Earning My Wings by Shirley Dobbins Forgan

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MWSA Review

Life travels faster than her husband’s air force fighter jets in this thirty-one year reflection of constant movement over the globe. Shirley Dobbins Forgan meets a young pilot and they begin their ride in his ’56 Corvette. Two boys and twenty-two moves later, she retires with her Major General. Whether in McAlester, Yugoslavia, or countless other locations, the author meets royalty and reality with the same graceful energy. I wondered if I could do laundry and get a bag packed in the time it took Shirley Forgan to set up a new home, move according to regulations, and set up again in another location somewhere across the world. She juggles the multiple challenges thrown her way with admirable determination. To compact her personal roles and social obligations together reveals a steady hand and strong heart. I can relate to raising two boys. But it’s hard to imagine how Shirley moved her two through nine schools before graduation! Earning My Wings had me reconsider if my own schedules were really that hectic and the author’s world travels never ceased to fascinate me. I recommend this book for anyone thinking they’ve got too much on their plate. The reader will appreciate the gamut of challenges well handled.

Reviewed by: Hodge Wood (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

When Shirley said 'I will' at her wedding to Dave Forgan, she should have added 'I'll move.' At the age of twenty-three, Shirley Dobbins married an air force jet fighter pilot and took off on a globetrotting adventure, from being a first lieutenant's girlfriend to general's wife. Shirley traveled with Dave, all while raising two boys and fulfilling all the duties of a military wife with a sense of humor and dedication. Readers will discover the life of a military wife, a lifestyle certainly not for sissies. It takes a special woman, willing to make sacrifices, but the rewards are remarkable. There are happy occasions, exciting travels, sad times, hilarious incidents, proud moments, and lifelong friends to be made. Military wives and mothers will find comfort and joy in these pages, and civilian women will gain insight into this exclusive world. Join Shirley as she wings her way on this journey in Earning My Wings. It's an unforgettable ride and delight.

Targeted Killing by Thomas B. Hunter

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MWSA Review

World-wide terrorism has created an environment where it has become necessary for nations to target individuals known to be a present or future threat to those nations' safety and security. This action, known as targeted killing, is distinguished from assassination in that assassination is committed for political or ideological reasons.

Targeted killing, therefore, can be said to be an act of self-defense by a nation; it has no regard for politics or ideology, while assassination is an act that is committed for purely political or ideological reasons.

The reader is lead through a definition of both terms, then presented with state studies, involving targeted killing, of three prominent nations. These state studies provide the reader with an objective look at why targeted killing is sometimes necessary. It also has examples of failed attempts at targeted killing, and the consequences of failed or incomplete targeted killing missions. These consequences can include collateral damage, like the unintentional killing of civilians, or the martyrdom of the terrorist.

Targeted Killing was originally published as a paper that appeared in Henley-Putnam University's Journal of Strategic Security. Its bibliography is extensive and detailed, and it is to be recommended for anyone who has an interest in global terrorism and how it relates to safety and security.

Reviewed by: Larry Wikoff (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Targeted Killing: Self-Defense, Preemption, and the War on Terrorism by Thomas Hunter presents a reasoned, impeccably researched, and multi-faceted analysis of the tactic of targeted killing assessing its role, efficacy, and appropriateness in the current world political and military climate. Target killing is just one available option to national governments in their varied arsenals of state-sponsored strategies and tactics for fighting terrorism. Nevertheless, it is one of the most controversial and logistically dangerous options a government can exercise in preemptive strikes against real and current threats to national security. Author Hunter skillfully maneuvers through the moral, military, political, and tactical issues that can both cloud and clarify a government’s implementation of state-sponsored targeted killing. Written with an expert and precise understanding of the issue, Targeted Killing offers an objective and indispensable perspective on a contentious and timely debate.

Project Dragonslayers by Kathy Rowe

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MWSA Review

Terrorism and discrimination rolled into one interesting and very tangled story. Ms. Rowe weaves the two seemingly unrelated subjects into an excellent story, filled with suspense that leaves the reader anxiously looking forward to turning the page.

The premise is an Air Force (female) Lt. Colonel who runs into problems with a Navy Rear Admiral in her efforts to start an elite Special Forces Unit. Between events with the Admiral, terrorists, gang members, ptsd and one's own personal demons the action and interaction will keep you in your seat.

That issues of discrimination exist one should have no doubts, thankfully they are not prevalent in the armed forces, but that does not imply they do not exist as Tryggvessons story unfolds within this story.

This book will interest males and females and all branches of the military as it will be easy to see the story as something that may have or could have in some way existed for each of them. Lots of toys (weapons) involved to grab the interest of action fans and an equal amount of human interest and interaction.

It is a long book, 578 pages, but one the reader will not put down until finished. For first time author Rowe this is an excellent effort, the first of a trilogy I know I will read.

Reviewed by: jim greenwald (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

US Air Force Lt. Col. Eagle Tryggvesson got more than she bargained for when she tangled with Navy Rear Admiral Richard Westland over a proposal for an elite Special Forces unit. Eventually losing the battle, Westland swore that she would fail- he would make certain of that. Eagle must fight against discrimination and corruption to put her highly unorthodox team together. She arrives at China Lake Naval Weapons Station to find the beginnings of Westland's sabotage. It would be up to her and the members of her team to beat the deck that had been stacked against them. 

