Incoming, Jack Manick

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MWSA Review

Jack “Doc” Manick's excellent memoir, Incoming, is a coming of age story for veterans of allwars and their families. Incoming is at times gripping, funny, sad, and full of the humanity, inhumanity, heroism, fear and pathos of war. As a combat veteran of the Vietnam War myself I lived every moment with Doc Manick and his unit as I read his book and could relate them to my own experiences. This is not a dry history by someone unconnected to the events, Doc Manick lived them.

The heart of Incoming is Jack Manick's time as an Army field combat medic in the Central Highland of Vietnam with the 70th Combat Engineer Battalion and the 131'st Engineer Company. Manick has obviously spent a great deal of thought and time in producing his book, but not so long that his memories of those dramatic days have dimmed. Incoming has the immediacy of today's newspaper headline, written from a 40 year perspective.

Since it is a memoir of Manick's war experience, it's often brutal, profane, and heartrending. But the book is leavened with humor and stories of the absurdities and inspirations of war. Incoming takes us from enlistment by the draft-eligible young Jack Manick; to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Sam Houston; to Germany, where he received his orders to Vietnam after volunteering for that duty. After training he went on to Cam Ranh Bay, then to the ,boonies. Most of the remainder of the book concerns the life of a combat medic treatments given, patrols and firefights, life and death in a combat zone. 

In the book the reader learns why one should never get on the wrong side of your medic; why shooting at rats is so dangerous; why orders are often stupid but must be obeyed; why those who experience combat never come back as the same person who existed before. Read this memoir and you will have one more excellent snapshot of the Vietnam War, which was more than any other a story of individual experiences rather than set piece battles. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Weymouth Symmes (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

1969 was a momentous year for the world and especially America. It was a year when man first set foot on the moon and in an equally amazing feat, the New York Mets won baseballs coveted World Series.While earth shaking events were happening two hundred thousand miles from home or deep within the confines of Shea Stadium, men of every race, education and age group were fighting and dying 12,000 miles from home in Americas most unpopular war, Vietnam. Today, 40 years later, writer, husband and Veteran Jack Manick reaches into his soul and resurrects the fear, tension, foreboding, laughter and terror that he and his fellow "Band of Brothers" felt as they walked the jungles and forests of the Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1969.While in the "Bush", he carried a pack, a medical aid bag, two knives, three grenades, a rifle, pistol and an unbreakable commitment to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, even at the cost of his own. The story of Jack "Doc" Manick and his fellow soldiers is one of survival...survival in a country laden with malaria, crawling with venomous snakes, scorpions, rats, giant centipedes and tigers and dominated by an enemy determined "Not to lose the War!" The language is as tough as the enemy who fought against him, as unrelenting as the blistering heat of the Dry Season and as depressing as the endless mud and mold of the Monsoon Season. Incoming invites you to lace up your jungle boots and take a walk with Jack through the jungles and the fields of dry grass in the Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1969.

Disability Compensation by Thomas VanHees

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MWSA Review

VanHees has lengthened the road map or in today’s world a gps for navigating through the hurdles that every veteran faces in “Disability Compensation The Veteran’s Guide Volume ll.” this his follow up to volume one. As with almost everything changes have occurred and VanHees includes these and more, as well as dealing with ptsd more deeply than in his previous book.

The basic message is still valid, do not give up, file and file and file until you are successful seems like a simple plan, yet thousands of veterans give up in the face of so many hurdles. The journey to winning may not be easy but he explains it well and all one needs to do is follow the plan learned over the four years of his battle. 

The Veterans Administration (VA) is a love hate relationship to almost all veterans. Nightmare stories exist, many are simply not true, and others are. He provides information resources that will positively help all veterans in the process.

If you have given up, buy this book and try again. From updating discharge records and medical records to attitude he provides useful information for all.

If you purchased his first book the second is a must have. If you are working on your own out of frustration buy his second book and follow his lead, your journey through the VA process will be much easier and far less frustrating.

Reviewed by: jim greenwald (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

My book is a self-help/ how-to publication. It explains how to negotiate the VA's claim filing process when seeking disability compensation for a service connected injury or condition. This book is a continuation of volume one with new information that was added to the benefits that a veteran qualifies for. It also delves more deeply into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which was lightly touched on in volume one. It also includes many subjects and information that will help the Afghanistan and Iraqi veteran. Basically this book covers all new information that was not available when volume one went to press.

Women in the U.S. Armed Forces by Darlene M. Iskra

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MWSA Review

Darlene M. Iskra's book is a tribute to women warriors past and present who served faithfully in the United States armed forces. Retired Commander Iskra was one of the first women Navy divers and the first woman to command a ship in the US Navy (USS Opportune.) 
 
