Scope and Contents

Two published memoirs and two copies of a book of poetry all written by John Edmund Delezen document both the life story of Nguyen Van Tuan, a North Vietnamese (NVA) soldier and close friend of Delezens, and Delezen's own perspectives on his service during the Vietnam Conflict.

Biographical / Historical

John Edmund Delezen was born in Pensacola, Florida. In 1965, Delezen volunteered for the United States Marine Corps beginning a total of four years of service. Twenty-one months of this service was spent in Vietnam, where Delezen served with the 3rd Force Recon Company, 3rd Marine Division, 1965-1968, before being transferred to hospital after being wounded until his discharged in 1969. While in Vietnam, Delezen served as Recon Assistant Team Leader, Recon Team Point, and Recon Team Leader in Northern I Corps, the DMZ (De-militarized zone), and the border with Laos, ranked as an E-3, then E-4. During this service, Delezen was involved in the battles at Con Thien and Khe Sanh and received two Purple Hearts and the Navy Commendation Medal with V Citation for his meritorious service. A Silver Star award is still pending. After his service, Delezen was a fisherman and a boat captain, making runs to Colombia. He is also the author of the various books in his collection.