The Texas Gun Club by Mark Bowlin

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MWSA Review

The 36th Division of the Texas National Guard (also known as the Texas Army, and sometimes as The Texas Gun Club), was part of LG Mark Clark's 5th Army, and was the first American unit to hit the beach at Salerno, Italy on 9 September 1943. Night amphibious landings are fraught with danger, and this assault was no exception. Italy declared an armistice as the Allied fleet was approaching the Gulf of Salerno, leaving the German forces to scramble to defend the beaches. The 5th. Army G-2 did not think there were many Germans in the area; however, the 1st Battalion's S-2 didn't agree. 
 
The Texas Gun Club is the story of the Battle of Salerno, told through the eyes and experiences of two cousins, both outstanding platoon leaders assigned to Able Company of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment: 1LT. Sam Taft; and 1LT. Perkin Berger, usually referred to as Perkin throughout the book. Their mothers, twin sisters, had been killed by a hurricane in 1919. Perkin's father died in the Battle of the Marne the year before. Both were raised by Perkin's grandparents as their children, and Perkin's grandfather is referred to as "Old Perk."
 
1LT Taft, a huge man whose size earned him the nickname "Bear," inherited a large ranch which he was expanding. Bear and Perkin enjoyed fishing for trout in the warm Gulf waters. When his father died, Bear dropped out of college to run the ranch. Fiercely devoted to his wife, Margaret, Bear is the most cautious of the pair.
 
1LT Perkin Berger, smaller than Bear, but still a large man, was a student of history working on his doctorate degree, when he talked Bear into joining the Texas National Guard. Perk is the wild child of the pair. Part daredevil, he is usually too quick with a retort. Both men are natural combat leaders. The author does a good job of filling in both men's history in clearly delineated sections in a manner that does not break up the rhythm of the story.
 
Able Company, part of the 1st Battalion, 141st Regimental Combat team of the 36th Division was assigned to land on Blue Beach. Things quickly began to go wrong. An ensign led part of the 141st's landing crafts to the wrong beach, which became known as Blue Beach South. General Clark, acting on his S-2 opinion that the Germans weren't ready, expected to achieve surprise and landed his troops with no pre-landing bombardment. Perkin planned to be the first American soldier to set foot on the continent. When his landing craft dropped its ramp, the Germans greeted with, "Soldiers! Come on in and surrender. We've got you covered." Perkin shouted to the men in his 1st Platoon and charged through the shallow water and onto the beach. While Perk was becoming the first soldier to step on dry land at 0330 hours, the company commander was having difficulty motivating the coxswain to take his landing craft through the wall of German shells falling along the beach. By then the ensign had found Blue Beach, and the remaining elements of the 1st Battalion had landed there. Forcing the battalion commander and Able and Baker Companies to fight their way north through 500 yards of German territory to Blue Beach. Vivid descriptions of squad and platoon battles carry the reader into the heat of the battle. Perkin climbs onto a German Panzer IV tank with the intention of dropping a grenade into it, but the hatches are locked. Not easily deterred, Perkin uses a sledgehammer mounted on the tank as a weapon.
 
The next day, Able Company is tasked to send a reconnaissance patrol south through German and fascist territory to make contact with General Montgomery's 8th Army. 1LT Perkin Berger is selected to lead the patrol. Italy is in turmoil. The fascist Italians support the Germans and will use any opportunity to betray the patrol. Patriotic Italians help. After the armistice is declared, some Italian soldiers return home, some join the Germans, and some become looters who rape and pillage the countryside. Using the patrol as his vehicle, the author takes the reader on a journey through a war-torn country, telling the story of Italy�its people, soldiers, police, clergy, and of course the Germans. Perkin and his men encounter fascist German sympathizers, Italians who welcome Americans, German patrols, and have several realistic experiences that give the reader a real world view of conditions in a country hosting a war. Perkin leads the patrol to British 5th Division Headquarters, meets several interesting British officers, and then starts back to join Able Company. On the return trip the patrol has more adventures. The author develops several enlisted men characters. Private Kluis, a small, bookish man becomes another Audy Murphy and appears throughout the story.
 
While Perk is leading his patrol southward, Bear is in the village Ogliastro Cilento, where Able Company is waiting for its next assignment. The 141st is an all Texan unit, and the men have personal relationships that extend beyond the Army. Captain Ronald Ebbins, a long time foe of Bear and Perk enters the picture. Ebbins is a rear echelon officer who pointedly avoids going to the sound of battle whenever possible. Ebbins attempts to use his position to harass Bear and Perkin. While in the village, Bear meets Antoniette Bernardi, a stunningly beautiful five foot-three, hot tempered, Italian fascist and German spy. Antoniette obtains most of her information by sleeping with enemy officers and Ebbins wastes no time climbing into her bed.
 
The entire story takes place between 9 Sept and 14 Sept. Ebbins' and Antoniette's stories are not resolved, however, I am confident they will appear in the next book in the series. Antoniette has the makings of a fine villainess.
 
The Texas Gun Club is an excellent WWII war novel. Realistic, well plotted, and contains many actual events. It has found a place on my bookshelf. It describes the successes and failures of command and battle. Friendly fire, poor communications, death, destruction, courage, and valor. My only criticism is the title. I would have titled it: The Battle of Salerno, or Blue Beach South, and then added the tag, "a Texas Gun Club Novel." I am looking forward to the author's promised next novel in the series based on the 36th Division's exploits.

