My name is Jason Aaron. I write comic books. Gus Hasford was my cousin. My mom's nephew. I only met him two or three times in my life, and he died in 1993, when I was just out of high school, but nevertheless he had a tremendous influence on me.
A few years after Gus died, I started to put together a website devoted to him, compiling what little I knew about Gus and whatever articles I could track down online. That site grew and grew over the years, to include dozens of short stories, interviews, remembrances, photos and more. Through that website I met Gus Hasford fans from all over the world, and ultimately even got invited to the reunion of Gus' fellow Vietnam War era Marine Combat Correspondents.
Eventually though the site became terribly neglected and dated. This is me trying to dust it off and give it a new face. I'll be reposting most everything from the old site here and maybe even including some other stuff that never made it online.
Please join me in continuing to celebrate the life and work of Gus Hasford. Thanks.
25 comments:
I just came across this site while looking for the novel 'The Short-Timers'. I found a review of the novel on Goodreads.com dated Dec. 10, 2012 that confirmed that it was out of print but that it was available online here at this site. Sadly, when I clicked the link to this site I was met with the note stating that the page didn't exist. I see that you have just begun updating the site. Does that mean that the novel will be reposted? If so, I will be forever in your debt.
No, I likely won't be reposting the novel. Sorry.
Thank you, Jason!
Good to see you back working on Gustav, Jason, even if I guess you writer life must be very busy. Can I hope that the fact you're NOT posting the novels anymore means they will be reprinted? (Please, make it so...: )
Hello Jason,
Couldnt you see to it that h book got back in print, or maybe a kindle edition?
Believe me, if it was up to me, all of Gus' books would've been back in print a long time ago.
Hi Jason, thank you so much for having previously having posted "The Phantom Blooper" on your site. I had read a copy of "The Short Timers" in paperback printed shortly after the film release. I was not until I found you site that I was able to read "The Phantom Blooper", what a beautiful work of art that story is. The line about the bandages trailing away from the evac helicopter and being described as ghosts drifting through the night sky beneath the helicopter haunt me to this day. Reading Gus's writing is like savoring fine wine or sipping a really, really good moonshine. I cant thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to have read that masterpiece. For now I will simply keep believing that YOU WILL repost those novels someday! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart! Semper Fi scumbag ;)
May I ask why the novel "The Short-Timers" will not be posted?
I would love to be of help, but unfortunately I don't control the rights to Gus's books.
Thanks a lot for your answer. Do you know who controls the rights? We would then send our request right away to the estate, agent or publishing house that handles Gus Hasford's rights. I appreciate all your help.
Best
Laura
Could you please indicate me who controls the rights to Gustav Hasford? It is impossible to find this information anywhere. And with your help, we could send our request and move forward in the project of bringing back THE SHORT-TIMERS to French readers.
Feel free to use write back at laura@gallmeister.fr if that's better.
Jason:
Just found the site and have recommended it to other Gus Hasford fans. Thanks for making this, though I realize it's not an ongoing project anymore. Great work.
Thank you! You have done a great job. Is his novel The Short-Timers ever going to be reprinted? The copies on Amazon are over a hundred dollars.
Actually, both of his Vietnam books ar online. Just google the titles. They have been digitized by two universities. I just finished reading both in two days. tremendous writer!!! I always was a big fan of Full Metal, and had not realized there was anyone by the name of GH involved until I recently came upon a reference.
Thanks a million for this website, I jsut finished SHORT TIMERs..looked up GUS..and this webiste is TOP CLASS. Pure Gold!
Thanks a lot
Jason, thanks so much for making this website. It's great that people can still see Gus' other writings. I became an instant fan of his when I read The Short Timers, and when I read The Phantom Blooper I decided I wanted to read all of his works. It's a shame the "poge lifers" are sitting on the rights to reprint anything, but thanks for sharing a little of your cousin's legacy and literary genius with a new generation. Semper Fi.
-P.Y.
Two things: Jason: You may remember me; we tried for several years to get Short-Timers back in print, until the owner (who is not a pogue, btw) definitely turned it down. The other: just a general botch about universities effectively stealing copyrights in the name of scholarship, giving the owners nothing. Hope all is well
Take care. Jeff Loeb
As Jerry Oppenheimer noted above, both "The Short-Timers" and "The Phantom Blooper" are available online (for free, as of this posting). However, because of all the work that your cousin went through to write the books, I'd prefer to see them reprinted - and sold.
I first came across "The Short-Timers" right after it came out, in '79, when I was in the Navy, just about to make a Westpac (cruise to the Western Pacific). I think the book is much better than the film, FMJ, and that your cousin was an important writer whose work deserves attention and analysis.
Though some criticize him, he had what every great writer needs: passion.
Thank you for this site, Jason!
Wow! Good to see this place is still goin'. I met Gustav once and he was a supporter of the Brotherhood of Vietnam Veterans, an Agent Orange group in Texas who was one of the original groups to challenge the US Government to address the poisoning of Vietnam Vets by Dow, and other Chemical Companies who were being shielded by Reagan's pathetic group of shitheads. We won. It took a while but AO is now recognized as a cause or contributor for 12 diseases by the VA who used to tell us we were full of crap and AO was harmless. Quite a life Gustav. Thanks for all the reality you put forth. Buzz Daly
Jason thanks for keeping Gus'memory alive.I still have my copy of Short Timers from back in the 70s. It is one of the few books I will not lend out.
Pistolero Woodstock
Montgomery Al
I'm glad you are here trying to keep the Hasford flag flying. Tracking down a copy of The Short Timers in paperback here in the UK was not easy but it was worth the time and the money. Short Timers is an extremely well written book and I will guard and treasure my copy with a zeal worthy of the author. Hopefully his work will find its way back into print as soon as possible. Respect and Love to him, and you for your efforts on his behalf, from the UK.
The Short Timers also got translated to Danish, and the book and the film both are in my library. When I was a teacher in Greenland I taught basic English for adults and all my students liked the movie. They even mimicked the film and started to adress me: Sir, yes sir! And when I asked them what they had learned of new words from seeing the movie they often replied: Me love you long time, me so horny and so on. Not exactly what I would have expected them to learn though! But the book is as facinating as the film. It has inspired me to write my own version. I am not so old that I took part in Vietnam, but I served twice in the Balkan Wars, and that is what my book will be about. That and the hopeless task of coming home and try to be an ordinary citizen again. So your webpage has given me a lot of inspiration and I hope you will keep it running for ever! Best regards from Denmark. Troels Pedersen
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