Join Weymouth's own Matt Tallon and his father, Lt. Col Joseph F. Tallon, as they share the remarkable story of Col. Tallon's service in Vietnam, his memories, and the pair's decades-long quest to award the Purple Heart to Specialist-5 Daniel Richards. Their new book 100 Days in Vietnam: A Memoir of Love, War, and Survival has received high praise from H.R. McMaster, Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K.), Ken Burns, and Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot. Their talk will be followed by a book sale and signing.

Matthew A. Tallon (Son) and Joseph F. Tallon (Father) are both former Army officers and both former high school history teachers with master’s degrees in education. They are both products of the South Carolina Lowcountry and both avid fishermen. This journey to tell this story together has been one of their most difficult assignments. Many in the Tallon family have known war over the past century, but in crafting this unique story, Matt and Joe had to pull back scabs, interrogate memories, and dig deep into a set of experiences in 1972 that shaped the remainder of Joe’s life. Together, they combed through the memories as well as the artifacts that remained from that tumultuous time. They also embarked on a quest together some 35+ years later to gain some small recognition for the sacrifices made in Vietnam and in the recovery for years afterward. With the support and love of their spouses, the 100 Days in Vietnam narrative provides another unique installment in the literature of the Vietnam War.