Reviewed by: Lee Boyland (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

The Texas Gun Club is the story of two cousins' journey from south Texas to wartime Italy in 1943.  Perkin Berger and Sam Taft are officers in Able Company, 141st Infantry Regiment of the 36th Division, Texas National Guard.  Although the cousins are closer than most brothers, they have differing views on the war and their role in it.  Perkin is excited to test himself in combat; Sam just wants to survive the war and return to Texas.

D-Day was a shambles, and then the battle went from bad to worse.  While Perkin is dispatched on a reconnaissance mission down the Italian peninsula, Sam is left to shore up crumbling defenses and prevent Salerno from becoming another Dunkirk. 

And My Mother Danced with Chesty Puller by Bruce Hoffman

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MWSA Review

This read is an open reflection of a teenager turned Marine, set in the sixties. Author Bruce Hoffman candidly shares his transitions from "the rear with the beer" to the door gunner's seat in Vietnam.Hoffman had dreams of being an embassy guard in dress blues, but the role never materialized. Instead, he writes about grazing on the beer and women while evolving into the combat arena, with all its horrors, during a politically divisive time. I enjoyed this author's balanced blend of adventures from his young service life. He honestly relates to the mundane times, where drinking alone in the bowling alley or oriental bar are common place.  Then, with brief orientation to the duties he would need to abruptly perfect, his story advances to the spectacular, where you kill or get killed.This book shares spicy details of what is sadly becoming forgotten or was never known. I recommend this decorated veteran's book to anyone who can handle a mature theme and find interest in a young man's journey to serve. 

Reviewed by: Hodge Wood (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Bruce Hoffman spent four years in the United States Marine Corps from 1964 to 1968. Two of those years were in Vietnam and Okinawa. This is a story about his adventures from Parris Island, serving in the rear with the beer, to flying as an Aerial Gunner in UH-1E Huey Helicopters. These four years left a lasting impression, some good some bad. It is a story worth telling.

The Road to Iwo Jima by Tom McGraham

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MWSA Review

Tom McGraham is very proud to have served his country and the Marine Corps, but he humbly tells his story in The Road to Iwo Jima. I see him as a hero, but I doubt that he would call himself one. I appreciate the quote that Jerry Yellin (Iwo Jima survivor and author) has put on the back of Mr. McGraham's book: "Tom thought about home every day of the twelve days he was on Iwo before he was wounded and he has thought about Iwo Jima nearly every day of his life since the war ended." This book is Tom's story about those twelve days, and quick glimpses of where life's journey has taken him beyond Iwo Jima to the year 2010 when he attended a 65th anniversary of the landing on Iwo Jima in Washington, DC.  Mr. McGraham states: "I felt an overwhelming sense of closure at last. However, I will always respect and honor all the Marines who died for our country."
 
This book is a tribute to all who have served our country, and we should be grateful to people like Mr. Graham who took the time and effort to put their stories into print for us. Many of us can not even begin to imagine what our fellow countrymen have experienced and how they have had to carry that with them the rest of their lives. The first half of The Road to Iwo Jima tells us the brutal story of the twelve days Mr. McGraham spent on the island and the last half of the book he calls "The Return from Iwo Jima." 
 
This book is a quick read but gives us a window on the days of Iwo Jima, not a window that we all would want to see through, but I feel it is honoring to "see into" this time and realize how this history has impacted so many lives.  We don't have a lot of time left with these heroes so people like Tom McGraham have given us a gift by taking the time and going through the pain of writing their stories and sharing them with others. For those readers like me who are not history buffs, the footnotes that Mr. McGraham added are very helpful in that he doesn't assume that all of his readers will have that background knowledge. Readers who enjoy learning more about our history through memoirs and/or appreciate the real-life journeys of American heroes would want to read The Road to Iwo Jima.

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Tom McGraham joined the Marines the day after Pearl Harbor.  Throughout the next few years, he served in the Caribbean, but after he participates in the capture of a German Submarine crew, he is reassigned to the 4th Division in Hawaii. With his new buddies, he trains for some unknown but obviously big assault to come.   It's not until he is on the ship, that he learns they are headed for Iwo Jima.  This book is the story of that fateful event in his life -- and the years afterward.

Immediate Response by Clare MacNaughton and Mark Hammond

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MWSA Review

Immediate Response lays to rest the question that Afghanistan is just 'America's War.' The British Royal Marines are also there and taking the fight to the enemy.  It reads like a thriller written in the first person which curdles your blood.  However the action is riveting and real.  Just when you think the boredom of the war zone will last forever, the terror of war rips through the story like shrapnel leaving the reader gasping and feeling eviscerated at having escaped certain death.  These are not the Chinooks of my war.  They are not just freight haulers or funny looking choppers with two blades.  These machines have a whole new expanded mission, they are birds of war.  If you want to know how today's Royal Marines go into battle, wake up and face the dangers of combat, you need to read aviator Major Mark Hammond's Immediate Response.  It will take you to the battlefield and leave you thankful for the brave men and women that are taking your place.

Reviewed by: Dave Brown (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

2006 in Helmand saw British forces engaged in the most ferocious fighting since the Korean War. For much of the time they were hanging on by their fingertips, holed up in remote platoon houses, outnumbered, facing relentless assault and nearly overwhelmed. Only the Chinooks kept them in the game. But that meant their crews putting down in hot LZs, exposing their aircraft to withering attack from an enemy for whom downing one of the big helos would be the ultimate prize. They had been lucky. So far. Then they launched their biggest operation yet: a complicated, high-risk airborne assault that launched a fleet of heavily armed helicopters into the Afghan Heart of Darkness. And then a report came over the net that one of the Chinooks was down...In "Immediate Response", Major Mark Hammond, a Royal Marine flying with the RAF, tells the gripping inside story of the Chinook squadrons' war for the first time. It's a visceral, unputdownable combination of hi-tech and old-fashioned grit; an action-packed story shot through with a mix of aviation fuel and cordite...

