Saying Goodbye to Vietnam with Ken Williamson

Fifty years ago, in 1969, Ken Williamson went to Vietnam as a U.S. Army photographer. Armed with a BFA degree in photography and an old Leica camera, Ken began his journey to document the activities of the Army Engineers as he traveled throughout South Vietnam as an Army Photojournalist. Hoping one day to publish a book about his experience, he used the opportunity to also capture the beauty of the country and the struggle of the Vietnamese people to survive the horrors of war. Following two return trips to Vietnam in 1998 and 2005, Ken published “Saying Goodbye to Vietnam”.

Ken will present an engaging story of how he documented Army Engineer activities for three publications, struggled with thoughts of why our country had a military presence in Vietnam, and dealt with thoughts of his pregnant wife living halfway around the world without him. Hear and see what life was like as a photographer in a combat zone and learn what Ken discovered about Vietnam during his two return trips. From developing film in lake water, to capturing daily events under the most challenging tropical conditions, you’ll experience Vietnam at war and at peace through Ken’s words and photographs. He will read excerpts from his book, including letters between Nixon and Ho Chi Minh, poetry he wrote during his 1998 trip to help with his healing process, and share the experience of meeting a former Viet Cong soldier who was left in a field to die.

Recorded on November 7th , 2019

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