Acclaimed Vietnam Memoir "Place of Angels" Now Available on DVD

The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans announced that a DVD of the acclaimed Vietnam memoir "Place of Angels," written by MSHV co-founder Bob Adams, is now available with a donation to the agency of $25 or more.  Proceeds will benefit the Midwest Shelter's programs to help homeless and at-risk veterans and their families.

"Place of Angels," which features veteran actor Jeff Still, is an autobiographical account of Mr. Adams’ experience as a Navy corpsman during the Vietnam War, as he sought to care for wounded Marines amid a conflict that was both horrifying and exasperating. 

""Place of Angels" is one of the best, most compelling and dramatic expressions of combat experiences and its human effects that I have ever seen," said Paul H. Herbert, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.) and Executive Director, First Division Museum at Cantigny.  "It will resonate with any combat veteran and it clearly depicts why the issues facing veterans are so important."

People interested in obtaining the "Place of Angels" DVD can visit the MSHV website at www.helpaveteran.org.  The DVDs are available for a minimum $25 donation to the Midwest Shelter, plus a $4.95 fee for shipping and handling.  

“Place of Angels” was filmed at the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago in December 2012 in front of a live audience. The filming was underwritten by co-presenting sponsors Comcast, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and an anonymous donor. 

"Place of Angels," which debuted at Chicago’s A Red Orchid Theater in 2000, is filled with the vivid details and complex relationships that only first-hand experiences can offer.  In Mr. Adams’ case, he left for Vietnam in 1968 as a skinny 20-year-old from south suburban Oak Lawn, blind in one eye -- and returned home a little more

than a year later with a host of substance abuse issues.  If it wasn’t for his mother

taking him in when he couldn’t pay his rent, he might have ended up homeless. 

Mr. Adams sought help for his addictions, eventually going back to college and earning a master’s degree in social work.  Later he opened a private practice where he counseled veterans, police officers, firefighters and others who had experienced traumatic situations.  In 2007, Mr. Adams co-founded the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, which offers housing and supportive services to help veterans return to self sufficiency.

For a $50 donation to MSHV, donors will receive the "Place of Angels" and a "Place of Angels" commemorative dog tag made especially for the filming of the play.  For a $125 donation, donors will receive the "Place of Angels" DVD, the commemorative dog tag and a framed 8x10 photo depicting U.S. Marines who served with Bob Adams in Vietnam.  For a $1,000 donation, donors will receive all of the above, plus a "Place of Angels" play poster signed by playwright Bob Adams and actor Jeff Still.

Anyone interested in ordering the "Place of Angels" DVD in quantities of 10 or more, should contact MSHV Executive Director Pam Kostecki via email (pam@mshv.org) to make special arrangements.

The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans is a non-profit agency based in DuPage County, Illinois that provides transitional and affordable housing, a comprehensive array of supportive services and community outreach to help homeless and at-risk veterans and their families achieve self-sufficiency.

Founded by veterans in 2007, the Midwest Shelter operates on a vision of no veteran left behind due to homelessness, joblessness, poverty and/or mental-health issues.  People interested in making a donation, volunteering or learning more about MSHV can visit www.helpaveteran.org or call 630-871-VETS (8387).