War on the Rivers by Weymouth D. Symmes

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MWSA Review

I am writing this review while listening in the background to "The Doors" singing "This is the End". That song played in the movie "Apocalypse Now" and still sends shivers up my spine. Reading "War On The River: A Swift Boat Sailor's Chronicle of the Battle for the Mekong Delta" by Navy veteran and author Weymouth D. Symmes - also did that same thing. His book however, is much more than a tale of swift boats in action in Nam. It tells a coming-of-age story that captures the emotions and spirit of those young warriors. In particular, the young author himself, as we follow him from through boot camp and his four years in the Navy. 

Some day people will realize that these "river boat cowboys" made life hell for the VC. They were part of what is called "The Brown Water Navy". They were sometimes our only military resource in the Mekong Delta besides air power operations. Someone had to go down those muddy rivers and patrol places that were as dangerous as any place on this planet! Truly a group of brave hearted men. Many were killed or wounded but all of them were heroes. 

Weymouth's memoir is not just about his river battles but also does a good job giving the reader an idea of what life was like for a sailor on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam. The book touches the personal lives of those men who lived in historic times, risking their lives for things many others would never support, or understand. It is well written and will engage the reader's fullest attention. This book does not try to glorify war, nor battle, but it comes across any way, as a strong tribute to these men. In the end, the reader will label them all as heroes! And truly they all were. 

I have read many books over the last decade on swift boats and the river wars in Nam - however, this is best of the lot. If one had to read just one book on this genre, then this is the book they need to read. It is not some dry facts and numbers book told by someone with no connection to the events - this is from a real survivor of those times - and he has a personal and entertaining story to share. 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

This book is a memoir of a four year enlistment in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, from service aboard the USS Ticonderoga as she engaged in the air war over North Vietnam, to service aboard U.S. Navy Swift boats in the Mekong Delta. Although the focus of the book is on the war on the rivers, the book also considers the consequences for the warrior upon the return home.

Paper Dragon, Wooden Ship by Jack L. Wells

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MWSA Review

Like many military memoirs, Paper Dragon, Wooden Ship follows a year in the life of a Naval Officer. Pat Dillan arrives in Sasebo, Japan in 1969, shortly after the North Korean's captured an intelligence ship, The Pueblo. He is assigned to her sister ship, The Banner. His life is complicated by the decay of his marriage and the changing political perspectives of the times. When his wife leaves him during a trip back home, he returns to Sasebo to a new rank, new assignment and a new love interest. It's a familiar story written with a twist -- it's written in Navy, not English -- and it's a novel, not a memoir.
 
This story is unusual in that both men and women will find it romantic and intense. There's action, political intrigue, nostalgia for another time and place, the relationship a man, a woman,  the Navy, and war -- both hot and cold. The reader can almost hear Mick Jagger singing, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in the background as Pat struggles to balance his personal and professional lives. The author allows his characters to define themselves through their words and deeds. Their conversations are real, amusing, and convoluted -- just like everyday folks. CDR Wells peoples his novel with likeable Americans and allows the villains of the time to create conflict for the good guys. Most interestingly, the Navy seems more like a character than an institution -- warm mother, strict father, petulant lover, demanding professor, intrusive in-law all wrapped up into one. It's a daring ploy by the author, but in the end, it creates an intriguing and unusual story.
 
The cover supports the author's intent with the look and feel of a non-fiction publication -- with a faded background photograph of a Japanese pagoda and silhouettes of Pat's two ships in the foreground. This matter-of-fact approach makes this historical novel seem more real than most -- like the personal story of your next door neighbor -- the super-intelligent one that speaks in a tangled dialect of alphabet soup and hides his heart behind a short haircut and shiny black shoes. 
 
While the plot is compelling and the characters intriguing, this book is not an easy read. The author recognizes that the average reader might have trouble translating inexplicable prose like, "Arrival at Kure Sunday morning was a non-event. But next morning it got serious: much pomp and circumstance when the JMSDF mine flotilla four striper came aboard. Meanwhile, the MINEFLOTONE officers, LT and above, went to do a pre-ex inspection on the 4 Hatsushima class coastal JMSDF sweeps taking part in the minex."  
 
HUH?  
 
To be fair, CDR Wells provides lots of footnotes and goes the extra mile with an Appendix to help decipher Naval ranks. However, most of us landlubbers may spend as much time looking up terminology like EOD, Mike Boat, and LCM-6 than actually enjoying Pat's adventures in war and love. However, this book will enchant those who live and love the Navy -- and after about fifty pages, a newbie will grasp the lingo enough to get a kick out of it too.

Reviewed by: Joyce Faulkner (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

US Navy operations aboard the sistership of the ill fated USS PUEBLO (AGER-2); and, Navy Market Time and Riverine combat and minesweeping during the Vietnam War 1968-1970.

