At the age of 19, Jim Stewart joined the United States Army. He served in Vietnam from October of 1966 to October of 1968. He then worked as a civilian in Vietnam for the next two years. He served with the 552nd, 300th, 560th, 527th , and”C”CO of the 716th MP BN. In 1992, Jim Stewart joined the Brawley Police Department. He retired in 2002 at the rank of corporal. He is the author of The Angel from Vietnam.
According to the book description of “The Angel from Vietnam, “In 1970, after four years in Vietnam, Jim Stewart left behind his daughter, Phuong. It is estimated that fifty thousand Amerasians were left behind when America pulled out of the country for good in 1973. Jim carried this with him for years after the war. Join him on his journey through personal tragedy as a young boy in Maryland, his often humorous adventures in the Army, and the serious events that took place during his years in Vietnam and afterwards. Often humorous, with a wide array of memorable characters in his life, this is a story that will bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, and leave you with a sense of spiritual healing.”
According to one reader of The Angel from Vietnam: A memoir of growing up, the Vietnam War, a daughter, and healing, “First-time author Jim Stewart has written a raw and powerful memoir of his years in Vietnam and his life. Unlike many of the current Vietnam-era memoirs, Stewart’s uncommonly poignant and well-written story details his four years in the `Nam without the blood, gore, or trauma so popular today. This is the story of a young man’s coming of age and maturing as a human being while simultaneously dealing with a war, a callous family `back in the world’, and his first real love and long-term relationship.
Stewart takes us back to his childhood, where he grew up in a poor, yet loving household, and how he tried re-create it with his young Vietnamese girlfriend, Mai. In the midst of the Tet Offensive and the later collapse of the country, Stewart and his girlfriend Mai attempt to find normalcy in the insanity of Vietnam towards the end of the war. His relaxed yet detailed writing style allows the reader to begin to understand what it was like to live and work in Saigon, both for a Vietnamese and an American; where even such insignificant events as shopping and taking a taxi turn must be pre-planned. Stewart takes the reader directly into traffic with him, and lets him experience the sights, smells, and fear of life in Saigon
While the author was an MP instead of an infantryman and therefore believes himself possibly fortunate not seen any actual combat, his book is not really about the fighting in Vietnam; it’s a story of the author, his dad, Mai, and their daughter Phuong – and it’s a story well worth reading. Highly recommended.”
The Brawley Police Department has an operating budget of over 4.5 million dollars and employs 47 full-time personnel. According to the Brawley Police Department Chief of Police, “The Police Department is only one “cog” in the wheel called the City of Brawley. We could not exist without the cooperation and collaboration of the other City Departments. As the City of Brawley continues to grow we will face many challenges together. Our youth is one of our primary challenges. We need to accommodate them with recreational activities, jobs and education. Traditionally the predominate offenders of criminal statutes are young men between the ages of 15 and 25 years of age. My plan is to reach our youth early and provide education and prevention programs in order to deter substance abuse and the gang influence, which fuels theft and other more violent crimes. In an effort to reach these youth the police department’s Police Athletic League (P.A.L.) and Police Explorer programs continue to reach out and interact with our Cities youth. In addition, the Police Department has officers assigned full-time to both the elementary and high school districts as on-campus School Resource Officers.
Traffic will continue to be a problem as well. In November 2006 the Police Department created a new Traffic Division, which is currently staffed with three motor officers. The mission of the Traffic Division is to educate our drivers and enforce traffic laws. The Police Department has also implemented a K-9 program; added staff to the Investigations Division; and, created a new Special Operations Team. While a number of other changes are in the planning stages, it is my commitment to the citizens of Brawley that I will continue to implement cutting edge training and technology solutions in order to maintain public safety and to detect and deter crime in our community.”