Her second in command is the handsome and brilliant Maj. D.M. Elliott who falls in love with her despite their difference in rank and the prohibitive chain of command. They must work together to keep their team and their love alive. The team battles terrorists, violent gang members, and their own personal demons along with the frightening bouts of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that haunt many warriors.

Look Long Into the Abyss by A.R. Homer

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MWSA Review

Look Long into the Abyss by A.R. Homer is a gripping novel set as Nazi Germany disintegrates at the end of World War II in Europe. The book is an Odyssey-like story of a quest to arrive at Alt Aussee, where Hitler intends to make the last stand of the Third Reich; and where, in a salt mine, are stored thousands of stolen art masterpieces that represent Hitler’s private collection.

Heading for Alt Aussee SS Brigadefuhrer Reinhard Hofmann, who has been personally ordered by Hitler to establish the final fortress of Nazi Germany. Failing that, he has been ordered to destroy the entire collection of masterpieces to keep them from falling into allied hands. Also racing for Alt Aussee are Americans Lt.Gina Cortazzo and Sgt. Bill Terrill, closely trailing the allied forces as they crush the remaining Nazi resistance.  Hofmann is driven by fanaticism for the Nazi cause, Gina is driven by idealism to save the art, and the war weary Bill only wants to see the war end so he can go home.

Also in the mix of this finely crafted novel are Frieda, the mother of a young daughter and a son, Wolfgang, who has gone over to the Hitler Youth and is now racing toward Alt Aussee with Hofmann. The family harbors a secret related to the death of Frieda’s husband, deadly to both Frieda and Wolfgang. Add in the mix Stanislaus, a Polish forced labor slave with a priceless piece of art in his possession, who joins forces with Frieda; and Father Hieronymus, an abbot whose monastery exists only at the indulgence of the local Gestapo, and harbors dangerous secrets.  

The lives of these characters intersect and interact in the dangerous environment of Nazi Germany collapsing. The characters are vividly drawn, the book is historically accurate, and the climax is breathtaking.  It is a novel that is impossible to put down as it speeds toward the denouement. This book is highly recommended to anyone interested in military and in particular World War II novels.

Reviewed by: Weymouth Symmes (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

The Third Reich is collapsing.  The rules have changed.
There are no rules.
 
Nazi Germany, 1945. Hitler Youth on suicide missions…old men hanged for desertion …marauding slave laborers…homeless Germans clogging roads…and looted art hidden all over.

As Hitler’s Germany thrashes in its death throes, Lt. Gina Cortazzo follows close behind the American front to rescue art stolen by the Nazis.  Her success awaits the capture of Alt Aussee, the salt mine where the thousands of stolen masterpieces in Hitler’s private collection are hidden.

But SS Brigadeführer Reinhard Hofmann is also heading there with his crack forces, on his way to establish a final fortress where Nazism can hold out.  And he is ready to carry out the Führer’s final order: destroy the entire collection, should it be in danger of falling into enemy hands.

Look Long into the Abyss paints a chilling and vivid picture of the last days of World War II.  The cast of characters includes Sgt. Bill Terrill, who saves Gina’s life as they cross paths with suicidal Hitlerjugend; Frieda, the mother of a Hitler Youth fighting with Hofmann; Stanislaus, the Polish slave laborer with whom Frieda and her daughter form an unlikely alliance; and Father Hieronymus, the abbot whose monastery harbors more than one dangerous secret.

Throughout the chaos, Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man weaves a spell. Thieved from thieves, lost then found, the priceless work alters the lives of Frieda, Stanislaus, and Gina…and others caught in the maelstrom.

The Adventures of Brisky Bear by Steve Bolt

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MWSA Review

Once again Briskey Bear & Trooper Dog convey their message to children in an age appropriate manner that children will find easy to understand. Today’s fast paced society too often neglects the emotional needs of its children. In this book as in “Be Kind, Be Friendly, Be Thankful parents are given a necessary tool that is a quick read and easy to understand that will have a positive and lasting effect on tier children regarding situations of separation.

This story is a continuation of Briskey Bear & Trooper Dog: Be Kind, Be Friendly, Be Thankful. In this book titled “Back Home Again”, the reunion of Briskey Bear and Trooper Dog and their friend’s shows how hard readjusting can be. It continues in the same teaching style (age appropriate) while it demonstrates the positive side of new outlooks, new hobbies and new friends. Everything comes together to make the reunion a joyous one. While not dwelling on the negative side of the issues that had arose in the first book.

The book like the former explains by in easy to understand language ways to deal with issues of separation and readjustment. Like the first book “Home Again” is a good children’s book. The illustrations are eye catching and as with the first book it also hash its own CD. Parents I dare say may benefit from reading it before reading it to their children.