How Can You Mend This Purple Heart by Terry Gould

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MWSA Review

Jeremy Shoff was a typical youth of the 60s. With the Vietnam War going on at full speed, Terry decided to get away from it all and join the US Marines. Somewhere along the way he decided to join the Navy instead and enjoy the next few years cruising while enjoying the many ports of call. Tragically injured in an automobile crash, he found himself in a military ward with wounded Vietnam veterans. The story of his guilt and his compassion for the wounded veterans he shares space with makes a solid appeal for understanding what sacrifices these men made. Lost youth and crushed dreams went unappreciated by the general public. This book calls for long overdue recognition, understanding, and appreciation for their sacrifices.   

Well written. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of the wounded Vietnam veteran who had to also suffer the uncaring attitude of a nation in a highly conflicted period of our history.   

Reviewed by: E. Franklin Evans (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

How Can You Mend This Purple Heart is a story about young American boys who left their homes for Vietnam and returned to the comforting and healing shelter of a military hospital; wounded, frightened and proud.

It is a story about their longing to recapture the spirit of boyhood and rekindle the optimism and fearlessness of youth. And, it's about their struggle to be whole again--or at the very least, to feel whole.

How Can You Mend This Purple Heart is a based on a true story. It takes the reader into the world of a military hospital in 1969 and traces the lives of these Marines on a fifteen-month journey to recovery--and their triumph over the physical, mental and emotional wounds of war.

The hospital and the nearby streets and bars of south Philadelphia, became their home, and like any home, it was a place to gather, to belong, to struggle, to play, a place to find support and ultimately, a place to heal. And every day of healing brought them closer to the day they could go home.  A day they would both cherish--and fear."

Shore Duty by Stewart Harris

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MWSA Review

In this superb account of an American Navy lieutenant's mind boggling 1968-69 tour of duty, Author Stewart Harris recaptures his experience as senior advisor, Coastal Group 16. He leads a small "junk force" of wooden boats and Vietnamese fisherman turned Navy. They are tasked to stop the flow of weapons and material down the river in a free fire zone considered under the control of the enemy VC.  Everyone knows the three senior advisors ahead of Harris were killed and that the base, protected only by coconut logs and wire, was overrun. In this memoir, Lt. Harris choppers in to reopen the base and serve in a far different role than his "Destroyer Driver" past. There is no electricity, water, local government or police, and supplies have to be scrounged. Security "outside the wire" must be established through patrol and ambush skills that are developed to survive.  Harris, three other American advisors, and Vietnamese counterparts are surrounded by the VC Forty-Eighth Main Battalion. Coastal Group 16 gets no external support - except once; thirty ARVN assigned are massacred the first day on patrol. Friendly artillery shelled the base the first night the author arrived. His chopper ride home was hit.  But, after seventy-five firefights and gun battles, Stewart Harris lived to write about it. From cover to cover, I gained significant insight into history, culture and neglected military operations. I will remember the perseverance shown and consider it as an example when life takes a pivotal change for the worse. I literally recommend Shore Duty to everyone as a "must read."   Without a doubt, I've never read a better book. 

Reviewed by: Hodge Wood (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Coastal Group Sixteen was one of two dozen bases scattered along the coast of South Vietnam. Originally staffed by local fishermen impressed into the Navy of South Vietnam, they were charged with preventing infiltration by sea of men and supplies. The boats were junks, some still without engines, armed with whatever could be found. The original bases were isolated and Spartan. By 1968, however, there were 540,000 Americans "in country" and another 40,000 or so sailors off the coast. They had begun to displace the Vietnamese in their own country, in their own war. The seas were clogged by carrier battle groups at Points Yankee and Dixie. Closer in, Navy Swiftboats and Coast Guard WPBs searched the coastal waters and barely acknowledged the Vietnamese presence at sea.  

Most of the coastal groups had been markedly changed by this influx of Americans.  Coastal Group Fifteen had started out as a base in a swamp and by 1968 shared that "swamp" with 10,000 Marines.  They called it Chu Lai. Coastal Group Twenty Six was housed in a chateau on a small island in Cam Ranh Bay, an area so secure that both Johnson and Nixon visited. 
     
Coastal Group Sixteen was different. The eighty of so Vietnamese plus four American sailors acting as advisors were alone in sixty square miles of country side with no other friendly forces near.  The closest ARVN forces were nine miles away in Quang Ngai city. The nearest Americans were twenty five miles north at Chu Lai. The village of My Lai was a mile north. The first three American sailors assigned as senior advisor at Coastal Group Sixteen were all killed in action. I was the fourth and this is the story of that year. 

The Vietnam War: A Graphic History by Dwight J. Zimmerman

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MWSA Review

THE VIETNAM WAR: A Graphic History is an outstanding chronicle of the Vietnam War, presented in a unique and visually stimulating way. It is well researched, well written, and superbly illustrated. It explains the tactical, strategic, and political decision making that made the war so unique and so infamous among the armed conflicts of our nation's history.  

As I read through it, I immediately noted how valuable the book would be in explaining to the younger, more visually driven generations the circumstances of and around the Vietnam War. In a matter of hours, a teenager could have a solid footing and decent understanding of a military conflict that has been overshadowed recently by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I especially respect the way Zimmerman and Vansant avoid overly gory or violent depictions, further adding to both the educational value and juvenile appeal of the work.

Vietnam veterans may find themselves giving this book as a gift to younger persons in their families to help explain the background behind the war, and to help interested family members better understand the language, situations, and climate both in the field and at home during that time.

Well done, educational, and enjoyable from start to finish.

