efaulk@observer-reporter.com

Roger Costello never served in Danang, Vietnam, as a young man in the Australian Army, but the destruction he witnessed elsewhere in the country during the Vietnam War has stayed with him.

These memories drive his dedication to The Friends of Danang, a nonprofit organization of citizens and Vietnam veterans in the Pittsburgh area that raises money to fund projects that benefit the people and, more specifically, the children of the Danang area.

"It's a moral issue for a lot of us," said Costello, who works as a photographer and importer. "As a young man, I helped destroy that country. It's for my own soul and to help the children of the country that I do this."

Costello, 57, recently published 1,000 copies of his first book of photography, "Places and Faces: Vietnam." He chose to publish the book in Vietnam in order to benefit that country as much as possible. The proceeds will go toward the next Friends of Danang project.

"I wanted it to come full circle of Vietnam," Costello said. "It's by a veteran, published in Vietnam. It's about the country, and the profits are going there."

Costello came to the United States in 1982 and currently lives in Pittsburgh. He has made several trips to Vietnam recently, not just for his book but to import furniture, scarves and other accessories for his own small importing business.

Through the book, he wants to show that Vietnam is no longer the war-ravaged country many Americans imagine. He said the war is hardly discussed, noting that about 70 percent of the population was born after the war - "The American War" as the Vietnamese call it.

"There are very few Americans traveling in Vietnam today," he said. "I want people to see the diversity of the country. Look at the places, look at the faces and colors. It is a country that needs to be discovered."

Friends of Danang holds events throughout the year to raise money. It has funded schools, hospitals, clinics and bridges. Their most recent project - Let Them Walk Again, Danang - provided prosthetic and orthotic devices to children suffering as a result of accidents or Agent Orange exposure.

Costello said that if his book does well, he will consider publishing it in the United States. For now, the book is not available in retail stores to ensure that the proceeds will go directly toward the children of Danang.

"Places and Faces: Vietnam" can be purchased for $25 at the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, or by contacting Roger Costello at rjcostello@ grandviewphotos.com.

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