Reviewed by: Jim Greenwald, MWSA Lead Reviewer (January 2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Be Kind, Be Friendly, Be Thankful address the issues of separation, loneliness, sadness, anger and frustration.  In the book Brisky Bear, the adult figure, has to go away to work on a farm.  The young pup Trooper Dog, who is the child figure, wrestles through his feelings of separation while Brisky is away.  The book shows how hard deployment can be, but demonstrates healthy ways for children to respond to the deployment of their parents.  The book teaches children how to be heroes at home by being Kind, Friendly and Thankful.

Life Interrupted by War Thomas van Hees

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MWSA Review

Beginning as a seventeen-year old Marine, Thomas van Hees presents a sobering account of a common man's journey through Vietnam, mainly serving as an M60 machine gunner. The author interestingly portrays the uneventful, but then in a split-second, bullets zip through him and his platoon. Life altering chaos adds to the story and to the complexity of young van Hees. He and his Marines carry on, but there are fewer as time passes. The author details many experiences - guard duty at the wire, walking patrol, and flying onboard a medevac chopper enroute to a hospital ship for a long stay. I hoped the author's duty was over by then ... but he returned, exactly where a sniper shot him months before. I wonder how and why he and other men gave and lost so much in Vietnam. Thomas van Hees relates that many didn't care about the returning soldier's suffering, sacrifice, or acts of heroism. I recommend his book to those who would care to learn.

Reviewed by: Hodge Wood (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Beginning as a seventeen-year old Marine, Thomas van Hees presents a sobering account of a common man's journey through Vietnam, mainly serving as an M60 machine gunner. The author interestingly portrays the uneventful, but then in a split-second, bullets zip through him and his platoon. Life altering chaos adds to the story and to the complexity of young van Hees. He and his Marines carry on, but there are fewer as time passes. The author details many experiences - guard duty at the wire, walking patrol, and flying onboard a medevac chopper enroute to a hospital ship for a long stay. I hoped the author's duty was over by then ... but he returned, exactly where a sniper shot him months before. I wonder how and why he and other men gave and lost so much in Vietnam. Thomas van Hees relates that many didn't care about the returning soldier's suffering, sacrifice, or acts of heroism. I recommend his book to those who would care to learn. 

Eisenhower & Montgomery by William Weidner

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MWSA Review

William Weidner (who is an obvious historian) takes the reader back in time to WWII in his fully documented and well researched book, "Eisenhower & Montgomery at the Falaise Gap". The footnotes and extra information truly supports the author's contentions of the stress and issues between Allied Supreme Commander, General Eisenhower and British General Montgomery. We learn how politics and other side issues took the place at times, of good military planning and strategies. 

I came away realizing just how good of a true diplomat Eisenhower was. He had to pull the allies together and that was no small matter. He had to deal with the super egos of his own American military forces like General George Patton and some even bigger allied egos that had far less military leadership skills. General Montgomery was one of those that Ike had to get motivated. This book exposes that underbelly that caused more than just concern but perhaps many American lives as well. 

The book is not light reading - but is worth the effort. For those who love WWII books and history this is must reading! Put this book on your short list of informative history books! The author has done an outstanding job of capturing the events and the essence of these historic figures. It is an impressive work of capturing real history!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Hoping to avoid an unfavorable comparison with the much larger United States Army in France, British leaders sometimes played politics with Allied strategy. The trouble began at a small town in Normandy named Falaise. The fourteen (14) miles between Falaise and Argentan have come down through history as the Falaise Gap. Between August 8 and August 21, 1944, the Allies won a great victory in France. But it was not as complete as it might have been and over 100,000 German soldiers used this gap as their escape route out of France. The Supreme Allied Commander, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was not able to keep his generals focused on their enemy. As historian Russell F. Weigley observed, 'The Allied armies in Europe simply lacked one of the prerequisites of military success, unity of command.' After the Battle of the Falaise Gap, Allied decisions appeared to be more the result of partisan political bickering than sound military strategy. By September 1944, the Anglo-American military alliance was dead and it required every ounce of General Eisenhower's considerable political skill to keep this secret from the public. 

The Corydon Snow by Richard Whitten Barnes

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MWSA Review

This a fast-paced yet intimate look at WWII's Merchant Marine crews engaged in fierce combat against the Japanese. A freighter carrying high explosive fuel is the setting for this gripping tale of courage and leadership, ill will and revenge. Barnes clearly knows his military history and expertly explores the psychological dramas of men isolated for months at a time in the most dangerous waters of the Pacific. Unforgettable characters are expertly developed and no reader can resist having opinions early in this story about some of America's bravest fighters. And, just when you think you know it all, the book ends with a surprising twist that is both stunning and believable. Well done, Barnes.

Reviewed by: Carmen Stenholm (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

The white hot story of a WWII freighter, loaded with high explosive fuel, its heroic crew and navy gunners drawn face to face with the most dangerous battle areas of the Pacific. A young Japanese Naval Air cadet trains for a mission that will bring him to in direct conflict with the star-crossed SS Corydon Snow. 

Belle of the Brawl by Gary A. Best

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MWSA Review

Gary A. Best's Belle of the Brawl is a wonderful portrait of the relationship between a boy and his mother, told through the letters of young Fred Lull as he writes home during his training and deployment as a B-17 bombardier. It describes a warm, emotional relationship, where a young man in harm's way continuously works to reassure his worried mother that he is just fine and plenty safe, even when the horrors of war surround him.

