Enemies; by Richard Whitten Barnes

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MWSA Review
Enemies share similar perspectives of war, but with an interesting twist.

Vivid memories of the World War I trenches flooded Jurgen Stern as he glanced at drawings found in an Ottawa hotel in 1968. Some of the scenes were from the battlefields where he fought long ago. Stern traced the owner of the drawings to a former Canadian soldier, Brian MacLennan, now like Stern, an old grandfather.

They fought against each other in the same battles, yet had not met. But one of the drawings compelled Stern to track down MacLennan and solve a 50-year-old mystery that had caused the German to hold on to a postcard size portrait sketched on the back of a map that he took from Canadian soldier. The rendering was identical to one in MacLennan's portfolio.

Enemies follows both men as teenagers who matured quickly in their first minutes of combat. Through them, author Richard Whitten Barnes brings alive the fear, sounds, smells, and horrors of trench warfare. The reader experiences the emotional and physical strains on the young soldiers as they watch friends die and become maimed in horrific ways. They both pine for a special girl back home as they try to sleep in water clogged craters.  Through these up close and personal experiences, which are written in a well-balanced narrative, the reader has a realistic view of the “War to end all Wars” from the perspective of privates and junior NCOs.
Through all this is an intricately woven plot that comes to light as the two old veterans meet for the first time and discuss the drawings. They quickly form a friendship that takes the story to a surprising and heartwarming climax.  

I recommend this fast-paced book. 

MWSA Reviewer: Joe Epley
 

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Author's Synopsis

It is November 11, 1968, fifty years to the day since the armistice of the Great War.. The seventy year old German diplomat Jurgen Stern is in Ottawa, Canada on a special assignment. He rescues a portfolio mistakenly left behind in his hotel lobby by a man near his own age. Inside are drawings that are obviously from a soldier’s perspective of WW1. One of the sketches is so intriguing he is compelled to find this man and learn the truth about it.

The story reverts back to 1916 when Brian MacLennan, a farm boy from northern Ontario joins the Canadian Expeditionary Force. At the same time, young Jurgen Stern has been conscripted by the Imperial German Army. Their experiences in that brutal war are followed until they become entangled in a way that will take fifty years to unravel. The two men face the consequences of those events a half century in the past and must put them right.

Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse, by Robin Hutton

MWSA Review

Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse
The Little Mare That Could

Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse is a beautiful story about an amazing horse and the meaning of the Marine Corp's motto, Semper Fi; but most importantly, it is a story of compassion and loyalty—traits which make American fighting men and women the best in the world. American soldiers are known for their affection toward animals and children in war zones, and so it was during the Korean Conflict.

Reminded of the childhood story, The Little Engine that Could, which taught the value of determination and hard work, I couldn't help but think that this brave little Mongolian-Korean horse, Ah-Chim Hai (which translates Flame in the Morning), exemplified those very traits. Purchased by a Marine lieutenant to haul 75mm Recoilless Rifle ammunition up the steep Korean hills to the guns, Flame took to the job and quickly learned her duties. Fearless and with an indomitable will, The Little Mare That Could became a Marine and met the enemy head on. Time after time the heroic little mare braved combat and incoming fire–usually alone–to deliver ammunition to her Marines on the front lines. Ah-Chim Hai needed an American name and she was named Reckless after the 75mm Recoilless Rifles (a/k/a Reckless Rifles) she supported. Reckless became Sergeant Reckless when she was officially inducted into the Corps and gained the undying loyalty of every U.S. Marine who served with her. 

During the worst day of one of the fiercest battle in Marine history, Sgt. Reckless made 51 round trips up and down steep slopes from the ammo resupply point to her Marines and their 75mm guns. Covering a total of 35 miles, she delivered a total of 9,000 pounds of badly needed ammo. Often she returned with a wounded Marine on her back. Sgt. Reckless was a true Marine and was recognized as one.

Sgt. Reckless' deeds won the respect and admiration of the Marine Corps, and many, many others. She shared the men's trenches, bunkers and tents, often sleeping by their stoves; was known to eat in the mess tent; and even visited the officer's bar on least one occasion. Always hungry, she ate anything, including her Aussie bush hat. She was partial to beer, cake, pie, and chocolate. Known for her escapades, bravery and sense of duty, she became a Marine Corps legend.

Returning to America as a war hero after the Armistice, she retired as a staff sergeant (E-5) in 1960 at Camp Pendleton, California. She was the only animal to be awarded a military rank. She passed away in 1968 at the age of twenty and is buried on Camp Pendleton where a memorial headstone sits at the entrance to Stepp Stables. Her medals and decorations included two Purple Hearts, National Defense Service Medal, U.S. Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, French fourragére, and numerous unit citations.

Finally immortalized in 2013, thanks to the efforts of author Robin Hutton and her TEAM RECKLESS, a 10-foot bronze statue likeness of Staff Sgt. Reckless now proudly stands in the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. 
 

Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse is a great read, an inspiration for our children, and a book that will permanently reside on my bookshelf. 

Reviewed by: Lee Boyland

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She Wasn't a Horse—She Was a Marine!

She might not have been much to look at—a small "Mongolian mare," they called her—but she came from racing stock, and had the blood of a champion. Much more than that, Reckless became a war hero—in fact, she became a combat Marine, earning staff sergeant’s stripes before her retirement to Camp Pendleton.