Reviewed by: Rob Ballister (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

The first-ever account of the entire Vietnam War in the graphic history format form its buildup and expansion in the early 1960s, the evacuation of Saigon in 1975, and the reconciliation and remembrance movement decades later that resulted in the construction of "The Wall"--the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In addition to the conflict in Vietnam, it recounts the many tumultuous events in the United States from the halls of power in Washington, D.C. to the streets of cities across the nation that threatened to tear the society apart. An even-balanced and surprisingly comprehensive account in a ground-breaking format of a traumatic period of our history that resonates to today.

AMARG: America's Military Aircraft Boneyard by Nicholas Veronico and Ron Strong

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MWSA Review

AMARG: America's Military Aircraft Boneyard is the story of the aircraft storage and salvage facility at Davis-Monthan AFB near Tuson, AZ. The book provides the technical details of preparing aircraft for storage.  "Storage" implies possible reuse, and yes, many aircraft have been recycled for reuse. However, the majority of aircraft entering the facility become feedstock for metals recycling as aviation technology progresses. Occasionally, a last-of-a-kind aircraft escapes the scrap pile and makes its way to an air museum, somewhere in this country.

The book is a pictorial history of the aircraft storage and salvage facility -- from the end of World War II to the present. The facility also played a part in nuclear disarmament when a treaty specified certified evidence of destruction of numerous B-52 strategic bombers. The allotted aircraft were chopped into five recognizable pieces and the pieces were left in the open for satellite surveillance.

"AMARG: America's Military Aircraft Boneyard" is a recommended read for anyone interested in aviation history and the technical aspects of aircraft storage. Modelers and preservationists will find the book rewarding with aircraft detail.

Reviewed by: John R. R. Faulkner (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

This country's largest military aircraft storage center began in the heady days following the end of World War II. At first only a small desert site holding bombers and transports in reserve for possible future use, it later became more of a salvage and parts recovery operation, and in many cases, a final resting place known as "the boneyard." In the 1950s and 1960s, with new wars erupting in Korea and Vietnam, certain aircraft stored in this desert center were once again in demand, and this famed storage and salvage facility in Tucson, Arizona, answered the call. Numerous photographs taken both from the air and on the ground show vistas of the 4,000 total airplanes stored at this site, while a detailed appendix gives a comprehensive listing of all the aircraft types currently at AMARG (Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group). In many cases, the numbers are quite staggering and are sure to surprise the reader.

Fields of War: Battle of Normandy by Robert Mueller

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MWSA Review

How many times have you visited a historical site and appreciated its historical significance but really had no serious reference book to enrich your visit which in reality would tell the rest of the story? I have been to many such sites and even upon visiting the gift shop was disappointed to find no such reference book that would add information to my visitation.

If you ever have the chance or desire to visit the battlefields of WWII in northern France you are in luck as I would strongly suggest the historical reference book titled Fields Of War. Contained herein is a complete historical reference to many of the battles to include D Day to the relief of Paris. Included in Robert Mueller’s observations and research we find the inclusion of names and actions of where how and why they were done. Mueller observes the present day battlefields as they are and how they compare to when the battles were fought on those grounds.

Mueller provides directions and helpful hints as to where to go and how to get there. Telephone numbers and websites of museums and cemeteries and memorials are provided. This is an excellent historical reference book to be used in the enrichment of your travels to these historical sites.

Reviewed by: Dick Geschke (2014)

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Author's Synopsis

On 6 June 1944, 156,000 American, British, and Canadian servicemen fought ashore on beaches along the Normandy coast or landed from the air to begin wresting back Nazi occupied Europe. The D-Day invasion was the largest amphibious landing in history. Although successful, it was only precursor to months of the deadly fighting necessary to dislodge stubborn German defenders from the Norman countryside and eventually liberate France. 
As a visitor’s guide, Fields of War: Battle of Normandy presents the actual locations of key events in the struggle to free France from German occupation. Each battlefield visit begins with a succinct history of events followed by a description of the intense military action that determined success or failure. The narrative revolves around the stories of the privates, NCOs, and junior officers whose sacrifices made success possible. Extensive detailed maps illustrate the flow of the battle across the landscape and the units that participated. Detailed driving instructions and GPS co-ordinates direct visitors to each battlefield site. Descriptions of museums, memorials, cemeteries, and surviving artifacts are given along with their hours of operation. Mailing, email, and web addresses are also provided.

Cold War Peacemaker by Don Pyeatt and Dennis R. Jenkins

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MWSA Review

Cold War Peacemaker is the history of the B-36, America's largest strategic bomber. But more than that, it is a brief history of the city of Forth Worth, Texas. The book provides a glimpse of the power and politics of Amon G. Carter to bring the aircraft industry to 'his' city. His political power was best illustrated by the following event.

Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego was manufacturer of the PBY Catalina "Flying Boat." As war was beginning in Europe, Consolidated was to ferry PBY's to England. They needed refueling way-stations. When Amon G. Carter learned of this need, he marshaled the resources of Forth Worth, and within days (not years, months, or weeks, but days) had prepared a refueling station on Lake Worth. This station was the genesis of an Army Air Corp training base, that became Carswell AFB, that is now a Naval Air Station. It is also adjacent to the site of Plant Four, the manufacturing and assembly facility for the B-24, the B-36, and later the F-16 "Fighting Falcon."

The book is a pictorial history of the B-36 -- from assembly, to crash sites, to demolition.  The appendices (seven) provide details of the plane's variants and its contribution to aviation development.  It became the first wide-body aircraft and was the test bed for atomic powered aircraft.
 "Cold War Peacemaker" is a recommended read for anyone interested in aviation history and the politics of the Cold War.

