Description
Home Before Morning: The True Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam by Lynda Van Devanter, the first widely published account of the Vietnam War by a female veteran, inscribed to Colin Powell.
Twelvemo, xi, [3], 362pp, [2]. Paperback edition, appears unread. this copy is inscribed on the front endpaper: “To Gen. Colin Powell – Vietnam veteran and friend of them – with respect and gratitude for your understanding and your caring. Peace – Lynda Van Devanter.”
Provenance: Potomac Auction House, Lot 16-936, Estate of Colin Powell, with laid-in sale tag. A scarce signed copy of her controversial memoir.
Home Before Morning was the first memoir by a female nurse during the Vietnam conflict, describing the horrors of war and the post-traumatic stress she suffered after the war. The book was adapted into a popular TV show in the 1980’s called China Beach, which ran from 1988-1991. Lynda Van Devanter became an advocate for veterans in retirement and passed away in 2002. Colin Powell (1937-2021) served as the United States Secretary of State during the George W. Bush administration, the first African American to hold the post. He also served as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan (1987-1989) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989-1993. Powell was discussed as a possible Republican presidential contender in 1996 and 2000, but he declined to run both times. He passed away in 2021, survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Alma Powell.
