Chandler resident Alan Ramias has lived many lives—soldier, journalist, corporate strategist, and now, published author. The Vietnam veteran is channeling decades of memory and observation into stories that reach beyond Arizona and into the shared experience of war, survival, and human resilience.
His latest book, Miss Moon, released in 2025, offers three distinct narratives. The title story, “Miss Moon,” is told by Jerry, a court-martial clerk navigating the moral ambiguities of war. “10,000 Samurai Swords” unfolds through an unnamed omniscient narrator, while “Purification” is also omniscient, centering on Charlie, a young soldier haunted by memory and betrayal. Together, the stories and accompanying poems give readers a raw glimpse into the inner life of veterans searching for meaning after the battlefield.
The collection follows Ramias’ debut, The Bridge, published in 2024, which introduced his lyrical blend of fiction and lived history. Where The Bridge was focused on the physical and emotional landscapes of Vietnam, Miss Moon digs even deeper into the psychological aftermath—what happens when the war ends but the memories remain.
“Writing has been a constant thread through my life,” Ramias says. “I wanted to be a journalist even as a kid in Wisconsin. I didn’t have the money for college, so I joined the Army in 1966, and they sent me to journalism school. That decision changed everything.”
Trained at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana, Ramias became a combat correspondent in Vietnam in 1967. Assigned to an artillery unit in the Mekong Delta, he filed dispatches for military newspapers like the Army Times.
“I was reporting for soldiers, by soldiers,” he recalls. “We were living it, and we wanted to make sense of it.”
Many of the voices and fragments of experience he encountered during those years resurface in his fiction. The characters in Miss Moon may be fictional, but their dilemmas echo the conversations Ramias once overheard in tents and on patrols—stories of fear, courage, boredom, and longing for home.
“The book is about more than war,” he explains. “It’s about what happens to people when they’re pushed to their limits, and how they carry that with them long after.”
After returning home, Ramias pursued higher education, earning degrees in English, philosophy, and eventually an MBA. His career path led him into organizational consulting, where he spent decades helping companies understand human behavior in a corporate setting. Yet, the call to storytelling never disappeared.
“Even in my business career, I was still writing short stories on the side,” he says. “It’s only in the last few years that I’ve been able to devote myself fully to fiction.”
His work has drawn comparisons to Tim O’Brien and Karl Marlantes, both known for their unflinching portrayals of Vietnam. But Ramias insists his goal is more intimate.
“I’m writing for both veterans and civilians,” he says. “For veterans, I hope they feel seen. For civilians, I hope it opens a window into what those experiences really mean.”
Now a full-time author, Ramias is already sketching out new projects. Some may revisit Vietnam; others will explore entirely different backdrops, but all will be rooted in memory, resilience, and what drives people to endure.
“I’ve lived a lot of different lives,” he says. “I have a lot more stories to tell.”
Miss Moon and The Bridge are available on Amazon and through Ramiasa.net.
“I’m writing for both veterans and civilians,” he says. “For veterans, I hope they feel seen. For civilians, I hope it opens a window into what those experiences really mean.”