Vietnam war battle action and climaxing with Briggs’ riveting, edge-of-your-seat, first-hand account of the fall of Saigon, and the 11th-hour rescue of his wife’s family from sure death at the hands of the invading communists 49 years age 0n April 30, 1975.

The fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by North Vietnam on April 30, 1975. The event marked the end of the Vietnam War and the collapse of the South Vietnamese state, leading to a transition period and the formal reunification of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under communist rule on July 2, 1976.

The People’s Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong, under the command of General Văn Tiến Dũng, began their final attack on Saigon on April 29, 1975, with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam forces commanded by General Nguyễn Văn Toàn suffering a heavy artillery bombardment.

By the afternoon of the next day, the PAVN and the Viet Cong had occupied the important points of the city and raised their flag over the South Vietnamese presidential palace.

The capture of the city was preceded by Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of almost all American civilian and military personnel in Saigon, along with tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians who had been associated with the Republic of Vietnam regime. A few Americans chose not to be evacuated.

United States ground combat units had left South Vietnam more than two years prior to the fall of Saigon and were not available to assist with either the defense of Saigon or the evacuation. The evacuation was the largest helicopter evacuation in history.

In July 1976, the National Assembly of the unified Vietnam renamed Saigon in honor of Hồ Chí Minh, the late Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Vietnam and founder of North Vietnam.

Riveting first-hand account of an important period of American history, Dr. Briggs’ narrative is an easy-read page-turner – and this book is most certainly for everyone who enjoys a great love story!

Briggs, 84, is, simply put, an American hero. Here on the Space Coast, we are blessed to have many highly accomplished retired veterans of the U.S. military, but there are few with his credentials and unique experiences.

Briggs’ military service in the U.S. Air Force started in July 1956, and his service in Vietnam began in 1958 on a Temporary Duty Travel assignment, followed by tours in 1961, 1963, 1965-67, 1968-1970, 1971-72, and several TDYs from 1973 to 1975.  His tours in 1961, 1963, and 1965 were cut short by hospitalizations.

Briggs’ personal decorations include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, four Purple Hearts, the Humanitarian Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army and Air Force Good Conduct Medals, and the South Vietnam Croix d’Guerre, the second highest Vietnamese decoration.

There have been numerous books published about the Vietnam War, some factual and some fictional, and they have been written almost exclusively from the perspectives of combat, history and politics.

While this book does discuss these issues, they are necessarily woven into a factual and very personal account of a love story that began in Saigon in 1966 and has not yet ended.

Beginning with a chance meeting between an American serviceman (Briggs) and a young South Vietnamese woman (“Jeanne”), whose jobs overlapped at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, an unlikely love story resulted. This romance evolved through some daunting personal, political, cultural, and gripping combat-related challenges over a three-year period.

But enabled by a series of seemingly interrelated “miracles” occurring during those years, incidents of sad partings, separation, and even great danger were overcome and supplanted by joyous reunions, a wonderful marriage, and the survival of an extended family.

While the story relates several years of moving around the world as a small and happy military family, and differing job assignments, it culminates by describing in stark detail the”ultimate miracle” that occurred in 1975, prior to, during, and after the fall of the Republic of Vietnam.

All-in-all, the story enables the reader to recognize and even to visualize the complex array of true miracles that occurred over almost a decade, without each of which the “ultimate miracle,” the preservation of a loving family, would not have been possible.

After retiring from the military, Dr. Briggs earned a Ph.D. and became a college professor. He is now a consultant to the aerospace industry and a Graduate Professor of Business Management at Webster University.

I have read more than 500 books over the last 50 years detailing all aspects of the 20th-century wars and have never enjoyed a more riveting first-hand account of an important period of American history. Dr. Briggs’ narrative is an easy-read page-turner – and this book is most certainly for everyone who enjoys a great love story!

To obtain a copy of Dr. Glenn W. Briggs’ memoir Gifts of Life: Times of Love, of War and of Miracles, please email Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com with your request.

To obtain a copy of Dr. Glenn W. Briggs’ memoir Gifts of Life: Times of Love, of War and of Miracles, please email Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com with your request.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A resident of Brevard County, Florida, for the past 38 years, Tom Palermo is the President & Publisher of Space Coast Daily and has more than 40 years of experience in the media business as a publisher, editor and industry consultant.  During his career in both corporate and small business entrepreneurial environments, he has founded dozens of local, state, regional, and national print and digital publications.

Palermo has written thousands of articles and columns for daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, trade publications and websites – and hosted a weekly radio talk show for seven years. In 2005, Palermo founded Maverick Multimedia, Inc., which specializes in media-specific IT development, niche multimedia publishing, and devising comprehensive strategic business and marketing plans.

Palermo is also co-founder of Brevard Production Inc., an organization that owns and produces some of the most significant and compelling annual special events in the region, including the Central Humanitarian Awards, the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame, the Space Coast State Fair, Cocoa Beach Spring Training, the Port Canaveral Seafood & Music Festival, the Space Coast Oktoberfest, Space Coast Home Shows, Space Coast Health Fair and many more.

The founder and president of the Space Coast Publishers Guild, Palermo works diligently on behalf of his industry in regard to innovation and in upholding the highest standards of integrity.

Similar Stories