In 1969, Michael Arndt was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Vietnam as a combat infantryman. After 40 years, he returned to Vietnam, an experience which began his healing and led to his commitment to aid veterans through the arts. Professor Arndt began to interview and video record veterans from WW II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. He created a multimedia theatrical piece that has been produced a number of times as a way of opening conversations with veterans and non-veterans. The play has led to the writing of a book to assist veterans in using their stories and art as a healing force. This lecture details Michael’s combat experience and its effect upon his life when he returned, including his artistic works.

Michael J. Arndt (MFA) has been a Professor of Theatre Arts at California Lutheran University for the past forty years and is the artistic director of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company. As a theatre director, he has directed over 200 theatre productions. Among the awards he has received are the Cal Lutheran President’s Award for Teaching Excellence, The Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, Region VIII-Outstanding Theatre Educator, and the Alliance for the Arts’ Exemplary Arts Educator Award. He was named a “local hero” by the Ventura County Reporter and “Patriotic Citizen of the Year” by the Conejo Valley Chapters of the Military Order of the World Wars and The Military Order of the Purple Heart.

A Vietnam combat veteran, Michael created “Under Fire: Stories of Combat Veterans Across Generations.” He is currently co-authoring a book: “Making Contact: The Way to Healing from the Trauma of Combat.”