Reviewed by: John R. R. Faulkner (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Great airplanes don't simply appear in history, they evolve through a myriad of technological, political,  and economic processes. In this book you will experience one of the most unlikely developments in aviation history -- the Convair B-36 very-long-range nuclear bomber. From its beginnings during the world's greatest conflict, through construction in a former wild-west cattle town, and deployment into the Cold War, the story of the Convair B-36 and how it intimidated the Soviet Union is an interesting study in politics and technology. In Cold War Peacemaker, you will experience life during the Cold War as your parents and grandparents lived it. You will meet military leaders, politicians, cowboys, tycoons -- and a cowboy tycoon -- who worked together to save the free world from communist domination. You will also see up-close the amazing technology of aviation at the beginning of the nuclear age and how it was manifested in the B-36.

Lockheed Blackbird Family by Tony Landis

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MWSA Review

Did you know that there were only fifty Blackbirds ever produced? Tony Landis tells us "In a fitting tribute to this remarkable vehicle, the Blackbird family remains the only operational aircraft to have had all surviving airframes still in existence after retirement, either placed in storage or put proudly on display in a museum. Not one single airframe was ever scrapped." I found that very interesting. You know what else was interesting?  The fact that this was the first book that appeared at our home that I couldn't get back from my husband so that I could read it in order to write a review! So I let him know that he was going to have to participate in giving me feedback for this review.
 
This book includes more than 100 "never-before-published" photos and even recently declassified images from the CIA. That really impressed us along with the technical information being enjoyable to read and was also very understandable to someone like me that has little background knowledge on the Blackbirds. I appreciated the engineering sketches that were included which were very helpful in learning about more aspects of these planes.
 
This book is great for both the expert and novice when it comes to learning about the Blackbird. It is very impressive and well-worth adding to your book collection, especially for readers who love photo journals with lots of information. Tony Landis did a superb job of putting together this photo scrapbook Lockheed Blackbird Family. To sum it up, my husband was thrilled to find out he was going to get to keep the book!  

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Still the world's most popular and most exciting aircraft, the Lockheed family of A-12, YF-12, D-21/M-21, and SR-71 Blackbirds are to this day the highest-performance jet-powered airplanes ever flown.  They have set numerous world speed and altitude records for manned aircraft powered by air-breathing engines that theoretically may never be broken. Although no longer operational, A-12s and SR-71s flew for nearly three decades at speeds in excess of Mach 3 and altitudes of up to 90,000 feet. 

Expanding on the successful sales of all Specialty Press Blackbird publications is this natural extension of our product line created by compiling many never-before-published photos coupled with new declassified information recently released by the CIA, including black-and-white and color photos of A-12 cockpits, early camera installations, and never-before-seen special camouflage schemes.

POW/MIA by Mike Mullins

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MWSA Review

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Author's Synopsis

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She Wore Emerald Then by Carolyn Howard-Johnson & Magdelena Ball

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MWSA Review

This collection of  30 poems by Magdalena ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson seeks to evoke and illustrate the many aspects of motherhood. In the first half of the book, the poems by Magdalena Ball evoke a cosmic quality and imagery. Coil of Life', for example, refers to the birthing process, as the 'Big Bang,' an unusual metaphor. In 'Assault by a Black Hole', the reader is taken on a journey from the sublime to the commonplace intended to bring a smile to the lips of the reader.

Howard-Johnson's contributions to the collection are less ethereal and more "down to earth." For her motherhood is a sacerdotal role that is accomplished by the day to day nature of life, by example and by a mixture of tenderness, sternness and inner strength.

If you're a fan of modern poetry this is a worthwhile book.

Reviewed by: David Tschanz (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

"[Both] poets continue to write poems that don't sound either like banal Hallmark cards or the bitter-at-dysfunctional-family jeremiads that habitually torture MFA writing workshop participants." 
~Kristin Johnson, screenwriter and founder of the Warrior Poets Project
 
She Wore Emerald Then is collaboration on the subject of motherhood by award-winning poets Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, both of them mothers and daughters. They worked together on a book of love poetry called Cherished Pulse to the acclaim of reviewers. She Wore Emerald Then is available as both an e-chapbook and paperback and is illustrated with tender photographs by May Lattanzio.  As it happens, it was released the week of death of Carolyn's mother--a fitting tribute.

Twisted Tongues by jim greenwald and Ruth Gerhardt

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MWSA Review

Twisted Tongues is a book of Native American historical poetry written by Ruth Naphas Gerhardt and Jim Greenwald.  The poetry is sincere with the authors opening their hearts to show how history has been misrepresented and mis-portrayed.  Both authors are sharing the truth about a part of history that didn't appear in my history books and I wonder about yours.
 
Having lived in Wisconsin all of my life, you might think that I would know many Native Americans, but I really don't.  There was a five year part of my life that I did, however, share with three beautiful Winnebago Indian children.  They were a sibling group that happened to be in our county system as foster children.  I had the honor and pleasure of being a foster mom to these kids and fell deeply in love with them.  
 
Authors Greenwald and Gerhardt share that there are many stereotypes about Native Americans.  My group of three children came to us because their mom was dealing with alcoholism. Their father was not a part of their life.  After five years with these children (ages 12, 14, and 16), my husband and I checked into the possibility of adopting the sibling trio.  The tribe would not hear of it because they "didn't want their children assimilated into 'White culture.'"  When the children were all teenagers, an aunt from out-of-state came into the picture and received custody of the children, after telling lies to the foster care system, and we ended up in court to defend our reputations, which was majorly important considering I am a school teacher, and the false accusations could have lost me my license and the future adoptions of five children. It cost us a lot of money to work through that whole process, but none of that matters to me anymore.  What matters is that I "lost" my three children, and it was worse than experiencing a death, because I didn't even get a good-bye.  