This once famous horse, recognized as late as 1997 by Life magazine as one of America’s great heroes—the greatest war horse in American history, in fact—has unfortunately now been largely forgotten. But author Robin Hutton is set to change all that. Not only has she been the force behind recognizing Reckless with a monument at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and at Camp Pendleton, but she has now put between hard covers the full story, the rousing—
sometimes comic, sometimes tragic—life of this four-legged war hero who hauled ammunition to frontline Marines and inspired them with her relentless, and reckless, courage.

Seabiscuit, Misty of Chincoteague, Dan Patch, Man O' War, Secretariat... Reckless belongs in their number as one of America's most beloved horses. Hers is a story to inspire young and old, military veteran and casual equestrian. Here is the story of the horse they called Reckless.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Battle Rattle; by Roger Boas

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MWSA Review
In his mid-nineties, Roger Boas penned a memoir of his World War II experiences. Battle Rattle relates the author’s war journey as a forward observer in the Fourth Armored Division under General Patton.

Boas, of Jewish descent, was raised a Christian Scientist. Both his heritage and his faith led him down the path he followed. This Jewish boy would be one of the first American soldiers to enter a Nazi concentration camp. I appreciated the honesty with which Boas approached this and other defining moments in his life. Rather than painting himself a hero, Boas opened his heart and soul to the reader, reliving his mistakes, regrets, and guilt.
Even before he shipped to Europe, we know his strengths and weaknesses. He shows us his family life through letters he wrote home as he grew from an innocent, untested boy into a soldier trained for war.

After his first encounter with German soldiers in which he pulled the trigger first, he writes: “The outrageousness of war struck me hard, even if I didn’t fully process it at the time, and has remained with me ever since.”

If you’re looking for a non-sugarcoated version of a soldier’s life, Battle Rattle is a must read. The author’s willingness to reveal his own character brings an added layer of depth to an often told story. His recollection of seventy-years-plus old details is amazing. 
MWSA Reviewer: Pat Avery

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Author's Synopsis
“The war has changed me in ways that will take the better part of my life to understand, let alone make peace with,” begins Roger Boas in his thoughtful, compelling account of World War II. As part of the Fourth Armored Division, he found himself at the spearhead of the Allied thrust into Europe. His memoir re-creates both the tension of the battlefield and the camaraderie behind the front line. It also relates his harrowing experience as a Jew of being one of the first American soldiers to discover a Nazi concentration camp. Boas reveals the powerful impact of war on those who fight.

15 Years of War: How the Longest War in U.S. History Affected a Military Family in Love, Loss, and the Cost Of Service; by Kristine Schellhaas

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MWSA Review
When Kristine Schellhaas set out to record the private details of  her marriage to a Marine officer, she knew she had a story that military families would appreciate and understand. Coming from the corporate world where both my husband and I had safe and lucrative jobs, I wasn’t sure I could relate. However when I read her book, the normality of Kristine’s story engaged me. I could understand why she supported her husband’s career—and why she dealt with family tensions alone while he had eight tours of duty and they moved eleven times in fifteen years.

Electronic communications have changed the way military couples deal with loneliness and family decision-making while one spouse is deployed. Skype is almost a tease when babies are being born, and it is totally useless when maternal exhaustion sets in. Yet video chats allow the distant parent to develop or maintain relationships with young children. And emails can provide loving reassurance to partners who must face stressful situations.

The Schellhaases share their lives in 15 Years of War, and it’s both refreshing and heartbreaking. The layout of this book supports the content and keeps the reader’s empathetic reactions for each partner fresh. When Kristine speaks, we feel her concern for Ross, her frustration at being pregnant and alone, her irritation with her mother-in-law, and her stress-filled struggle to care for her children. When Ross talks, he describes the horrors of war, his worries about his Marines, his aggravation with his mother and his deep love for Kristine and their children.

The tale winds through several deployments and two pregnancies before tragedy rips through the soul of a family already toughened by war. Their second baby, George, drowns in a swimming pool. As Kristine and Ross deal with their horrendous loss, Ross is sent back to war a few months after the accident and Kristine discovers that she is pregnant again. Will this be the test that tears them apart? 

15 Years of War is reveals the fight for love like few nonfiction books I’ve ever read. I highly recommend it.

MWSA Reviewer:  Joyce Faulkner

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Author's Synopsis

Less than 1% of our nation will ever serve in our armed forces, leaving many to wonder what life is really like for military families.

He answers the call of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Pacific; she keeps the home fires burning. Worlds apart, and in the face of indescribable grief, their relationship is pushed to the limits.

15 Years of War: How the Longest War in U.S. History Affected a Military Family in Love, Loss, and the Cost Of Service provides a unique he said/she said perspective on coping with war in modern-day America. It reveals a true account of how a dedicated Marine and his equally committed spouse faced unfathomable challenges and achieved triumph, from the days just before 9/11 through 15 years of training workups, deployments, and other separations.

This story of faith, love, and resilience offers insight into how a decade and a half of war has redefined what it means to be a military family.

Terror Cell; by Joseph Badal

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MWSA Review
Author Joseph Badal has written a fast-paced, action-packed thriller in his book Terror Cell. Set in Athens, Greece, Badal pits his protagonists, Bob Danforth and his team of CIA operatives, against Greek Spring, a fictional terrorist group that has been operating with impunity in Greece for two decades. Not knowing who to trust is only part of the problem Danforth faces. The terrorists have planned a series of terror attacks that the CIA team believes will culminate with some sort of grand attack at the Olympic games. As the assassinations and bombings evolve, Danforth realizes that they may they not succeed in bringing down Greek Spring. Not only that, but he also may not survive the effort.  

