What sparked the idea for this play?
I have friends and relatives who served in the Viet Nam war. I wrote this play as a way to honor them, and I truly hope it does so every time it is performed.

Which character was the most fun to write and why?
Probably the character of Joe, Cal’s best friend who saves his life. Joe is a former hippie, very “go with the flow”. He is sometimes clueless and sometimes goofy, but he selflessly saves the lives of everyone in the unit.

Is there a moment in the play you especially love seeing in rehearsal or performance?
I never get tired of that ending scene when Cal is at the Viet Nam Memorial Wall.

What do actors seem to enjoy most about performing this show?
I think high school age actors enjoy playing people who were nearly their own ages, but who had to do very difficult, very grown-up things.

What’s something directors should know before staging this play?
I have seen the Viet Nam Memorial Wall (in the play) without names on it, and with names on it, and it is more effective BY FAR to have names written on it. However, this may take a long time to do, so plan ahead!

What was the biggest challenge in writing this play?
My biggest concern was to get it right, in order to honor everyone involved. I wanted to get everything as accurate as possible: the history, the language of the era (slang) and the emotions of people on opposite sides of the issue. Yet I wanted to show that people on both sides were conflicted…hence the name!

What do you hope audiences walk away feeling?
I want them to understand the sacrifices and struggles of people of that era and how they affect people to this day.

Just for fun: If this play came with a warning label, what would it say?
“Disturbing, but historically true. Not recommended for young children. HIGHLY recommended for middle school and up.”

Anything else you’d like to share with theatres considering this play?
Anytime you can bring a certain period of history alive, I think it is beneficial to both actors and audiences. I had grown men come to me with tears in their eyes after this play, saying, “Thank you, this story needed to be told.” To me, that is the highest honor of all.