The artist, Norm Bergsma, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. He was
drafted into the U.S. Army in the summer of 1968 and was stationed at
nearby Fort Lewis for basic training and Advanced Infantry Training. In
March of 1969 he went to Vietnam and was assigned to the 25th Infantry
Division, headquartered in Cu Chi. His tour of duty found him in War Zone
C, with the 3/22nd Regulars operating out of Tay Ninh. Norm survived his
duties as an infantry grunt and R.T.O. to return home to his family and
new wife. Norm and his wife Kathy now have four children and have
been married since December 1968.
Norm is painting an ongoing series about Vietnam that visually
expresses one man's journey through Delayed Stress, and the struggle to
come to terms with war and its aftermath. Norm credits Jesus with the
inspiration to paint and the healing it has brought him. It is his
sincere desire to share some of that healing with others through his
work.
We should like you, our brothers, to know something of the trouble
we went through in Asia.
At that time we were completely overwhelmed,
the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that
this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this sense of impending
disaster so that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God
who can raise the dead.
It was God who preserved us from such deadly
perils, and it is he who still preserves us.
2 Cor. 1:8-10 Paul of
Tarsus ~Point Man 65 A.D.
American Veterans Traveling Tribute
A tribute to those who paid the ultimate price . . .
As of January 2004, Norm and Kathy Bergsma have taken over operation of The American Veterans Traveling Tribute. It currently travels to provide a healing experience for thousands. The Tribute is a tool used in the process of
making peace with the past. The largest mobile
replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, it is a profoundly powerful
experience for veterans of all wars, their families, and friends.
The Tribute should be seen by
everyone at least once in their lifetime. . . ."
Point Man International Ministries
since 7/31/98