The ONLY thing that pulled me through the loss was that our first baby (through adoption) came into our life and every time I went to the threshold of his nursery door, I said this prayer: "Dear Lord, please don't let my pain affect my baby. Don't let my hurt transfer to my little boy.  Help me, Father, to regain my strength and move on from this."  After a year with this aunt, the oldest child contacted me, very unhappy because she felt her aunt had taken them in order to get their "Indian money."  This whole situation absolutely broke my heart.  I felt like a number of the stereotypic comments about Native Americans were being "proved" to me.  
 
So I have lived with a broken heart due to "my children" being taken and communication cut off forever.  I can't say that I've been living with resentment within myself, but I have lived with not understanding the reasons the tribe had for their decisions.  Somewhere within me I buried the pain.  I didn't have the history that has been shared in Twisted Tongues to help me on this journey in life.
 
When offered the chance to read Twisted Tongues I had no clue the impact that it would have on my heart and my thinking.  I didn't even have a clue that it dealt with Native American history.  The authors had no clue that I had any experience with loving three Native American children.   I believe that the connection was meant to be, and fourteen years after this painful time in my life, Twisted Tongues has begun to heal the hurts that have been buried deep within me.
 
Why do I share all of this?  Because Twisted Tongues has revealed Native American history to me.  Authors Greenwald and Gerhardt have written beautiful poetry to explain history and no condemnation comes through it.  I now understand that the birth parents of my three Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Indian children could have had to deal with unbearable hardships.  Who knows what their parents and grandparents faced? Who knows what they themselves faced?  I now totally understand why the tribe wouldn't want their children "assimilated" in the "White world."  Read the poem "Suffer the Little Children" to see what happened to approximately 12,000 Indian children.  
 
Have you heard the expression "Walk a mile in someone else's moccasins"? Well, Twisted Tongues certainly will get you out of your shoes and into a pair of moccasins.  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book.  I hope that others will receive a blessing from reading it, because of the understanding it brings about Native American history.  Thank you, Jim Greenwald and Ruth Naphas Gerhardt, for pouring your hearts into this project.  Thank you for working at enlightening people and doing it in such a way that we can learn and hopefully it will make a difference in our thinking and our lives. 

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

The Twisted Tongues collection of "historical" poetry brings together two dynamic poets: Ruth Naphas Gerhardt (With Pen & Feather) and jim greenwald (Mitakuye Oyasin, and Tears for Mother Earth).

History unfortunately is written by the conqueror and therefore lacks the balance of truth one should expect in an accurate historical accounting. This collection presents facts, not fiction, of events that have taken place in this land that is now called the United States of America. In the "settlers" quest" for what was not available to them in their homelands, they set out to take from those who were the original inhabitants of this land. The result of this greed was hundreds of wars, multitudes of lies, and the committing of atrocities whose repercussions still resound today.

The writings within are not intended as complete history, but rather something to whet your curiosity enough to investigate on your own. Do so at your own peril as the truth can and will torture one's mind as it relates to beliefs held close as a result of the Declaration and Constitution. It should be embarrassing enough just to relate this one simple fact: out of the five-hundred plus treaties signed by Native Americans with the government of the U.S.A., the government cannot point to one it has honored.

The Supreme Court record, based on percentages of rulings against Native Americans is appalling.  Rarely has any governmental body utilized archaic law with such contempt and disregard for fairness, equality, and reason.  The court in one flagrant abuse of its powers used "latches" as an "excuse" to void the claims of land made by the Oneida. "Latches" literally means "they waited too long!" In Sherill (NY) v. Oneida, it was the lone deciding factor to toss out a legitimate claim to land that had, beyond a doubt, been stolen from the Oneida by the state of New York.  Not one ounce of reality or consideration was given to the fact that by oppression in many of its forms the Oneida were not capable of mounting a sustained legal fight for what is rightfully theirs. That is why they lost their land.

We hope you enjoy this collection and are stirred to investigate on your own what really happened and still goes on today. Set aside all your hard learned theories and beliefs taught to you by "Hollywood." This is real!

Momma’s Boots by Sandra Linhart

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MWSA Review

This is a touching conversation between a mother and child, one that until just a few years ago would never have taken place.  In today's military wives and husbands and in many cases both find themselves being deployed, away from their children.

As adults we honestly have emotional issues with separation, it is almost impossible for us to understand the frustration, fear and anxiety a child goes through as to his/her family being torn apart, the parent or parents are suddenly gone from their life.

Thankfully more attention is being given to what happens to children in these situations and Ms. Linhart has written an excellent book I  recommend for young children and their parents to share to help prepare them for the mental onslaught they will feel.  

In sharing this book and others she has written to help in these situations the child, parent and the military will benefit.  Distracted soldiers are poor soldiers, removing or coming to a better understanding will assist the mental preparedness of front line soldiers.

Reviewed by: jim greenwald (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

It's Boot's task to take Momma where she's needed, but it's Momma's job to explain why.  When Momma puts on her boots, Bean knows it's time to say good-bye, and maybe for a long time. What does Momma do when she goes? Do other mommies wear boots which take them away, too?

Can Bean understand the many things Momma is called to do, why her boots sometimes take her far away, and how a soldier's work is not much different than some other mommies' job.

