Committee hears oral histories from Vietnam-era wives and names them honorary members

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee on March 29 heard extended testimony from Charlotte McDaniel, author of Stories Untold: Oral Histories of Wives of Vietnam Servicemen, and several women she interviewed, then moved to make the visitors honorary members of the committee.

The testimony, which ran for more than an hour, brought personal accounts of life on the home front during the Vietnam era and the long-term effects on families. “This is truly an honor and a pleasure to be here,” Charlotte McDaniel told the committee as she introduced the book and described how she collected first-person accounts from more than 30 wives and family members.

The memoirs included accounts of weekly letter writing, care packages and “Mars” radio calls that confirmed service members were alive, as well as anecdotes of…