I recommend Terror Cell to anyone who loves thrillers. For those who are not sure, I recommend they read this book to find out if they might be. An easy, quick read, this book will satisfy any reader’s desire for action, suspense, and conflict. The author’s descriptions of the neighborhoods and suburbs of Athens are an added plus.  Read it!

MWSA Reviewer: Bob Doerr

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Author's Synopsis

Terror Cell is the second book in the 5-book Danforth Saga, which includes Evil Deeds (Book 1), The Nostradamus Secret (Book 3), The Lone Wolf Agenda (Book 4), & Death Ship (Book 5). “Terror Cell” pits Bob Danforth, a CIA Special Ops Officer, against Greek Spring, a vicious terrorist group that has operated in Athens, Greece for three decades. Danforth’s mission in the summer of 2004 is to identify one or more of the members of the terrorists in order to bring them to justice for the assassination of the CIA’s Station Chief in Athens. What Danforth does not know is that Greek Spring plans a catastrophic attack against the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

Danforth and his CIA team are hampered by years of Congressionally-mandated rules that have weakened U.S. Intelligence gathering capabilities, and by indifference and obstructionism on the part of Greek authorities. His mission becomes even more difficult when he is targeted for assassination after an informant in the Greek government tells the terrorists of Danforth’s presence in Greece.

In Terror Cell, Badal weaves a tale of international intrigue, involving players from the CIA, the Greek government, and terrorists in Greece, Libya, and Iran—all within a historical context. Anyone who keeps up with current events about terrorist activities and security issues at the Athens Olympic Games will find the premise of this book gripping, terrifying, and, most of all, plausible.

Veil of Deception; by Michael Byars Lewis

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MWSA Review
In his second book, Michael Byars Lewis takes his Air Force hero, Jason Conrad, through another non stop thrill ride full of women, violence, and international intrigue.

Conrad is trying to find some normalcy after the events of the first book, and is looking to get on with his career. But when he lands a once in a lifetime job AND the most mysterious woman of his life shows up after six years, he knows life is going to be anything but normal. Throw in a gorgeous red-headed reporter from the New York Times and some Chinese commandos, and things get absolutely crazy.

It’s obvious that Lewis is writing from experience with regards to aviation and the Air Force, and he uses his knowledge to add believable depth to the story. It is as good a techno-thriller/espionage tale as you will find, but without a lot of jargon, so even those lacking aviation or military experience can fully enjoy its telling. This story gets great marks for creativity, action, and some great characters. Highly recommended for fans of Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, or Jeff Edwards.

MWSA Reviewer: Rob Ballister
 

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Author's Synopsis

What if the company building America’s most expensive weapons system was secretly owned by one of our enemies?

Following a terrifying jet crash, Jason Conrad finds himself on a very short list of people on their way out the door. It is a surprise to everyone when he is assigned to the home of the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center, to an aircraft no one thinks he’s qualified for.

Attached to a secret project with a shadowy contractor, Jason is caught between two complications; an overbearing, retired general determined to see him fail; and an aggressive television reporter who wants him in prison.

When a ghost from the past shows up and a beautiful, yet mysterious woman enters his life, Jason soon discovers his special project has more secrets than anyone knows about . . . and it could cost him his life.

Veil of Deception is the second book in the Jason Conrad USAF Thriller series! Fans of Dale Brown and Brad Taylor will love the second installment of Michael Byars Lewis’ page turning series! 
 

Beijing Red: A Thriller; by Jeffrey Wilson, Alex Ryan, Brian Andrews

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MWSA Review

Thoroughly enjoyable techno-thriller

Thrown together by an investigation of a gruesome death, Nick Foley and Dr. “Dash” Chen are the unlikeliest of allies—a former U.S. Navy SEAL and a Chinese microbiologist. However, when the two realize they're dealing with a terrifying new technology that may put thousands of lives at risk, they spring into action. Racing against time, they must figure out who they can trust, and even if they can trust each other.  

One has a proven combat record, fighting terrorists in Afghanistan. The other has a proven record fighting microscopic viral and  bacteriological enemies with the Chinese Centers for Disease Control. One is comfortable in the world of cloak and dagger, the other with lab coat and scalpel. 

Recently separated from his elite warrior comrades, Nick Foley is used to risking his life for his own country, but not for another country… or another woman. Along the way the two cope with international and institutional turf battles, get help from unlikely sources, and track an elusive enemy through underground passageways hidden below modern Beijing. 

Beijing Red has it all: chase scenes, twists and turns, betrayal, and international intrigue. Get ready to break out a microscope and an assault rifle to ride along with Nick and Dash. You'll enjoy this page-turning joy ride.

MWSA Reviewer: John Cathcart

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Author's Synopsis
When ex-Navy SEAL Nick Foley travels to China to find purpose and escape the demons of his past, he instead stumbles into a conspiracy his Special Forces training never prepared him for. A mysterious and deadly outbreak ravages a remote area of western China, and Nick finds himself the lead suspect in a bio-terrorism investigation being conducted by China's elite Snow Leopard counter-terrorism unit. To clear his name and avoid prosecution, he must team up with beautiful Chinese CDC microbiologist Dr. Dazhong "Dash" Chen to find who is really behind the attack. As their investigation proceeds, their budding friendship is tested by nationalistic loyalties and suspicion. In a race against time, Nick and Dash must risk everything to stop a mad man before he unleashes the world's next super-weapon in Beijing

Forgotten Heroes of World War II: Personal Accounts of Ordinary Soldiers; by Thomas E. Simmons

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MWSA Review
Wear a helmet and tighten you flak jacket. 
Mr. Thomas E. Simmons is to be applauded for both his writing and his service to our country. He is a veteran and a historian. His book, Forgotten Heroes of WWII-Land, Sea, and Air, provides a forum for veterans of that era to vent their memories as painful as they are, for the first time ever in most cases. Simmons doesn't omit a single branch and brings every veteran he interviews into your home and heart. You can feel every story. Some are like a body blow.  Others are almost a knockout punch. Veterans who think they are the only ones who experienced the horror of war should read this, but read it carefully.