The author takes the reader on a one hundred year military journey back in time and chronologically moves the reader forward to our present day all volunteer military. Chapters such as "Rescinding the Combat Exclusion Laws", "Gender, Sexuality and Harassment" as well as "Balancing Life in the Military" provide the reader with a powerful overview as to the sacrifices made and abuses suffered by women who serve our country to protect and preserve our freedoms. 
 
The hardships women face in our male dominated armed forces, which inequalities still exist today, is explored in detail. Commander Iskra emphasizes that the transition of our military from a culture of masculinity to an integrated multi-gendered organization has been a long time in the works, however has yet to come to full fruition.   
 
Women's rights and equality as partners in our armed forces is the basic theme of the text. The author provides a century of factual documentation highlighting that women have served with distinction as well as valor and deserve no less opportunities than our male warriors. The author reminds us that within the last sixty years women serving in our armed forces has increased from 2% to 15%.  See latest data on women in the military at http://www.womensmemorial.org/PDFs/StatsonWIM.pdf
 
The book is a call for action. The text's epilogue explores four areas which need immediate attention by our congress and military leaders. Sexual harassment should not be tolerated and the sexual assault of woman must stop. Women in combat roles should be afforded the same opportunities, training and tools as our men. Women should be allowed to serve on submarines as equals to their male counter parts and finally women in our military should have the ability to lead normal social lives as caring and supportive wives and mothers. Our country does this for men and there is no reason not to accommodate women.
 
In summation this is an excellent work of literary merit which every American should read, in particular our law makers and military leaders. Packed with historical fact the text reminds us of the tremendous contributions and sacrifices women have made to our military history. Regardless of the machismo in our military and its tail-hook party mentality, women have earned the right to serve our country beside men as equals with respect and dignity. To do less sullies our constitution.   

Reviewed by: Paul Decker (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Women in the United States Armed Forces: A Guide to the Issues covers over a century of accomplishments of military women, from the Civil War to the current wars in the Middle East. Readers will learn, for example, that during World War II, 565 women in the Women’s Army Corps stationed in the Pacific theater received combat decorations, proving that women had the courage, strength, and stamina to perform in a combat environment. They will also learn that, perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t until the mid- to late 1970s that women had their first opportunities to serve at sea and as aviators (crew as well as pilots), albeit on noncombatant ships and aircraft. The book’s final four chapters discuss the issues that continue to plague women in the military, including sexual harassment, noting that women’s performance in America’s two-front wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made a positive difference in attitudes. The handbook closes with an epilogue that is at once a summary of the issues and a call for action.

Aerial Aces of the Universal Newsreel by Philip W. Stewart

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MWSA Review

Author Phillip Stewart gifts aviation buffs with a book that could cut through years of research for those seeking out rare motion picture footage of aircraft from 1929-1931. His book Aerial Aces of the Universal Newsreel: A Researcher's Guide to the Aviation Related Stories Released Nationally by Universal Pictures 1929-1931 catalogs for us more than just history through newsreels - he manages to capture the essence of that time and its people. 

Although the book will appeal to only a very small segment of potential readers, it will prove to be indispensable for historians and writers and those who are looking for film footage of aviation's golden years. The book also reproduces many great old photos of which few or any have been seen publicly in the last 8 decades. 

Maybe it is because I am an aviation buff or am someone who actually loves old newsreels - but this book was actually more fun to read then I had expected. It takes you on an emotional journey as your imagination kicks in with mental images that the words present. 

This book is a wonderful tool for researchers now and in the future. It needed to be written - it is an important asset. I am grateful that people like Phillip Stewart have given this so much of their own time to do this kind of work. There is certainly little to no money for these kinds of books - they have to be written as an act of love for history.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Aerial Aces of the Universal Newsreel is summed up best by its sub-title, "A Reference Guide to the Aviation Related Stories Released Nationally by Universal Pictures, 1929-1931." It’s a useful and practical resource guide to the aviation people, places and events of August 1929 through December 1931, as seen through the camera lens of the Universal Newspaper Newsreel, as the reel was known back then. 
 
Aerial Aces contains descriptions of 219 aviation-related stories released by Universal during that time period. Stories are listed in release order and each is identified with the title, reel number, event date, location, and length. Each story has a storyline based on the newsreel synopsis sheets, a description the moving images, a word-for-word copy of the original narration script, and production and historical information, as appropriate. 
 
The stories contained within Aerial Aces of the Universal Newsreel, provide a timeless reference to moving images of the aviation related activities covered during the first three years of the Universal Newspaper Newsreel. To see history as it actually happened is enlightening, instructive, and often rather dramatic. Too read about it is pretty cool too.

