Lufkin Vietnam veteran publishes book of war letters to wife

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - A Lufkin man has published a book comprised of a collection of letters written to his wife in 1971 from his station in Vietnam.

James Slack is a Lufkin native who went to the University of Texas before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps in 1969. While in service overseas, Slack wrote many letters to his wife, Janie Slack, from the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Phu Bai, Vietnam in 1971.

Recently, Janie Slack discovered a 52-year-old Keds shoebox filled with all of James’ letters to her. James Slack collected the almost-daily writings into a book - Dear Janie: Letters Home from 85th Evacuation Hospital, Vietnam, 1971.

On Thursday, James Slack held a signing for the book at the Lufkin/Angelina Chamber of Commerce.

The Amazon page for Dear Janie reads, in part, as follows:

“Slack was the last Registrar of the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Vietnam and shares what he witnessed, from dust-off to hospitalization. This is his story of the final months of the 85th; it’s dedicated staff, and the soldiers it served as the war in Vietnam was winding down.”

If you would like to purchase a copy of Slack’s book, click here.

A Lufkin man has published a book comprised of a collection of letters written to his wife in 1971 from his station in Vietnam.

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