I appreciate Simmons' approach. Each is a stand-alone story. This book does not tie together a plot, but the theme is there in cement. It is just as heavy.  Historians will love the book, because it adds realism to reporting and recording the events of that massive undertaking. I respect the author's research and found the story he included about the Japanese medic to be compelling as well as tremendously insightful into the mind of America’s enemy in WWII. 

I recommend this book, but only for mature readers. That warning isn't about language. It is about realism shared in vivid terms. Read and be prepared for the shocking truth.         

MWSA Reviewer: Michael D. Mullins
 

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Author's Synopsis
World War II was the defining event of the twentieth century. For everyone it was a time of confusion and fear, destruction and death on a scale never before seen. Much has been written of the generals, campaigns, and battles of the war, but it was young, ordinary American kids who held our freedom in their hands as they fought for liberty across the globe. Forgotten Heroes of World War II offers a personal understanding of what was demanded of these young heroes through the stories of rank-and-file individuals who served in the navy, marines, army, air corps, and merchant marine in all theaters of the war. Their tales are told without pretense or apology. At the time, each thought himself no different from those around him, for they were all young, scared, and miserable. They were the ordinary, the extraordinary, the forgotten. Multiply their stories by hundreds of thousands, and you begin to understand the words of war correspondent Martha Gellhorn: "There are! those who received brief, poor, or no recognition, all those history leaves unmentioned, not because they are lesser but because they are too many." Recorded more than fifty years after the war, the stories in Forgotten Heroes of World War II were shared quietly, shyly, honestly, and often painfully by these extraordinary ordinary Americans. All of them begin with similar statements—"There’s really not much to tell. I was just there like everyone else. All I wanted to do was get home…" Each was uncomfortable for being singled out to speak of experiences he felt were common to so many others. None of these heroes see themselves as heroes. Indeed, the word seems to embarrass them. Yet they and thousands like them stood their watch and did their duty in spite of fear and danger. One by one they are leaving us. It will soon be too late to thank them. It will never be too late to remember what they did.

The Fifth Bomb; by Kenneth Andrus

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MWSA Review
Kenneth Andrus writes with clarity and excitement. The Fifth Bomb will keep you up turning to that next page, then the next, and the next.

Nick Packos, a mid-level intelligence analysis for the Director of National Intelligence is put in charge of a multi-agency task force to investigate the theft of spent radioactive pellets in the Russian Federation. It’s not enough to make a nuclear bomb, but enough to make several dirty bonds.
When the first two bombs explode in Moscow's GUM shopping center, Nick is thrust into a global quest to find the perpetrators and missing radioactive material. His sister agencies in Russia and France have no clue as to whether the bombers are part of an international cabal such as ISIS or a lone-wolf operation.  The search gains in intensity when a third dirty bomb explodes in Paris, targeting the wives of the presidents of France and the United States.

Packos is not the swashbuckling superhero found in many thrillers. But his careful analytical skills and ability to overcome self-doubts keep him on the trail of Bashir al-Khultyer whose goal is not political, but personal revenge for the murder of his wife and child. The search intensifies as Packos learns Bashir had received advanced degrees in Radiation and Radiobiology at the Institute for Nuclear Research.

As the global search goes on for missing radioactive pellets, the trail leads to Pakistan and Turkey. But one canister of pellets needed to make a fifth bomb, eludes the international intelligence agencies and Packos. Leads take him to Somalia where they identify Bashir al-Khultyer as the lead suspect, yet he slips away and disappears again. A family emergency causes Packso to rush to Miami where the story takes another surprising twist.
From the heist of the nuclear pellets in the first chapter to the dramatic climax, "The Fifth Bomb" keeps a reader glued to the pages as the story races from action pact episode to another.

MWSA Reviewer: Joe Epley
 

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Author's Synopsis
Crazed by the murder of his wife and child by paramilitary police, Bashir al-Khultyer has only one goal: To seek revenge against all those he feels were responsible for their deaths. In Russia, he steals enough nuclear material to construct five dirty bombs. When the first is detonated in Moscow, NSA analyst Nick Parkos must confront his own demons as he pursues al-Khultyer in an international manhunt to stop him before he can detonate his four remaining devices.

The Dark Side of Heaven; by Robert G. Lathrop,‎ Jeanette Vaughan

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MWSA Review
Jeanette Vaughan has done a superb job of compiling the poems of the late Captain Robert G. Lathrop, USMC, and compiling them with drawings and photographs in the publication of The Dark Side of Heaven. Lathrop captures the trauma and agony of war in fourteen poems and Vaughan complements them with several hand drawings and photographs. Perhaps because I belong to Lathrop’s generation, his poetry and the pictures brought out many feelings and emotions. Most of the poems are less than a page long, while a few take longer to tell their tale. I enjoyed reading them all.

