Author John Siegfried
John Siegfried is a lifelong Philadelphia native, whose passion for military history is second only to his love for his daughters and grandchildren. John’s wife, Donna, passed-on in 2013.
Author of Six Degrees of the Bracelet: Vietnam’s Continuing Grip released 11/11/11, he has written multiple manuscripts that await publication, including The New Agent Orange. Released 26 September 2022, No Greater Love: The Story of Medal of Honor Recipient Michael J. Crescenz, is John’s most recent work. Siegfried is a member of scores of Veteran Posts throughout the country. Attending college during Vietnam, he has made our Veterans’ stories his vocation. Appointed to the US Army War College in 2012, with General George S. Patton’s great grandson as his mentor, speaking at multiple venues among POW’s from Korea, World War 2, and Vietnam, and an interviewee on many TV and radio stations, John continues to be an advocate for all those who take the Oath of Enlistment. He is a Board Member of the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, with 98% of donations going to the children of Marines, Federal Law Enforcement, and the Philly Police Department killed in the line of duty.
His current works details A Wolf Remembered, the incredible story of Sergeant Major Jon R. Cavaiani, 5th Special Forces Group/MACV-SOG, Vietnam, POW, Medal of Honor Recipient, Delta Force. A legend in the Army, Jon passed July 2014 from a rare form of leukemia due to Agent Orange. He was a good friend of John; revered across the country for his philanthropic work helping Vets. He loved Philly, and had his remains sent here three months prior to burial at Arlington. The New Agent Orange and A Wolf Remembered were published June 30, 2023.
John has two daughters, Heather & Allison: Four grandchildren (Tristan, Adelina, Josephine, and Genevieve), and lives in Delaware County, PA.
A Wolf Remembered: Story of Medal of Honor Recipient Sergeant Major Jon Cavaiani - Released June 2023 - This book is about Jon Cavaiani, the Resilient and Uncompromising Wolf who stayed with his Pack, stared the Leviathan directly in the face, and who after his service, never dropped out and never quit. It’s a story about a great man who, despite incrediJble trials and challenges, used his many personal traumas to positively impact so many lives. on Cavaiani was proud of his heritage, despite being left by his parents to the charge of an Italian farmer, moving to California from England. The lessons learned from his adoptive father, Ugo, and the hard work on the family farm as a young boy, revealed themselves later in life. Those acquired attributes would serve him well, and indeed may have saved his life.....read more
Click here to order. Release Date June 30, 2023
"The New Agent Orange " - John Siegfried’s work is based in research both scientific and journalistic. It highlights the danger from scientific advances particularly those issues with long term health hazards arising from technologies we don’t (or didn’t) completely understand. I became an Army Chemical Officer because the subject of its origins scared the heck out of me in a junior ROTC class in 1958. From 1965 to 1995, I wore an Army uniform, half that time on active duty, the other as a Reserve Officer, retiring as Colonel. During those years I had personal experience with Agent Orange and developed some of the procedures used to defend against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, and the toxic industrial materials used that causes similar affects, which are still being used by our military. The heart of this book is not the facts, but the emotions that he uncovers from discussions with the Veterans who have contributed their experiences and memories. These stories caused me to revisit memories I had long suppressed. I believe this book will help clarify why America’s Military deserves better......read more
RELEASED July 1, 2023 - Click here to order
“No Greater Love: The Story of Michael Crescenz, Philadelphia’s Only Medal of Honor Recipient of the Vietnam War”
Michael Crescenz grew up in one of Philadelphia’s booming post-war Catholic neighborhoods, distinguishing himself early on as a leader, brother and friend who fearlessly rose to the defense of others in need. The second of six sons born to a World War II veteran, Michael was known for his big smile, athletic abilities, toughness and fierce competitive spirit. Growing up, Michael’s world revolved around his family, parish, local playgrounds, and the bustling Catholic schools he attended from first grade through high school graduation. All these influences shaped the man he would become – the one who felt a sense of duty to serve his country and enlisted in the U.S. Army to do his part during the Vietnam War.
He was in Vietnam barely two months when his unit, the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, was sent into battle against deeply entrenched enemy forces on Nui Chom Mountain, the fortress in the clouds tucked away in the far northwest corner of South Vietnam near the borders with North Vietnam and Laos. Commanders knew they were in for a fight, but didn’t know the enemy had more than 250 machine gun bunkers deployed along the mountain’s slopes. On November 20, 1968, Alpha Company was ambushed on the wet jungle mountainside, the NVA taking down the two men up front and pinning down the rest with relentless fire.....read more
Click here to order. Release Date September 21, 2022
"Six Degrees of the Bracelet: Vietnam's Continuing Grip " - Released 2011. Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is at most six steps away from, or connected to, any other person on Earth.
While the Vietnam War was raging, silver bracelets were created to raise awareness of, and show support for, American servicemen who were prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA). After the war, black bracelets were produced to pay homage to any of our armed forces killed in action (KIA). The orange bracelet is more recent and symbolizes all those, living and deceased, who have suffered from diseases, combat wounds, and post traumatic stress resulting from their Vietnam service. These bracelets honor the memory and sacrifice of our troops--one of the central goals of this book......read more