Included in the book was a poem by Dusty (Dana Shuster) titled “Hello David”, a poem which brings a tear to the eyes of many who have read it. The poem was left behind at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1987 by Dusty, self-identified as having been with the U. S. Army Nurse Corps in the Republic of Vietnam during two tours of duty between 1966 and 1968. In addition to being in Palmer’s book, the poem was read on November 11, 1993 at the dedication of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and it is on the Greater Rochester, New York Vietnam Memorial.

For twenty years, Shuster had befriended Palmer and many activist U. S. Army nurses who had served in Vietnam during the war. She also made a trip to Vietnam with Palmer. In 2006, Palmer was asked if she could corroborate Shuster’s service claims because virtually no other nurses could remember being with her or seeing her in Vietnam during the war. Palmer asked Shuster for poof. Shuster had none and revealed that she suffered from a dissociative personality disorder; PTSD; and an incompletely developed sense of self. She never was in the military; had never been a nurse; and had never been to Vietnam prior to the trip with Palmer. Shuster was a fraud. Her poem was not based upon authentic experiences; yet her poem “Hello David” captured something about the war, nurses and dying soldiers that resonated with readers. In a sense, Shuster’s imaginary offering became more real than the authentic experiences of many others.

Palmer numerous Vietnam War nurses and many others were deceived by Shuster. Shuster lived a lie for a few decades; and her position with the Vietnam War women’s community betrayed many confidences. Yet, somehow “Hello David” captured the imaginations of women with real experiences and others who wanted to learn about wartime experiences. Palmer inadvertently helped make “Dusty” what she had become, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Woman’s Memorial provided an unintended platform for Dana Shuster to become both famous and infamous. Shuster became part of popular culture as a result of Palmer’s postwar experiences relative to the memorials. Shuster was a fraud and yet there are things which can be learned about Vietnam War experiences from her. I used “Hello David” in a sociology course that I taught about the Vietnam War, and the social construction of reality. It was a huge let down for me when I learned the truth about the poem and Shuster, but if your inclined to shed a tear, you might want to read the text of the poem which can be found at (http://iwvpa.net/dusty/hello-da.php). Authentic or inauthentic, it still has an impact on me.