Flying most of his missions in versions of the A-4, Lathrop provided close air support to the fighting troops on the ground. Lathrop saw plenty of action and witnessed death and destruction at first hand. His poetry dates back to the Viet Nam era or shortly thereafter. He started writing more poems in the late 1980’s, when the dreams of his days in Viet Nam wouldn’t go away.

This book is not long and is an easy read. Anyone who has served in combat would certainly find it appealing. I recommend it for everyone.

MWSA Reviewer: Bob Doerr
 

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Author's SynopsisFour decades after the Vietnam War, many veterans still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. For some honorable serviceman, it is a condition that will never go away. The key to coping with the nightmares and attacks is two pronged, holding onto relationships with family and sharing stories with veterans who experience the same thing. Captain Robert Gene Lathrop, a Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk pilot arrived in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of 1968. Over fifteen months he flew over 275 missions. During Vietnam, his squadron VMA-311 flew 54,625 sorties dropping over 9 million tons of bombs. That record will never be broken. Lathrop found comfort in dealing with the aftermath of Vietnam through the written word. These poems and his soon to be released memoir are a brilliant window into the atrocities of a controversial war. His mission in writing them was to honor the men and women who served. He believed that society has a responsibility to care for all veterans when they return to peacetime and aid them to recovery after their sacrifices. "Having been part of an adjacent Marine A4 Squadron at Chu Lai, these poems and photos brought back the vision and the memories of Vietnam, both the good and the bad. These poems brought me back to the true experience that was Vietnam. I have not felt that experience in a long, long time. To Captain Lathrop, I can only say, Thank You!!!" - Cpl. Marty Halpin, USMC,VMA-225 "I just finished reading Gene's poems. With tears in my eyes, I read each one twice. Gene was a great friend and wingman. I love the way they have been put together with the photographs. They brought back lots of memories." - Captain Peter Erenfeld, USMC, VMA-311, pilot A-4 Skyhawk

Testimony of the Protected; by Douglas Milliken

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MWSA Review
Testimony of The Protected, by Doug Milliken, is a serious, sincere read. It is thoughtful, thought-provoking, and spiritual. Mr. Milliken writes about his personal journey to redemption and peace after his experience in Vietnam. He looks at his life, his fears, his reclamation, and reformation through the prism of religion, not denomination. Milliken does not attempt to convert or cajole the reader, merely sharing his journey in emotional and well-thought terms. I recommend the book with enthusiasm. It is an honest portrayal of a soldier finding himself in Scripture. 

I saw a post on Twitter: You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before, and that, my love, is bravery.  Milliken’s book is an expose about his approach to that battle. 

At the end of Milliken’s story he adds a pair of stories about his forays into the mindset of our enemy in Vietnam. It is revealing as well. Sometimes the warriors on the ground are more alike than not. Testimony of the Protected is well worth the read. 

MWSA Reviewer: Michael D. Mullins
 

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Author's Synopsis

"Testimony of The Protected" by Doug Milliken is the author's personal account of his struggle coping with the visceral realities of Vietnam War combat, without having come to faith, and how he was protected through all danger, to later be pursued and born of the spirit, in a miraculous salvation event.

Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire: by Randy Brown

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MWSA Review
Fresh, profound, illuminating

Poetry is, by nature, sparsely populated with words, almost to the point of being terse. Words carefully chosen, however, can explode into the mind, creating images and understanding where none existed before. If you ever wondered about the experiences of our service members in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this is a must-read poetry book. It logs the humor and joy as well as the pathos and tragedy that comes as a result of serving in the American military. 

The poetry is divided into several sections titled Basic Issue, Getting Embed, FOB Haiku, Lessons Learned, and Homecoming. A final section titled Notes contains valuable definitions as well as pronunciations for the ever-present military acronyms. Information in this section is critical to the understanding of how the poetry is to be read, since many of us do not know how to pronounce DFAC or TOC. My advice is to read the notes for each section before you read the poetry in that section. I think it will deepen the experience as well as allow you to get the meter that the poet intended.

One poem in particular changed the way I think of my son’s service in Iraq, where he was killed in action. “Hamlet in Afghanistan” enabled me to realize more than I had allowed myself to think that “nothing we can ever do will change that day in the village.” Heartrending, but true.   
Not everyone in America understands the military culture. But for those who lived it, this book will bring remembrance and affirmation. For those who are families and friends of service members, this book will help you gain new understanding of your loved ones. For those without experience in this field, you may end up with a fresh look at what it’s all about.

MWSA Reviewer: Betsy Beard

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Author's Synopsis

SHERPATUDE NO. 26: "HUMOR IS A COMBAT MULTIPLIER ..." Has your war become workaday? Does life on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) now seem commonplace? Armed with deadpan snark and poker-faced patriotism--and rooted in the coffee-black soil and plain-spoken voice of the American Midwest--journalist-turned-poet Randy Brown reveals behind-the-scenes stories of U.S. soldier-citizenship. From Boot Camp to Bagram, Afghanistan. And back home again.

Here's a taste:

Three Cups of Chai-ku

1.
I had hoped, I guess,
for something more like Starbucks,
not yellow water.

2.
We build our nations
one tea party at a time.
They serve, we protect.

3.
No one here can lead
this endless talk of action.
"Que shura, shura."

Black Sun; by Glenn Starkey

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MWSA Review
Historical fiction at its best—The Mexican Revolution of 1910

To understand a nation you must read its history. The author takes the reader on a journey beginning in 1900, told through the eyes of a fictional young man. Mexico is slowly sinking into chaos under the dictatorial rule of President for life Diaz. Foreign interests are raping Mexico’s resources and people while paying off the president and his cronies. Desperate people are capable of desperate action and the faint scent of revolution is in the air.
The story begins with fourteen-year-old Mexican peon, Arnulfo Triana, laboring in the Ojuela Mine near the village of Mapimí in the State of Durango, Mexico. Conditions are poor and the pay is minimal. Only the native Indians have worse working conditions. Garcia, the foreman, is sadistic and has chosen Arnulfo as his current target. Chamaco, an older miner with a varied background attempts to protect him from Garcia. 

