It is estimated there are over 20,000 American boys and girls, now men and women, who lost fathers to the Vietnam War. Losing a parent is painful and life-changing no matter what the cause. But the impact of losing a parent in Vietnam is particularly damaging. For so many of us, orphaned as infants, our fathers remain a mystery, shrouded in tragedy, shame, and unanswered questions. Our loss is mired in controversy and misunderstanding. On top of that, we are faced with the notion that because we were so young, the death of our fathers shouldn’t have affected our lives, let alone scarred us so deeply. We have never been given permission to grieve. We have, in effect, been told to forget about Vietnam and in so doing, to forget about our fathers.

We thought long and hard about the name of the foundation. The word "orphan" seemed so loaded. When one thinks of an orphan, one thinks of children who have lost both parents. One thinks of children who have been abandoned living in poverty and under oppression. One doesn't think of men and women whose fathers were killed in a far-off country, in a questionable war, roughly thirty years ago. But perhaps in using the word "orphan," the only word we know to describe a child who lost a parent, there will be some measure of increased understanding of the scarring impact our fathers' sudden and violent deaths had on our lives. For even if our mothers survived when our fathers were killed, our families and our lives, as we knew them, didn't.

Orphans of War Foundation was incorporated on May 8, 2001 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Our immediate mission is to produce Be Good, Smile Pretty, the feature-length documentary film about orphans of the Vietnam War and the fathers who were lost.

Our on-going purpose is to increase awareness and understanding of the impact of the Vietnam War on those who lost a parent there and to stimulate and support innovative programs whereby those impacted by the Vietnam War can express their loss and grief.

Your tax-deductible contribution is greatly appreciated. For more information, please e-mail us at info@orphansofwar.org. We look forward to hearing from you.