Being deployed is a fact of life for soldiers of all military branches. Humanitarian efforts, Operations Other than War (OOW), peaceful or wartime missions - a soldier's duty is to be there. Sometimes it means leaving their little ones behind wondering why.

The ABC’s of OCD by Kathleen Dunn

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MWSA Review

I was impressed with very adult like effort that 8 year old author/illustrator Kathleen Dunn has accomplished with her serious but fun book called "The ABCs of OCD!" It looks like it meets a need out there for young people to read about OCD. I image that the literature with regards to OCD is not as much fun to read as this book would be.

This young author takes other youngsters on a reading adventure to help them cope and understand a little more about what they might be going through if they are one of those many children out there living with the diagnoses of having OCD. I found it fresh, entreating and whimsical with simple illustrations and wording. Totally fitting for young children between the ages of 3-8 years of age. 

I highly recommend this book for anyone--be it parent or grandparent out there who has a youngster dealing with OCD. This would be a good read-aloud book to share with the youngest of them; while for those in grade school this would be a very easy read for them.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald, MWSA Founder and Reviewer (May 2010)

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Author's Synopsis

A whimsical look at a child's view of dealing with her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder experiences ...'maintaining a sense of calm to cope with the challenges of daily life help keep things in perspective' ... perhaps there's a lesson for all of us.  Life Will Be OK!  "The insight, humor and warmth of this book is an example of the best resources of the human spirit! Healing comes in many forms and Kathleen Dunn has captured the essence of a difficult disorder that has affected but not defeated her family. To me 'The ABCs of OCD spell H-O-P-E!', Dr. Brand, PhD. Psychologist, Alliance Psychological Services, LLC. Kathleen dedicates this book to both of her war veteran 'Paps', she is sure one of them had OCD!

Daddy’s Boots by Sandra Linhart

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MWSA Review

Engaged in two wars and various police actions our military and their families are under more stress at this time than ever before.

Ms. Linhart's book provides a means for young family members to understand, to cope, with the separation of their family for extended periods of time.  Difficult enough for the spouse left behind for children often traumatic.  In this short book she has provided a voice to young children, providing them with a first step at least in dealing with separation.

Deployment and military are one word, regardless of branch of service separation will occur, how it is dealt with determines much and Ms. Linhart has taken three giant steps toward helping children and parents understand.

Reviewed by: jim greenwald (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

It's Boot's task to take Daddy where he is needed, but it's Daddy's job to explain why. Being deployed is a fact of life for soldiers of all military branches. Humanitarian efforts, Operations Other Than War (OOW), peaceful or wartime missions - a soldier's duty is to be there. Sometimes it means leaving little ones behind wondering why. 
 
Daddy's Boots is a touching description of a few quite moments between a father and his young child as Daddy prepares to deploy.

My Sailor Dad by Ross Mackenzie

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MWSA Review

My Sailor Dad is an extraordinary children's book. The story is both educational and encouraging, while the illustrations are astonishingly intricate and authentic.  
 
Mackenzie presents an endearing story that explains not only the job that Daddy does while he is sailing the vast seas on a big Navy ship, but also explains why he does it. The author's explanation of why takes advantage of an opportune time to instill patriotism and pride into the mind of the very young. The story concludes with the guarantee that no matter where in the world Daddy may be  "Daddy still loves me".           
 
The prose is written in a slightly modified anapestic tetrameter, which is meticulously consistent throughout.  The book has puzzles inside using Naval signal flags.  The title page has "My Sailor Dad" spelled out in flags; and inside the back cover, "the end" is also spelled out in signal. One of the pages is outlined in flags which spells out "10 1776 the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs 09 2001" which represents the birthday of the Navy; the typical sentence that is used in the Navy which utilizes all 26 characters; and commemorates 9/11. Other pages are adorned with replicas of actual Navy-themed U.S. postage stamps, and properly sequenced ribbons.  The colorful facsimiles are sure to have little fingers pointing in awe.
  
Not only will young minds be educated as to the many jobs aboard a Navy ship, they will be captivated by the lively and abundant artwork. The adult reader (even the most experienced Sailor) will be equally impressed with the authenticity of both the story and the illustrations.  
 
This phenomenal children's book delivers a delightful story of comfort and reassurance to the child of a Navy parent. It radiates with a bedtime message that is sure to induce sweet dreams.   

Reviewed by: Claudia Pemberton (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

My Sailor Dad is the first book in the Patriot Kids series. Patriot Kids recognizes the untold sacrifices of every member of America's Armed Forces. Indeed, Ross H. Mackenzie carefully crafted each book to highlight those many sacrifices while also hoping to assist the thousands of families left at home while service members defend our nation overseas.         
 
Our mission is that our books and products will bolster national pride in our service members, be an invaluable resource for service member families, and be engaging, educational books for military kids who are so proud of their parents and yearn to know more about their parent's respective military profession.
 
My Sailor Dad accomplishes these goals. Told from a child's perspective, the book addresses difficult questions that kids ask about deployment like, "Dad, whey you go away, is what you do important?", "Dad, do you still love me when you're gone?", and finally, "Dad, will you ever come home?" My Sailor Dad uses the awesome scale of the Navy to impress the child not only with the grandeur of the physical "things" in the Navy, but also to suggest the massive scale of the sacrifice on both the part of sailor and family. Out for over a year, My Sailor Dad has made a positive difference in the lives of many Navy families. It is on its way to becoming THE book sought out for deploying families.