Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center Hosts Author Lecture and Reading

Spend the afternoon with two men who have made the journey from soldier to writer.

On Saturday, Feb.11, at 1 p.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will host an author lecture and poetry reading by New Jersey Veterans Corporal Matthew Craw and Lieutenant Charles H. Johnson.

The authors will read excerpts from their books and share their experiences bridging the gap between generations of American veterans. The program will be moderated by Marc Bonagura, Associate Professor of English at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ.

This program will be held at the Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Matthew Craw, Little Silver, NJ, joined the Marine Corps in 2003 after witnessing the effects of 9/11. He served in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. After returning home in 2006, Craw attended Brookdale Community College where he met mentor Professor Marc Bonagura and began drafting his book. He is currently a senior at Rider University. Craw's upcoming book, The Song Each Bullet Sings: The Story of Iraqi Freedom through the Eyes of One Marine details his wartime experiences. Writing the book helped Craw deal with posttraumatic stress disorder and is intended to help the families and friends of Soldiers and Marines understand how war has impacted their loved ones.

Charles H. Johnson, of Hillsborough, NJ, is a graduate of the ROTC program at Rutgers University and a retired captain in the US Army Reserve. From 1970 to 1971, he was a first lieutenant and an infantry platoon leader for the 1st Cavalry Division in South Vietnam. An accomplished poet, he is the author of Sam's Place, Tunnel Vision and numerous poetry collections.

Lecture attendees are asked to RSVP to (732) 335-0033. The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial off the Garden State Parkway at exit 116. The Educational Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.. Admission is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel. Regular adult admission is $5.00; student and senior citizen admission is $3.00, and children under 10 are admitted free. Regular admission applies to all lectures.

The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation is a non-profit organization, which strives to foster patriotism and recognition of the sacrifices, courage and valor of the New Jersey veterans of the Vietnam Era. Built in 1995, the Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information visit, www.njvvmf.org.