Best does a great job of interspersing the letters from Fred with notes,comments, and news clippings about the war at that time. This serves to both allow the reader to fix in history when the story occurred and also to contrast the harsh realities of war with the boy's club picture that Fred paints for his mother.

In addition to developing the picture of the relationship, the book does a wonderful job of painting a picture of what life was like in America during World War II. The reader learns about rationing, traveling in the United States, and how Americans worked to make ends meet in the 1940's.

This book is an excellent addition to any library, but will be especially enjoyed by military aviation buffs and World War II veterans.

Reviewed by: Rob Ballister (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Belle of the Brawl chronicles the WW II experiences of a B-17 bombardier through the Plexiglas nose of his B-17. Based on the 150 letters the airman wrote home to his mom, much of the horrors of what he experienced off the wing of his plane, aircraft destroyed, dismemberment by flak, go unshared. He didn't want her to worry so he couldn't tell her, "I noticed some movement and a flash of light out of the corner of my right eye . . . the plane that had been flying right next to us had exploded and simply disappeared." Using the bombardier's combat flight record, research data, and interviews of former B-17 crewmembers, Belle of the Brawl unfolds, breaking through the barrier of an unwillingness and inability to tell loved ones of the smell and taste of the war. He and others wrote home in generalities but remembered something quite different. Flying over Berlin, circled with more than 700 antiaircraft cannons, the massive air armada of D-Day and the horrendous air battle over Brux are revealed and remembered long after the struggles of combat - After I got home, "I'd wake up screaming and the same FW would be coming after me."

Eddie & Bingo: A Friendship Tale by Katherine & Kathleen L. Taylor

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MWSA Review

Eddie and Bingo are the kind of heroes children will love and parents will want to be part of their family's life. This book is wonderful for many reasons and one of the most profound is the sense of normalcy the authors give to basic human kindness. There are no super-heroes, only young American sailors who lived a challenging chapter in American history with kindness and a sense of duty to even the smallest of "friends". Bingo is more than a puppy; he is a means for profound values to find expression in the unlikely setting of an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Fleet of 1951. "Eddie and Bingo" is a story that will become a treasure for its simple but profound lessons in history and its glimpse into compassion among military personnel.

Reviewed by: Carmen Stenholm (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Eddie and his buddies embark upon the journey of their lives aboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.  As they cruise the Pacific Ocean they learn how important teamwork and friendships really are.  Then something happens aboard ship that changes their lives and sets them off on a new course they hadn't counted on!  Join Eddie and the rest of the crew to find out what happens next...

God + Military Spouse by Lori Kathleen Cline

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MWSA Review

It used to be said that if the military wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one. Thankfully times have changed and the military spouse is now an integral part of any service member’s support team. But it’s not always easy. Author Kathleen Cline has been a married to a Navy man for 20 years and knows the stresses and difficulties of being a military wife and in this book she shares her experiences and advice with a heartfelt Christian perspective. It is Cline’s hope that military wives will form small prayer groups, develop strong Christian bonds and support each other in what she calls the roller coaster of ups and downs in marriage.

Each chapter discusses different situations a military wife might experience and offers insight on how to get through those difficult times. Cline truly understands and wants to help those who are overwhelmed by the extreme stresses of deployments and the changes that happen in marriages with the subsequent return of their spouses.

I’m not a military spouse but, I found myself drawn to Cline’s sincerity and insight in addressing issues important in any marriage, military or civilian. All marriages have their rough spots and it takes some personal fortitude and strength to keep focused on what is important. Cline, in a sense, has your back. As another helpful tool, several workbook style questions are asked at the end of each chapter to help readers confront and assess their own feelings.  On the last pages of the book, Cline shares bible verses to study that re helpful in addressing a particular issue. 

I would recommend this book to any military spouse who wants to strengthen her marriage and herself through her Christian faith.

Reviewed by: Gail Chatfield (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

How many times have you gone to relax with friends only to end up in a gripe session about your marriage? You leave feeling even more exhausted and simply depressed. Learn to replace you idle coffee talk with more substantial Christian talk.

We all have problems, but military marriages endure more pressure than the average couple. Discussing marital issues is normal, but it should be done to discover the message of the Bible and what purpose God has for you, your spouse , and your children.

Insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. "Maybe I did not yell loud enough." "Maybe I did not stay silent long enough." " Maybe I should have withheld sex more often." These old tactics don't change anything or anyone, but they certainly do destroy.

Invite God into your marriage, and see how your attitude changes. What do you have to lose? Your way is not working. How about trying God's way? 

True Blue: A Tale of the Enemy Within by Joe Sanchez & Mo Dhania

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MWSA Review

True Blue is the story of Joe Sanchez's life as a NYC cop. The book came in during a really busy time for me. I read the first page and put in in my car to read at lunch and dinner in suburban restaurants like Bob Evans and Denny's. At least, that was my intent. However, it got lost under the front seat of my Acura for several weeks and since I was focused on other things, I didn't even look for it. Big mistake.

