Steve Mason (poet) explained

Stephen R. Mason
Birth Date:	29 February 1940
Birth Place:	Brooklyn, New York
Death Place:	Medford, Oregon

Steve Mason (1940 in Brooklyn, New York  - May 25, 2005) was a decorated United States Army captain, combat veteran of the Vietnam War, critically acclaimed poet and the Poet Laureate of the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Poetry

Mason's poem "The Wall Within" was read at the 1984 dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.^[1] and has the distinction of being the only American work of poetry on display at the war memorial in Hanoi. The author of four books, his poetry related to his experiences as a captain in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. His work was hailed by veterans and their families nationwide.

Diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of exposure to Agent Orange during the war, he became a participant and active advocate for the Oregon Death with Dignity Act,^[2] and spoke at the California State Assembly for a similar law proposed in that state.^[3] He died at his home in Ashland, Oregon, at the age of 65.^{[4] [5]} He is survived by four children.

Mason once said, "The truth is, that the only message I`ve taken from war, is peace.`` ^[6]

Bibliography

• The Moths & Violets of Vito & Me: The Story of a Poem ^[7]
• Johnny's Song: Poetry of a Vietnam Veteran ^[8]
• Warrior for Peace ^[9]
• The Human Being: A Warrior's Journey Toward Peace and Mutual Healing ^[10]

External links

• News: Callimachi . Rukmini . Steve Mason, poet laureate of the Vietnam War, dead at age 65 . kgw.com AP Wire . May 30, 2005 . 2007-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080209124323/http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8ADO6CG0.html . 2008-02-09.
• Washington Post article on death
• The Wall Within, the signature poem of Steve Mason, which he delivered at the dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial
  • Class Page for the U.S. Army Signal Corps OCS class that Steve Mason graduated from. Shows close friends and fellow graduates of Steve as he trained to become an Army Signal Corps Second Lieutenant. Class picture on this page shows Steve as an OCS Candidate.

Notes and References

1. Book: Sites, Kevin. The Things They Cannot Say: Stories Soldiers Won't Tell You About What They've Seen, Done or Failed to Do in War. 2013. HarperCollins. 978-0062099228. 135.
2. Roosevelt. Margot. Choosing Their Time. Time International (Canada Edition). 4 April 2005. 165. 14. 23–25. Time Inc.. 0315-8446.
3. Web site: Timeline. Compassion & Choices website. Compassion & Choices. 12 March 2013. 2006 ... Compassion & Choices' Spokespeople, Steve Mason and Tom McDonald, give testimony in California State Assembly in support of California initiative AB 374, the California Compassionate Choices Act, which later fails by narrow margin.. dead. https://archive.today/20130414170855/http://www.compassionandchoices.org/who-we-are/timeline/. 14 April 2013.
4. http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/31/news/obits.php Obituary:Steve Mason, poet and voice of Vietnam veterans
5. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-29-me-mason29-story.html Steve Mason, 65; Vietnam Veterans’ Poet Laureate
6. News: A Lot Of Good Men Died In Vietnam. But Like Some Of You, I Was. tribunedigital-chicagotribune. 2016-10-14.
7. Book: The Moths & Violets of Vito & Me: The Story of a Poem. 1974. Aurora Publishers. Nashville, TN, USA. 0876951825. Steve Mason, Joan Mahan.
8. Book: Mason, Steve. Johnny's Song: Poetry of a Vietnam Veteran. 1986. Bantam Dell Publishing Group. 0553051601.
9. Book: Mason, Steve. Warrior for Peace. 1988. Touchstone Books. 0671663844.
10. Book: Mason, Steve. The Human Being: A Warrior's Journey Toward Peace and Mutual Healing. 1991. Simon & Schuster. 0671667203.