Arnulfo witnesses Garcia assaulting a Yaqui Indian woman and uses a shovel to end her rape, giving the reader their first indication of the man the young boy will become. In gratitude, the woman presents Arnulfo with a gift. Events become confused and Arnulfo flees. Chamaco follows on a “borrowed” mule and the two become lifelong friends. Along the way they meet Pancho Villa and join him. During the following years, Arnulfo grows into a man, takes the name Indio, and becomes Pancho’s trusted companion as Mexico continues its downward spiral. Villa is a natural leader and a powerful force for the people against its dictatorial president.  Through Indio, the reader meets Emiliano Zapata, Abraham González, and many leaders of the coming revolution, including Francisco Madero, the man who would light the fuse.

The author’s descriptions of people, places and battles allows the reader to become part of unfolding events. Black Sun is a story of courage, despair, patriotism, deception, heroism, betrayal, loyalty, greed, honor and leadership—both good and bad. It is the story of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and beyond.

MWSA Reviewer: Lee Boyland

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Author's Synopsis

From the underworld of the Ojuela Mine to the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains and across the desert plains of northern Mexico, a boy is forced to survive and grow into manhood through a turbulent decade that erupted into the bloodiest revolution of the twentieth century–the Mexican Revolution of 1910.

On the run for a murder he didn’t commit, forced to hide even his name, Arnulfo Triana is swept into a maelstrom of tragedy as revolutionaries, led by his mentor and friend Pancho Villa, collide with the forces of a corrupt dictator.

Black Sun is based on actual events. A young man’s life unfolds against a background of poverty, injustice and political corruption that finally explodes into a devastating revolution.

Near Death / Near Life; by Dennis Maulsby

MWSA Review
Vivid imagery and thought-provoking shards of brilliance  

Near Death Near Life by Dennis Maulsby is a journey into the past and a peek at the future.  We live; we die.  We are touched by both.  Some parts leaves scars, others laugh lines. Maulsby forces one to think about both experiences with broad meaning but concise precision at times.  The flashes of brilliance force one to pause and remember one’s own brushes with death and glory in the joy of living. It reminded me that pain sometimes makes me feel close to the kind of life I dreamt about, but somehow reaching for it with frustration as I fall short of my ideal. 
The experience of war is described in short bursts, similar to a soldier’s reaction in a firefight.  

The time seems frozen and infinite but in hindsight was in fact fleeting. Life is confusing and death is final. At times Maulsby’s verse scratched off the scabs from old wounds compartmentalized somewhere in my warrior memory. Life is dance, music, rain, flowers, birds on wing.  Death is final and universal. Maulsby takes the reader by the hand and meanders between the two with great skill.  Veterans should read the book. Lovers of free verse poetry shouldn’t miss the opportunity to walk hand-in-hand with the author. 
MWSA Reviewer: Michael D. Mullins

Author's Synopsis
Near Death / Near Life strikes a meaningful and tender balance between the appreciation for life's poignant moments, and the human experience of war, both as a construct and a memory.

Warriors Remembered -- Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home (Vietnam Veteran Memorials from 50 states); by Albert J Nahas

MWSA Review

Photo-journal that should be in every vet’s library.   

Warriors Remembered: Vietnam Veterans--Welcome Home by Albert J. Nahas is a wonderful pictorial journey to several veterans memorials around America.  Mr. Nahas provides the history of the efforts of those involved in creating monuments to the memory and sacrifice of those who fought for our country, in particular to those who shared the Vietnam experience with him.  He was drawn to include those who fought or served in all our wars, men and women alike.  It is a coffee table book in the truest and best sense of the description. His photography is the next best thing to being at these places in person. 

Like most Vietnam vets, I know much of what went into the creation of The Wall in D.C.  I am aware of local memorials, but I knew nothing of the efforts made by others around the country.  Mr. Nahas enlightened me.  He took me places I can’t go.  He showed me things I won’t see up close.  He made tears well up in my eyes, with appreciation and respect for those who worked so diligently to keep memories alive, who salute those who died or otherwise did not come home.  Albert J. Nahas took me on a magic carpet ride around the country with the art of a photographer and the patience of a teacher.  I can feel his emotion. I feel his effort.  I know how much it cost him to produce this work via his own wallet and at the expense of unending emotional commitment. I thank him for it. 

I recommend this wonderful book to all who support the military and especially all those who served. 
MWSA Reviewer: Michael D. Mullins

Author's Synopsis
WARRIORS REMEMBERED is a 240-page, 11½" x 11½" hard cover coffee-table format photo documentary of Vietnam Veterans Memorials from all 50 states with stories of their significant features, locations and the motivation and struggle faced by those who built them. It highlights 100 memorials and their creators, and shares some of each memorial's subtle details. WARRIORS REMEMBERED is both a travel log and a documentary. It mattered not what politicians argued. It mattered not what history would reveal. We had no expectation but to serve where duty called us. We asked for no reward except a nation's thanks. Warriors Remembered

Clicking Mics: Lessons Learned from a Law Enforcement Officer; by Bruce Hoff

MWSA Review
The gritty streets of a Florida county

Clicking a microphone, that simple act of keying the transmit button may seem like an innocuous, mechanical process devoid of any particular meaning to most people, but to Bruce Hoffman and to thousands of law enforcement officers across the country, it is anything but. In fact, clicking a mic oftentimes carries a deeper meaning and purpose. It is about expressing raw emotion in a subtle and non-verbal manner. The static click sound made by keying the microphone may mean approval, happiness, anger, sadness…even grief.