When I finally dug True Blue out from its dark hiding place, I literally couldn't put it down. Even though I'm not a wounded Vietnam Veteran and I've never lived in NYC and I've never been a Hispanic cop, Joe Sanchez lived my life. Oh sure, our trials and tribulations are different, but one Don Quixote recognizes another windmill jouster instantly. It's not that Joe doesn't see ugliness, it's that he knows beauty is out there almost in reach. His courage isn't the chest-thumping kind. Sanchez is an everyday Joe with a gritty determination to make things better, for the community, for his family, and for himself.

For those who have given up on the world, this might seem foolish but like Quixiote and through a veil of jokes and clever observations about his fellow officers and a vast array of villains, Joe is a wise and dignified man and maybe a little bit literary. He has a knack of defining character or telling a story with a few deft
lines and he made me laugh, or at least smile and go "ah", time and again.

For example, when a friend of his is killed, he describes his sorrow this way, "I stood under the shower hoping the whole thing would wash away. But the sound of water washing down the drain didn't bring any comfort. It sounded like blood draining out of a bleeding heart." 

And he described a policeman this way, "This guy didn't look like a Hispanic. He looked like some big old guy from out of The Last of the Mohigans, and they called him Big Chief. He was a great back-up guy. Cheerful as you like, but all he had to do was stand behind you and look like the kind who could rip somebody's heart out with one whack of the tomahawk, and nobody gave you no crap." 

And my favorite story took a mere paragraph, "Sure enough, when we opened the door, there wasn't even any creepy movie music to warn us what was going to happen. Pyscho just came flying out at us with a big kitchen knife. Situation like this, you had to do something, even if the guy was a nut. I don't think I weighed it out, but I shot him in the right leg. He dropped the knife and went hopping off to a room on the left, yelling in pain. Potter and Velez went after him and cuffed him, and then, when he was restrained...bless her heart, his mom stood by him trying to comfort him. He was still her baby, even if he had been planning to stuff her and keep her in the cellar or something." 

For all his immigrant earnestness, life as a cop wasn't always easy for Sanchez. He ran into his share of operational resistance. As his story develops you begin to see that Joe's career resembled the old saying, "Sometimes you eats the bear and sometimes the bear eats you." Since not everyone who wears a police uniform or works for the government sees the world the same way, Joe faced a monumental challenge that changed his life. 

True Blue is more film noir than memoir. It's chock-full of really, really bad guys who duke it out with tough-talking cops after eyeball-shaking car chases through shadowy cityscapes. Sometimes it reminds one of a dysfunctional Walton family where a brother in blue has your back in the morning and leaves you hanging in the afternoon. It's smarmy charm rivals fiction for readability and sheer entertainment. Yet, for all its action and clever dialogue, Joe Sanchez is my new hero. He's both human and endearing...and what happens to him is...well, I won't spoil the story...but you really must read it. 

Reviewed by: Joyce Faulkner (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Joe has been trying to tell this story for a some time. It's his story, but not his alone. It's also the story of those who lived and died alongside him, in Viet Nam and in that other battle, for justice and safety under the shield of the law, that is fought daily in the streets of every big city by every honest cop. In his case, the city was the Naked City and the cop was a Latino. And the battle was neither for the civilians alone, not just against the bad guys in the street. Sometimes the bad guys were in the Department. And sometimes the people who needed protection were the honest cops.

We Came to Fight a War by Jack Flynn & Alvin E. Kotler

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MWSA Review

A wartime injustice is righted in this crisp, succinctly written memoir of a B 17 flight crew member who tells of the heroism, and tragedy of his pilot of more than 25 combat missions flown out of Italy during World War Two. Written by the brother of that pilot, the reader is given a chilling glimpse into the rigors, and horrors of those young men who flew the big bombers deep into enemy territory, on lengthy, harrowing missions.
 
1LT Bill Flynn was a professional, dependable, and much trusted pilot whose war time record was exemplary, if not magnificent. Shortly after the war ended he was wrongfully, disgracefully accused of deeds of which he was entirely innocent, and he paid a terrible professional, and personal price. As told to Flynn's brother Jack, crew member Al Kotler, recounts the story of 1LT Flynn, his war time valor, and the final betrayal by the army air corps that he so proudly served. The result is this magnificent little gem of a book that does not waste a single word in telling it like it was. The proud, and honorable way that 1LT Flynn lived the remainder of his life after his betrayal, is redeeming, but the reader is left with a smoldering anger that something like this could have, and did happen. That is what makes the book so believable, and real. 

Reviewed by: Bob Flournoy (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

On 15 April 1945, 1st Lt Bill Flynn completed his 25th bombing mission flying a B-17 with the 346th Bomb Sqdn, 99th Bomb Group. On 25 May 1945, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for "extraordinary achievement" in combat. In July of that same year, at a General Court Martial, he was accused of "buzzing," convicted of manslaughter and the destruction of government property. People were intimidated and encouraged to lie and 20-year-old Lt Flynn was stripped of his rank and benefits, dishonorably discharged, and sentenced to hard labor at a Federal Prison in New York. This book was written by Lt Flynn's radio gunner, Al Kotler, and Bill's brother, Jack Flynn. You will meet Bill, Al, and the rest of their crew, and fly with them on missions out of Foggia, Italy. Bill is no longer here to defend himself, so Al and Jack combined forces to present the full story of what really happened and to right a terrible wrong. 33 photos.

