The Face

(Above) In this June 1967 file photo, medic James E. Callahan of Pittsfield, Mass., looks up while applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a seriously wounded soldier north of Saigon in June 1967. (AP Photo/Henri Huet) Click image for larger view.

(Above) In this June 17, 1967 file photo, Callahan treats a U.S. infantryman who suffered a head wound when a Viet Cong bullet pierced his helmet during a three-hour battle in war zone D, about 50 miles northeast of Saigon. (AP Photo/Henri Huet) Click image for larger view.

(Above) On a 2008 visit back to his old base in Lai Khe, Jim touches the ground in a pensive moment. Click image for larger view.

(Above) Jim stands in front of his pictures taken by photographer Henri Huet, now located at the War Museum in Saigon. Click image for larger view.


AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME looking for stuff to make your visit here worthwhile. Well, I came upon a site (click here) that was showcasing a number of war photos for the 35th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (1975 - 2010). Amongst 23 really powerful images of that war shown, I was taken by the face of a young medic by the name of James Edward Callahan.

By the looks of his youthful all-American face, I guessed James to be about 20 years old in 1967. My guess was exactly right. I knew young boys just like him—as I turned draft age just two years later. This young medic looked scared—but he was doing his job. But what I wondered most was whether James Edward Callahan, was still alive.

A quick internet search found that sadly, James was killed in a motorcycle accident on July 29, 2008 at the age of 62. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1965-69, serving as a combat medic in Vietnam. He was a life member and president of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Chapter 65, VFW.

The Paper House

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THE PAPER HOUSE IS AN ART ENVIRONMENT in Rockport, Massachusetts built in 1922 by Mr. Elis F. Stenman, a mechanical engineer who designed the machines that make paper clips. Though the house has a regular wooden structure (floors and roof), Stenman was curious to find out if rolled newspapers would provide insulation. Eventually, one thing led to another and he began rolling newspapers up and covered everything—the furniture, the piano, the tables, everything. Over the years, he coated it all with varnish to protect it. Though much of the rolled up paper was nailed together, he also used his own homemade glue made of flour, water and apple peels.

The most common question people ask today is “why” did he make a house from paper. Caretakers of the house today (relatives of Stenman) say no one knows for sure. Their best guess is that he did it to be thrifty and that newspapers were plentiful. Once local people found out about his odd project, they would bring him newspapers.

Many images were found here.