Two years ago, Sheridan delivered a letter, with others, at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall.
He lamented his inability to publish.
His letter was included in the book "Letters to The Wall: Memorial Day Events 2015 & 2016"

He ends it with "I am anxious to see this manuscript widely distributed before I die. It may simply disappear."

Surely, there is some honor in helping Sheridan achieve his wish, expressed within the last two years so publicly?


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I, Sheridan Peterson, a World War II Marine Corps vet, spent 7 years in Vietnam as a civilian throughout the war. As a refugee advisor for USAID/CORDS in the Mekong Delta at Phu Vinh, Vinh Binh and at Cao Lanh at the Sea of Reeds, I saw America at its worst. I went to Vietnam with the express purpose of writing a literary documentary of the war and wrote a 600 page manuscript. No reputable publisher wants to peruse it.

Among so much else, I witnessed genocide frequently - napalm and white phosphorus drops on peaceful villagers, burning them to cinders. Carpet bombings, ordinary troops mutilating corpses and proudly passing the photos about. The horrors of the Phoenix Program, torture, dropping prisoners from helicopters. Hanging out at the Cheiu Hoi camps I saw the war through the eyes of the Viet Cong and NVA.

I am 90 and won't be around much longer, I have Agent Orange poisoning and the VA refuses to compensate me because I was a civilian under the command of colonel <>, Province Senior Adviser.

I am anxious to see this manuscript widely distributed before I die. It may simply disappear.

This will feature prominently in my closing argument in Snow's copyright infringement trial.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant, Mr. Snowmman, sought nothing more than to fulfill a dying man's wish to see his work published. The defendant neither sought or made any profit and in fact sent 100% of the gross proceeds to Mr. Peterson without taking a single penny to reimburse the considerable expenses he incurred.

After closing statements by counsel have concluded, the judge will instruct you on the law, including the defenses of license and consent. Please pay close attention to these instructions. As you apply the law to the facts in this case, remember please Mr. Peterson's own words: "I am anxious to see this manuscript widely distributed before I die. It may simply disappear."

Thanks to the selfless work of the defendant, Mr. Peterson's work will not disappear. His express wishes have been fulfilled by a well-meaning person. This misguided litigation seeks to punish good deeds. It is your role to see that justice is done.  Justice is never achieved by a slavish devotion to technicalities that ignores the larger picture. When you look at the larger picture you see no malicious intent, no profit, and no real harm. Please, do not punish a good deed, even if you find that it was somehow misguided or inexpertly rendered. When you look at the facts and the law that you will subsequently receive instructions on, you will see that the only just verdict is one that rejects this astonishing attack on a selfless person doing his best to fulfill the expressly stated wishes of the author. Justice and basic human decency compel a verdict for the defendant. It is the only verdict that is just and one which I am confident that you will render.

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My local Indian casino is having two "Cover" bands next weekend. One is The Beatles, and the other is The Rolling Stones.

Maybe Petey's book needs a "Cover Band Edition!"

Metrics is actually a superior word choice.

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Metrics is actually a superior word choice.

If  you are talking about the physical parameters then 'parameters' would be universally understood.

Yes parameters is the proper word. Perimeters was not intended.

Snows observation about the use of the word knapsack got me wondering. I was in college in 71 and an avid hiker. I queried a few of my hiking buddies who I am still in touch with about whether they used the term knapsack back then. I never did. I used the term backpack. They concurred. One thought knapsack was used more by Europeans back then.

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Well we know Sheridan is fond of British English--colour, theatre, flat. Not sure it means anything. As a kid I think I would favor use of the word knapsack, but this would likely have been due to my parents who were both born in Europe although they came to the US as young kids.

Sheridan was actually quite a wordsmith, delighting in using obscure words that appear to be misspelled or misused but are not. Is there anything similar in Cooper's lexicon?

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Blevins has said he's going to get a copy of Sheridan's deposited hard copy when he filed copyright in 2001, from the US Copyright office, and use that to publish.

That's kind of interesting. Blows my mind that Blevins would bother.

I looked up what the US Copyright office requires, to get a copy of the deposit. I was surprised at the thought that the US Copyright office could be storing massive amounts of paper. It doesn't have to be electronic.

Apparently there are one of these three conditions that need to be met. It amazes me that Blevins might do this. All power to him if he pulls it off!
I love the idea of him working his ass off for Sheridan...apparently for free! Sheridan: make Blevins dance!

I suppose authorization from Sheridan would fulfill the first condition. I'll be mightily impressed if Blevins makes it happen. And yeah, the version of the book filed in 2001 might be better! or worse! What I love: is that if Blevins publishes, we can do a comparison and see what's different and debate it.

From the US Copyright office:

All requests for copies of deposits should be submitted to the Records Research and Certification Section. The Copyright Office does not retain all works deposited for copyright registration. The Office will provide certified or uncertified copies of published or unpublished works deposited in connection with a copyright registration and held in the Office's custody only when one of the following three conditions has been met:

-Written authorization is received from the copyright claimant of record or the owner of any of the exclusive rights in the copyright, as long as this ownership can be demonstrated by written documentation of the transfer of ownership. If the transfer of the copyright is recorded in the Copyright Office, please include, if possible, the volume and page numbers and approximate year of recordation. Without that information, a search of the Copyright Office files will be necessary, and a search fee will be required.

-The Copyright Office Litigation Statement Form is completed and received from an attorney or authorized representative in connection with litigation, actual or prospective, involving the copyrighted work. The following information must be included in such a request: (a) the names of all parties involved and the nature of the controversy, and (b) the name of the court in which the actual case is pending. In the case of a prospective proceeding, the requestor must give a full statement of the facts of controversy in which the copyrighted work is involved, attach any letter or other document that supports the claim that litigation may be instituted, and make satisfactory assurance that the requested reproduction will be used only in connection with the specified litigation. Contact the Records Research and Certification Section for a Litigation Statement Form. This form must be used. No substitute will be permitted. The form must contain an original signature and all information requested for the Copyright Office to process a request.

-A court order is issued for a reproduction of a deposited article, facsimile, or identifying portion of a work that is the subject of litigation in its jurisdiction. The order must be issued by a court having jurisdiction over a case in which the copy is to be submitted as evidence.

A request for copies of works deposited in connection with a copyright claim should be accompanied by whatever material is necessary to show that one of the three conditions given above has been met.