A 77-year-old Vietnam War veteran and author — whose service in the U.S. Marines as a teenager inspired the storyline of a romantic novel — is now seeing his written work get new life.
First published in 1993, Staten Island resident Westley Thomas’ romantic suspense novel, “A Hard Decision,” captures the essence of that era and was informed by his own experience as an 18-year-old on the front lines in Vietnam.
“As I developed each character while writing it, I become emotional because I am now thinking about all the things I had gone through,” he said. “I didn’t realize until many decades later, when I came back from South East Asia, I had a lot of emotional baggage that affected me. I was dealing with the tragic events that were taking a toll on me.”
Now decades past the book’s initial release, it was given a facelift this year, with a new cover and fresh editing for its re-release.
The timeless story is set during and after the Vietnam War, unfolding on the North Shore of Staten Island.
The story follows a love triangle between William, Steve, and Zera. William, married to Zera, goes on their honeymoon just before leaving for Vietnam, with Zera expecting his child. Concerned he may not return, she becomes increasingly worried as his letters stop abruptly. The military informs Zera he’s missing, later declaring him killed in action. Time passes, and Zera marries Steve despite initial doubts. Years later, William, believed dead, returns, forcing Zera to confront a difficult decision.
“When a veteran serves in the military, the family serves with them. And when the veteran returns home, their lives are changed forever. Families make up communities, and communities make up the nation,” Thomas said, reflecting the message of his book.
The author’s journey to Vietnam
Thomas graduated from Port Richmond High School in 1965, just as the U.S. entered the Vietnam War in Da Nang. Around the school grounds, military recruiting camps buzzed with activity, eagerly promoting enlistment to young men like him.
“I had a friend, Lawrence Thompson… they have a park named after him in West Brighton. Him and I, we went to the same high school but he was a couple years older than me,” Thomas said. “He was in the Marine Corps. I’d go visit him at his home and watch him iron his uniform. I was impressed, so my mind was already made up. All of the guys I grew up with were going into the Marine Corps.”
Lawrence Thompson was the first African-American from Staten Island to be killed in the Vietnam War. He was killed in action in Quang Nam on June 10, 1967.
When Thomas enlisted, he said he was naively excited after seeing movies of boot camp and drill instructors on TV.
“When I stepped foot in Parris Island [for boot camp training] in July 21, 1965… It was a real awakening,” he said, remembering that he was fresh out of high school. “Back then, not like today, drill instructors were hands on. I visualize it and see it just like it was yesterday. Any marine that was in during the Vietnam War during my time period can relate.”
After completing additional training in Vieques, Puerto Rico for six months in 1966, Thomas was stationed at Camp Lejeune, where he was promoted to Lance Corporal. It was there that he received orders for deployment to the West Pacific in Vietnam.
Life in Vietnam
While in Vietnam, to escape the harsh realities of war and get a taste of home, he fondly recalls jamming out to music with his friends, often listening to tapes sent by his mother. He also spent time writing numerous letters to several pen pals, mostly women seeking his advice and companionship.
“I wasn’t even in Vietnam two months, October 24, 1966, there was a plane crash in the populated village,” he said. “We were in a search and rescue operation. We were looking for bodies and you’re like ‘oh I got an arm… I got a leg, I got a head.'”
Thomas served in Vietnam for 22 months, extending his time there due to events unfolding in the United States, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
“When Martin Luther King was assassinated, a lot of the brothers got together in the field from different states, voicing out their anger, frustration, and the stuff that they were dealing with back home… and now they are here, and a lot of them didn’t want to be but were here because they were drafted,” he said. “It was the sentiment… why should I go back home, there’s nothing there for me with the stuff that’s going on. At least we have a weapon, we can defend ourself.”
Back home, but battling demons
Thomas — who grew up in Stapleton and West New Brighton — recalls coming back home as a marine after serving for nearly two years in Vietnam and not having guidance on how to readjust back to society. There weren’t programs to help veterans transition back into civilian life like the ones they have now, he shared.
He also battled concerns about Agent Orange, a dangerous herbicide mixture used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. It has caused five times more deaths due to exposure than those who died in combat, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
“It’s affecting families and their offspring generation after generation,” he said.
While he held various civil service jobs throughout the decades, Thomas went on to enroll at the College of Staten Island and earned his Bachelor of Arts in drama in 1980. There, he wrote three pages of a war story, which started the decades-long journey of the now published novel “A Hard Decision.”
Thomas also said he’d departed Staten Island with a youthful mindset when he first entered the U.S. Marines, but returned home burdened by a weight that would linger for decades.
“I still deal with PTSD every day,” he said.
Thomas eventually attempted suicide, stabbing himself in the abdomen at the age of 42, many decades after being discharged. In 2000, he ran into a health fair that saved his life — he found out about resources he was entitled to. A woman at the fair referred him to the Manhattan Vet Center to see a therapist after hearing about his experience in Vietnam.
“Had it not been for that referral, I don’t even know where I would be today” he said. “And if it wasn’t for me reconnecting with my wife now, I wouldn’t be here.”
In 2002, at the age of 55, Thomas reconnected with his sweetheart from his youth. Eight years later, they married and now reside in St. George, where they continue to enjoy creating art, participating in the community and sharing their love.
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