Bruce Hoffman captures these emotions and much more in his autobiographical book, aptly named Clicking Mics. Hoffman traces a 27-year career with the Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff’s Department. His was a career that spanned the time he left the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968 to his retirement as a captain. Nestled in between are 175 anecdotes and stories about his life on the gritty streets of a Florida county that included Tampa and St. Petersburg on the Gulf Coast of the state’s peninsula.

The author takes the reader on a historical journey that includes plenty of the expected – drugs, sexual crimes, violence and other seedier elements of society – but also the unexpected. Hoffman gives behind-the-scenes access to the politics and drama of police work, pulling back the veil on what most people assume, but don’t always see, goes on in the life of an officer as he climbs the ranks. Clicking Mics is complete with police procedure elements neatly woven into the stories. Undercover operations, confidential informants, drug buys and busts, and so much more are all inside this compact and well-written autobiography.

There is also plenty of excitement for the crime story junkie in us all. And that is where the book’s title earns its merit. During calls the deputies would signal their reactions by a series of mic clicks. It didn’t matter if the reaction was happiness over a major drug bust gone well, or sadness over an injury or even death, the simple act of clicking the microphone button a few times conveyed it. And everyone hearing the clicks understood its meaning. Police work is known for its fraternity and the bonds that glue one officer to another. Clicking a microphone is one simple example of how that brotherhood communicates feeling and emotion without the need for spoken word.

Get a copy of Hoffman’s book, sit back, and read it for its many purposes. It tells true stories and it entertains at the same time. For someone who has never been in police work, it is revealing and enlightening. For someone who has carried a badge, you will find yourself nodding throughout the book, symbolically clicking a mic along with the author.
Reviewer: Mike Angley
 

Author's Synopsis
In "Clicking Mics," Bruce Hoffman offers a peek behind the door of an extensive law enforcement career with 175 anecdotes of history, lessons learned, and amusing events. After returning home to Florida from the battlefields of Vietnam, Bruce traded his Marine Corps uniform for a badge and gun. Patrolling the streets of Hillsborough County is not the same as serving in a warzone, but there are some similarities-Bruce recounts stories of seeing the best and worst of humanity, describes the struggle of deciding between right and wrong when there are all too many shades of gray, and details the two instances when he experienced friendly fire from fellow cops. In addition to the serious business of police work, Bruce shares some of the amusing shenanigans of his squad and the crazy characters they encounter. In his twenty-seven years of service to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Bruce developed a distinct point of view, one that he imparts with his heartfelt and sometimes humorous stories and lessons learned from living the day-to-day highs and lows of being a law enforcement officer. *"Clicking Mics" is the winner of a Bronze Medal in the 2016 Military Writers Society of America awards memoir category.

Gravity; by Beth Underwood

MWSA Review
“How can a bunch of Tennessee National Guardsmen who never expected, or trained for, deployment survive a year on the battlefields of Iraq? “ That’s the problem facing K Troop of the  278th Armored Cavalry in Beth Underwood’s new book, Gravity.  The year is 2004. Operation Iraqi Freedom is still new, unexpected, and misunderstood by most Americans. The men are teenagers and grandfathers, a coach and his players, a gung-ho recruiter and an oblivious youngster who joined up simply because his friends were doing so. The challenges they face are both unprecedented and uncompromising.

Underwood has not written this story from the perspective of an outside observer. She knows these men from the inside.  She has talked to them and to their families, earning their trust and therefore their honesty. She has been able to get under their skin and into the crevices of their brains. The resulting stories are therefore funny one moment and excruciatingly painful the next. Their emotions are raw and frequently make the reader uncomfortable.

I floundered with the text at first. The time frame seemed disjointed. The military jargon was unusually confusing and sometimes awkward. The landscape was uncharted. Too many events and too many characters left me bewildered. And then I got it. What I was feeling was exactly what these men were feeling as they set out on this unexpected venture. Without warning, Beth Underwood had sent me off to Iraq to learn about this war the same way her characters did –without explanations or guidelines. And learn I did, but not without shedding a few tears of my own.

Why did she call it “Gravity,” I wondered from the beginning. Was there a force holding this group of men together? Certainly. Were they all being pulled toward a center of some sort? Yes, of course. The bravest discovered their fears and the weakest found their strengths. Was the attraction that held them together too strong to be broken, even by death?  It seems so. 
Or is the gravity of another sort? Is the book so titled because of the importance of the subject matter? That, too, I think. The author never spells out her purpose, because there are no easy answers to the questions she raises. You’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. 
Reviewed by Carolyn Schriber

Author's Synopsis
This is the story of a small group of Army National Guardsmen from the Volunteer State of Tennessee - otherwise simple men, who spent a year of their lives in the Triangle of Death, one of Iraq's most hostile areas of operation. But their daily patrols and combat missions weren't featured on the nightly news. Instead, they operated as silent professionals - ordinary men facing extraordinary circumstances, who carried out their jobs to the best of their abilities and prayed they'd stay alive. Continuing the legacy of citizen-soldiers throughout the ages, they stepped forward to protect their families, their neighbors, their countrymen - and their fellow warriors, even in the face of death. Theirs is a story that will live for generations to come.