T-41 Mescalero: The Military Cessna172 by Walt Shiel

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MWSA Review

Everything you ever wanted to know about the T-41: I went back to my log book and found all the T-41's I flew in the USAF undergraduate pilot training class. From first flight in N5209F 6 Nov 67, solo in N5189F 17 Nov 67, final check ride N5109F 19 Dec 67. Most of the airplane histories I have seen are just a pamphlet of a few pages while this book has 180+ pages. Even though I had flown the airplane, I learned a lot about the training techniques and philosophy of the training. Seeing the training from the instructor's point of view was very interesting. As a former Air Force pilot, I was very interested in this book and can highly recommend it.This is the definitive book on the T-41.

Reviewed by: Buddy Cox (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

In 2006, the ubiquitous Cessna Model 172 Skyhawk turned 50, with a seldom-heralded military record almost as long. Now, for the first time, the Skyhawk's military history is revealed in all its depth and breadth, covering its use by the armed forces of 54 countries. Cessna delivered 867 T-41 Mescaleros (the military version of the 172) in four distinct models to countries around the world -- plus another 158 off-the-shelf 172s, with many still serving into the 21st century. T-41 Mescalero captures this extensive history in print, complete with stories and photographs from around the world.

Beyond Those Hills by M.H.A. Menondji

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MWSA Review

Beyond Those Hills, a well-written account and a self-discovery, amid gunfights, a power struggle against the USSR and the rise of terrorism on the world scene.” The author, M.H.A. Menondji, meticulously documents three lives intertwined by love. This is a very interesting read – not a book to race through, or you will miss some very exciting scenes and descriptions of a young woman who becomes the first female accepted by the Navy SEALS. To put it bluntly, “She tells it like it was.”

M.H.A. Menondji is a graduate of Universities of Orleans, La Sorbonne (International Law), and Whittier College (Political Science). African-born, she migrated to the U. S. from France a decade ago. She spent a year learning the intricacies of the English language then took on the challenge of writing in a language she has learned as a third.

Considered a showcase of accelerated linguistic and cultural assimilation, her writings, and her wonderful background has given her the accolades she deserves.

Reviewed by: Bob Ruehrdanz (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Entrusted with the well being of his late best friend's daughter, Laura, former C.I.A. operative Jim Marshall had kept his promise well beyond what was expected of him. Now an accomplished young woman, Lt. Laura Armitage is the unlikely candidate to an elite US Navy unit. A tragedy shadowing her days, she reports for duty to face discrimination and the cover-ups of the Iran-contras scandal. Struggling to assess her allegiance to the flag, she stands her ground through every mission aware her tenacity may not be enough to earn her respect, including that of her jaded commanding officer, Lt. T.J. Wilkins. Beyond Those Hills: an Officer and a Lady is a multifaceted self-discovery journey amidst the power struggle against then USSR and the rise of terrorism on the world scene. It depicts three lives intertwined by love, death, lust and a sense of duty that rises above politicians' corruption. It is a compelling tale of redemption woven into the private battles of a female warrior. A selection of the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards MWSA 2011 Awards Nominee for Historical Fiction.

Listening to Ghosts by Robert (Bob) Stockton

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MWSA Review

Bob Stockton's memoir of navy life, Listening To Ghosts, could have been written by a million men who served in that branch of service for as long as he did, but probably not told as well. Those million men are undoubtedly very thankful that Mr. Stockton took the time to tell their story. It is a story of duty, travel, adventure, friendship, and professionalism. It is all of the things that make one's time in the military memorable. It is also a tale of what it means to be an American guy next door who just does what needs doing. Get this book to taste the flavor or not only a naval career, but to relive your own life in the military if it so applies. If it doesn't, then you will be better off having read this book.

Reviewed by: Bob Flournoy (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Listening To Ghosts is an accounting of the author's experience growing up in a Northeastern working class neighborhood and subsequent career as an enlisted man in the United States Navy before the Navy became an instrument for social engineering experimentation. Written in the first person the author takes the reader through his adventures - and misadventures - in frank, candid and politically incorrect language.

The Sentinel & the Shooter by Douglas W. Bonnot

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MWSA Review

The Sentinel and the Shooter is a fascinating book about the exploits of an Army Security Agency Radio Research Company (Airborne), the 265th RRC (ABN), and the deeds of the dedicated men who made a (unrecognized by many) difference in Viet Nam. Alternate titles could be: From A Usually Reliable Source or The Company That Wasn't There. 

The Army Security Agency (ASA) was (is?) a separate activity within the Army, existing as a self-contained entity. ASA's purpose was to produce intelligence for the U.S. Army. Such intelligence was obtained by capturing (listening in on) the enemy's communications--Signals Intelligence. Directional finding equipment (on the ground and in the air) was used to located the sources of radio transmissions, providing targeting information to the shooters. Wire taps were also employed. 

