The journey represents all those who were lost, MIA or POW during the Vietnam War, not only soldiers but the people of Vietnam. These are their stories from the beginning to their assumed ends, or imagined continued stories. The figures are carved and crafted with great care from an old Hickory tree from Patrick and Anne O'Neill's back yard in New York. 

The story of this creation started over two decades ago while on our first vacation in the area of Cape May, New Jersey it was here that I really looked at the black and white flag flying under the US flag. I certainly understood what MIA (Missing in Action) meant but wondered what the POW (Prisoner of War) meant exactly. Trusting that the Government would have done everything in their power to look and search for those who had been prisoners of war and had not returned. It wasn't until learning to use the search bar on the computer discovering that those missing in action or prisoners of war are assumed dead and, most morbidly the Government stops looking for them. The Government stops looking and we cannot just go look ourselves. 

After cutting down the old Hickory tree (age approx 338 yrs) from the back yard we decided to keep the wood and had a local sawmill process it into very large planks of wood, they stayed piled behind our home in New York for several years. 

About 8 yrs ago I had life saving emergency quadruple bypass surgery, after being released from surgery and sent home to rest, quickly becoming bored over-looking the Hickory stacks I picked up a pen and paper and started drawing figures. Realizing that the drawings could be turned into carvings because of their shapes. Slowly over the years I started carving out the Hickory - the drawings and tree carvings were telling their story. Stories that may have been. Each figure has their own name, story and life - they are treated with care and love. 

The Truth Tree Talks is about the prisoners of war and citizens that were taken and never came back and now they might still be there and maybe they have their own story still, that we might not ever know.