The Lost Celt; by A. E. Conran

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
In The Lost Celt by A. E. Conran, history, Celtic myth, returning war vets with PTSD, issues of bullying, and family values are all rolled into one great book for middle-grade readers. Conran handles all the themes with compassion and humor, weaving a tale of intrigue, adventure, and danger, which is sure to please her target audience, their parents, and military families everywhere. 

Fourth graders Mikey and Kyler are typical boys and exceptional video gamers, spending hours playing Romanii, a war game between the opposing forces of ancient Romans and Celts. Mikey is in the VA hospital one evening when he glimpses what he believes to be a Celtic warrior. Based on the man’s actions, dress, and appearance, Mikey figures that the man must be a time-traveler, clearly from the same time frame as his video game. As the boys investigate, they rely in part on Mikey’s Vietnam veteran grandfather as well as their knowledge gleaned from their game.

From first to last page, this book pulls you in and pulls you along on a page-turning adventure with twists and turns and roundabouts. Along the way, you can’t help but learn about compassion, understanding, and the importance of family. The topic of PTSD is introduced and explained in a way that middle graders will understand. The same applies to the issue of bullying. If you’re not careful, you might even pick up some history as you read.    
MWSA Reviewer: Betsy Beard
 

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Author's Synopsis

Written in the voice of Mikey, a fourth-grader who believes that eating crunchy things will get your neurons to fire, The Lost Celt follows Mikey's adventures after a chance encounter with what he thinks is a time-traveling Celtic warrior.

With the help of his best friend Kyler, and clues from his military history book, Mikey tracks down the stranger, and in the process learns about the power and obligations of friendship.

Full of heart, The Lost Celt throws a gentle light on some of the issues facing our veterans and their families, but it's the humor and infectious camaraderie throughout this book that makes it so memorable.

Stay the Rising Sun: The True Story of USS Lexington, Her Valiant Crew, and Changing the Course of World War II; by Phil Keith

MWSA Review
Author Phil Keith does a superb job in telling us the story of the USS Lexington, CV-1, while primarily focusing on its brief role in World War II.  Keith's extensive knowledge on all things navy are evident throughout the book. He includes numerous first hand accounts of what transpired during the first five months of the war on the Pacific, and while these accounts come mostly from the American personnel who were there, they also include several from Japanese war records.  His detailed description of the USS Lexington, its personnel, and the operations of its air group make this book a very interesting read.  I highly recommend it to anyone interested in military history, and especially to those with an interest in the war in the Pacific during World War II.
Reviewed,by: Bob Doerr (Sep 2015)
 

Author's Synopsis
Her crew called her the "Lady Lex" - see how her fierce battle turned the tide in the Allies' favor.

In May 1942, the United States' first first naval victory against the Japanese in the Coral Sea was marred by the loss of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington. Another carrier was nearly ready for launch when the news arrived, so the navy changed her name to Lexington, confusing the Japanese.

The men of the original "Lady Lex" loved their ship and fought hard to protect her. They were also seeking revenge for the losses sustained at Pearl Harbor. Crippling attacks by the Japanese left her on fire and dead in the water. A remarkable 90 percent of the crew made it off the burning decks before Lexington had to be abandoned. In all the annals of the Second World War, there is hardly a battle story more compelling.

Lexington's legacy did not end with her demise, however. Although the battle was deemed a tactical success for the Japanese, it turned out to be a strategic loss: For the first time in the war, a Japanese invasion force was forced to retreat.

The lessons learned by losing the Lexington at Coral Sea impacted tactics, air wing operations, damage control, and ship construction. Altogether, they forged a critical, positive turning point in the war. The ship that ushered in and gave birth to a new era in naval warfare might be gone, but fate decreed that her important legacy would live on.

Never Forget (Love in the Fleet); by Heather Ashby

MWSA Review
Heather Ashby has a goal when she writes.  It is a simple one: to entertain.  Her book, Never Forget, Love in the Fleet Book 3, does that and does it well.

This is not a typical book review for me. It is my first romance novel. It was like going to a "chick-flick" with my wife and thoroughly enjoying the experience. Ashby writes for adult readers and does it very well. 

Never Forget is invigorating in many ways and totally entertaining. Ms. Ashby includes adventure, a love for the military, and the supernatural in a wonderful way, crossing genres successfully.  Her book is appealing to a broad audience of readers and I heartily recommend it. 
Reviewer: Mike Mullins
 

Author's Synopsis
With 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel melted into her bow, what if there are more souls aboard the USS New York than the sailors and Marines stationed there? And what if those souls can help the troops defeat al-Qaeda this time?
 
When Gwyn Pritchard reports aboard the USS New York, she's the only person who sees 9/11 spirits roaming the decks. As the sole survivor of an IED blast, Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Adam Connor is wrestling with his own haunted past, but when he learns Gwyn is seeing ghosts aboard their ship, he becomes her confidant...and her lover.
 
Passions rise to fever pitch when the New York rushes to liberate hostages in North Africa. Can the spirits provide the right intelligence for the Marines to save the prisoners? Can Gwyn help the ghosts move on to the light? And can Adam and Gwyn find the love they've searched the world over for? 
 
Book 3 of the "Love in the Fleet" Series, which includes: FORGET ME NOT, FORGIVE AND FORGET, and NEVER FORGET