Prior to the beginning of the Viet Nam War, ASA doctrine and tactical components were based upon supporting a European conflict against the Soviet model. Viet Nam presented a different kind of war, requiring different tactics, and the ASA was not prepared to support it. 

The 265th RRC (ABN) was activated in the spring of 1967 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky to provide Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) to the 101st Airborne Division, and deployed to Viet Nam that December--just in time to be part of the 1968 Tet Offensive. Squads and platoons of the 265th soon found themselves spread across the 101st's operating area. 265th RRC (ABN) teams (Sentinels) established listening posts on Fire Support Bases (FSBs) and fought alongside the men of the 101st (Shooters). In 1969 the 265th RRC (ABN) personnel were in the battles of Dong Ap Bia (Hamburger Hill) and Dong A Tray (Bloody Ridge), and helped fight off sapper attacks at FSB Berchtesgaden. Afterward they deployed to insert units into combat to support of the Tactical Emergency declared by the 23rd Infantry Division one hundred miles to the south. 

The book is filled with similar events until the 265th RRC (ABN) was disbanded in 1972. No record of the company can be found, although its inputs saved the lives of hundreds if not thousands of American and South Viet Nam soldiers. 

The author, SFC Douglas W. Bonnot, tells the story through the eyes of the company's NCOs, lieutenants and captains. He chose to write the book to document the story of the 265th RRC (ABN), a unit that somehow seems to have escaped being in the official record--The Company That Wasn't There. The Sentinel and the Shooter is a tribute to the men who did so much and received so little in return. The story is filled with quotes for various men providing first hand accounts to events being described. 

An excellent book! This is a story of those who were there, for historians, and for others who seek to understand what happened. The book is filled with military terms, and provides comprehensive glossary and a unit roster. After I share the book with fellow Military Officers Association of America members, I plan to reread it and then place it in my library. 

Security and chain of command are the cause of much of the 265th RRC (ABN)'s problems. A team inserted onto a FSB sets up a listening post, but does not report the FSB commander (the King of the Hill). However, the King of the Hill must provide logistical support, food, water, etc. Very few officers and NCOs were cleared for SIGINT, thus the King of the Hill did not know what these men with no symbols on their uniforms did or why they were there. A few figured it out. Men of the 265th RRC (ABN) found that serving two masters can be troublesome. 

Intelligence produced must be passed up the ASA chain of command to the platoon, company headquarters, and then up to the 8th Radio Research Field Station (RRFS), which controlled personnel assignments, promotions, and equipment logistics. Conflict between the 8th RRFS and the 265th RRC (ABN) was continuous. Input from the 265th RRC (ABN)/8th RRFS was highly classified, and its distribution limited to those officers with the proper clearance. Input was usually reported as information obtained from "A Usually Reliable Source." In a couple of incidents, the SS2 was not cleared to receive the intelligence he needed. In another case, the S2 refused to believe the intelligence. 

It appears that the Army has failed to properly instruct its combat officers on how SIGINT intelligence is obtained and its importance. 

Most commanders appreciated the intelligence inputs, but a few resented them. Many of the field grade officers in the 8th RRFS had little or no field experience and looked down at the accomplishments of the men of the 265th RRC (ABN) as loose cannons or mavericks. The effective commanding generals did appreciate the 265th RRC (ABN)'s contributions, and could care less if they were mavericks. 

As the conflict intensified, the NCOs found methods or transmitting very perishable intelligence to the Kings of the Hills. Knowing your position is about to be attacked by a greatly superior force gets the creative juices flowing. 

The Sentinel and the Shooter was written to provide a history of the 265th RRC (ABN), and that it does. It is also one more of the many great books written about the Viet Nam conflict by men and women who were there and did that. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Lee Boyland (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Secret societies have existed for millennia; their purposes myriad. Generally, they are exclusive and require members to take an oath to keep their organization and activities secret. They possess guarded means of identification and communication. Some exist in the open, their purposes known, their activities undisclosed, and their practitioners anonymous. The US Army Security Agency was a separate organization within the Army having its own installations, training, academic, logistic, communications and scientific institutions and members took an oath to keep the organization and its activities secret, their identity and communications guarded. Until the advent of the Vietnam War, their purpose was intelligence gathering for national strategic objectives. As the US role expanded from advisory to active combat, intelligence support to combat units changed the structure and character of the Agency. Organizational secrecy, guarded communications, and member anonymity remained. The 265th Radio Research Company (Airborne) sentinels operated in the shadows, yet stood beside their warrior counterpart providing intelligence to the 101st Airborne Division. 101st Airborne units involved in the war are etched in the stone of their memorial at Arlington Cemetery. The 265th RRC (ABN), the only unit etched on the back, remains in the shadows. Nearly forty years have passed since the last Sentinel departed Vietnam. This is their story.

