3003 Days of Mike & Me / And the Wars Between Us - by Martha Voutas Donegan (Paperback)

About the Book

Love letters of Mike & Martha, an unlikely pair who meet at the Vietnam Vet Memorial Dedication, write, discover his PTSD and its source. He re-ups in the Army, they marry; Martha births an Agent Orange Poisoned baby. True, tragic story.

Book Synopsis

Amid 150,000 people, the author re-meets an old schoolmate at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedication in Washington, DC, and what unfolds is a love story between two unlikely people; Mike, a veteran of 173rd Airborne Brigade and Ranger medic / LRRP, haunted by his time in service, and Martha, a successful NYC entrepreneur and designer with a client list of fashion superstars. Through their 3003-day journey, Martha eloquently describes their effort to recover Mike's "lost" self as he is diagnosed with PTSD, as well as her own recovery after the loss of their child, poisoned by Agent Orange. Now, Martha's clients are dying of AIDS. Martha tells the story partly through Mike's letters, from the early romantic stages, and after the couple is married when Mike re-ups in t he USArmy. Through their letters, it becomes both of their stories, A Double Memoir, true story.

Review Quotes

The arc of this riveting narrative covers the full range of emotions-and the fraught fallout of our least 'popular' war. The story is told with bravery and candor, and even among the saddest, most desperate moments, there is some clarity and light. Bravo!

-Ken Burns Filmmaker

Life is not a series of happy events with storybook endings. Yet adversity can make us stronger. 3003 Days of Mike & Me is riveting. A rough time in history is illustrated in this colorful book! -Jan C. Scruggs Founder of The Wall

It's been a long time since I've read a book that so vividly captures the heart and thoughts of two people living through the aftermath of Vietnam. The writing is credibly accurate. It affords a look into the couples endeavors to live in the present without the hauntings of war.-CSM Jeff Horne (USA-Ret) Served with Mike as an N/75 Ranger LRRP with the 173rd Airborne Division

A story about love, lost children, struggles to reintegrate, suicide-the limits of what even the deepest love can heal. It will help readers understand what America continues to grapple with regarding those who lived through it. An important, moving, addition to the body of work surrounding the Vietnam War. -N. West Moss Author

This book is the most powerful I have read. It chronicles the hopelessness and sorrow of the Vet who returns home and finds that he has lost his meaning in life. I sincerely invite you to read this account of what trauma can do to help you re-find yourself.

-Dan Crowley, MSW, Vietnam era vet Today a Life Coach and Personal Growth Consultant