The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe by Jay A. Stout

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MWSA Review

The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe is a superb historical account of the US Army Air Force’s campaign against Germany and its allies in World War II, with a specific focus on its efforts at marginalizing – if not totally destroying - the German Luftwaffe.  In compiling the research for his book, Mr. Stout did a great job of mixing the personal accounts of those who were there with existing official records to tell the tale how the Luftwaffe was defeated.  He provides good detail on the airplanes flown by both the Allies and the Axis powers, to include subjective commentary by the men who flew them in combat.  As my father was a P-51 pilot in WWII, I found this book especially interesting.

This book is very well written.  I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading military or aviation historical nonfiction. 

Reviewed by: Bob Doerr (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

At the outset of World War II the Army Air Corps numbered only 45,000 men and a few thousand aircraft—hardly enough to defend the United States, let alone defeat Germany's Luftwaffe, the world’s most formidable air force. Yet by the war’s end the Luftwaffe had been crushed, and the U.S. Army Air Forces, successor to the Air Corps, had delivered the decisive blows. The "Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe" tells the story of that striking transformation, one of the marvels of modern warfare, while simultaneously thrusting the reader into whirling, heart-pounding accounts of aerial combat.
 
The Allies couldn't defeat Hitler's Third Reich without destroying its industry and taking its territory. But before they could do either, they had to neutralize the Luftwaffe, whose state-of-the-art aircraft and battle-seasoned pilots stood ready to batter any attackers. Great Britain's Royal Air Force was only barely holding the line and the might of America was needed to turn the tide.  Almost from scratch, the United States built an air force of more than two million men. Thanks to the visionary leadership of Henry “Hap” Arnold, Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, Ira Eaker, James Doolittle, and others, the USAAF assembled a well-trained and superbly-equipped force unlike any ever fielded. And thanks to the brave Americans who crewed, maintained and supported the aircraft, the USAAF annihilated the Luftwaffe as it pounded targets deep inside Germany and elsewhere.
 
A stirring tribute to these men as well as an engaging history, The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe vividly describes World War II in the skies above Europe. At the same time it captures the personalities of the men who won it, whether on the ground or in the sky. Stout—a career fighter pilot—brings to this work what few other writers can: The perspective of an airman who knows firsthand the confusion of air combat and the terror of being fired upon.
 
Jay A. Stout, a retired U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot with twenty years of service, flew thirty-seven combat missions during Operation DESERT STORM and is now a senior aviation analyst for a leading defense corporation. His previous books include Hornets over Kuwait, Fortress Ploesti, Hammer from Above and Slaughter at Goliad.

The Sandpiper's Game by Charles Boyle

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MWSA Review

Charles Boyle has shared some of his wisdom through his children’s book The Sandpiper’s Game.  In the story, the twins, Kurt and Kate, live by the ocean and use the beach as the place where they practice running to help them in their goal of getting faster because they are part of their school’s cross-country team. Their coach tells them that running in the sand will make them stronger and faster.
 
The problem that the children encounter is that the beach doesn’t give them the same terrain that they have to run in when they go inland to the hills of cross-country events.  During their practice sessions, they meet up with an injured sandpiper, which then teaches the children about doing their “personal best.”
 
My “review audience” of third graders thoroughly enjoyed this book, and have easily grasped onto the concept of doing their personal best. It is a fun read and the bonus is that it teaches a needed concept to our children.  Mr. Boyle has done a wonderful job with this book.  Too many children are competitive to a fault, without looking at themselves and how they can improve on their own goals to do their personal best.  This is a thought-provoking book and one that children will enjoy. 

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Sandy, and injured bird, is saved from drowning by young twins, Kate and Kurt, who live at the seashore. As Sandy heals under their care, he learns that the twins are runners on their school's cross-country team, and that they have no way to train for running on hills. Grateful for his rescue, Sandy invents a game that teaches the twins how to run faster. Better yet, he opens their minds to his vision of how to improve at whatever you do.
 
This book is designed to encourage doing your "Personal Best".

Through the Years by James Jellerson

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MWSA Review

The book is a collection of 75 poems reflecting titles from A to Z as author Jellerson takes us on his one man's journey through the years. 

In this small but fulfilling book of intimate poetry, author Jellerson bares his soul as he puts words to the universal human emotions of love, death, faith, family and friends.  

Poems are a very personal literary form. Jellerson's words are passionate and obviously come from his personal experiences which are outlined in his bio on the back cover. He's been to war, has loved and lost love, has known death and new life. He's also been a chaplain and his faith is strong. Jellerson knows of what he writes.

Jellerson's poem styles include everything from imagery poems to analogy; from free verse to blank verse; romanticism to elegy with a little carpe diem in the mix. He writes well of the human condition and there were several poems that spoke specifically to me. In "Knights of the Night" Jellerson puts in words what many of us have probably felt as he writes: "There is a Castle I keep within, the walls are high and strong; It is there that I will oft retreat, when I sense that things are wrong." In "Seven Stars" he writes of friends he lost in Vietnam and in "The Stone" he tells of being 18 and home from war on Christmas Eve. Both are touching and offer insight to the true cost of war. 

If one enjoys reading poetry about conditions of the heart, this is a good collection to read.

Reviewed by: Gail Chatfield (2011)

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Author's Synopsis