DAI Uy Hoch by David R. Hoch

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MWSA Review

This book was actually in the making for over forty years. Lt. Cmdr. Hoch died in 2004, thereby leaving his manuscript unpublished.
            
Thankfully, his legacy has been preserved in this wonderful book that was brought to life by Hoch’s brother Dave, and his wife Isabel.  Dave felt strongly that the book should be published, and we are richer for it.
 
Wes Hoch served in Vietnam as the Senior U.S. Navy Advisor to the Fourth Coastal Junk Force in Phu Quoc, for eighteen months. Hoch was a “strange mixture of soldier, sailor, dentist, mechanic, linguist (he spoke fractured Vietnamese) doctor and teacher.”
 
Senator Margaret Chase Smith read a letter into the Congressional Record which spoke of Hoch’s accomplishments. In part it says “Wes Hoch is presently in charge of a fleet of junks manned by natives who adore their husky leader. He shares their somewhat primitive existence and all the experiences of a jungle land warfare which is both physically uncomfortable and perilous.”
 
Lt. Cmdr. Hoch was instrumental in constructing a small hospital on the Island of Ph Quoc. The military personnel there, the villagers themselves and the men in Hoch’s armed junk force, volunteered to work with a few sacks of cement and a donation from the local church. The result was a four-bed hospital to serve the eleven-hundred villagers. About four-hundred natives were treated on the first day the hospital was open. 
 
Cmdr. G. Ashcroft, senior junk force advisor, issued a statement on the installation saying “The concern and drive of Lt. Hoch was like a dream come true to the natives of An Thoi.”
 
A Christian-raised man, Hoch attempted to fully understand and help the natives in their impoverishment. He wrote letters home to ask for medical supplies, used blankets and clothes for his Vietnamese Junk Navy and villagers on Phu Quoc.
 
 He noted “A blanket sounds like a stupid thing to need in a country where the average temperature is eighty degrees … but a blanket is the most useful thing a junkman has. He uses it to sleep on, to keep warm on cold, damp nights, as a shelter against the sun and a thousand uses. To give a blanket to a junkman is the same as giving him a house.”
 
Lt. Cmdr. Hoch endeared himself to the Vietnamese people that he lived with. He won numerous awards, including A Medal of Honor First Class; bestowed by the Vietnamese Government, as well as a Bronze Star bestowed by the United States Navy, plus many more honors.
 
This is a fascinating story about an outstanding individual who truly lived his Christian religion, made tremendous personal sacrifices, and had a lasting, positive influence on numerous lives. There are many different ways to win hearts, minds and wars.
 
This book provides great insight into an aspect of the Vietnam War that might have gone unappreciated and unnoticed. A very worthy and inspiring read.

Reviewed by: Charlene Rubush (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

"With a strong faith, you can fight a war in more ways than one," the authors brother, David R. Hoch, says. " I hope that this book will point out the tremendous effort and dedication that all Vietnamese veterans displayed when they showed how your faith can give you tremendous strength.

Keeping the Promise, by Donna Elliott

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MWSA Review

On January 21, 1968, the 282nd AHC was on a mission to support U.S. troops under siege in Khe Sanh village when the lead helicopter was shot down by the North Vietnamese. In the midst of the enemy, Jerry Elliott jumped from his gunner's seat to rescue fellow Black Cat soldiers, and simply vanished. The military listed him as Missing In Action...  MIA - a hellish classification that provides neither comfort nor closure to those back home.       

Officially designated as "Case 1000" by the Department of Defense, Jerry's fate is still uncertain, despite a determined quest for the truth by his younger sister, Donna. Frustrated at nearly every turn by the POW/MIA bureaucracy, she stoically continues the search-one that has taken her from Washington, D.C. to Vietnam and back again.

Keeping the Promise is a bittersweet tale of a sister's unending dedication to do just that-keep the promise made to her brother, to the families of the POW/MIAs, and most importantly, to those left behind in Southeast Asia: We won't stop until every last man has the fullest possible accounting.

Reviewed by: Stephen Phillips (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

On January 21, 1968, the 282nd AHC was on a mission to support U.S. troops under siege in Khe Sanh village when the lead helicopter was shot down by the North Vietnamese. In the midst of the enemy, Jerry Elliott jumped from his gunner's seat to rescue fellow Black Cat soldiers, and simply vanished. The military listed him as Missing In Action...  MIA - a hellish classification that provides neither comfort nor closure to those back home.       

Officially designated as "Case 1000" by the Department of Defense, Jerry's fate is still uncertain, despite a determined quest for the truth by his younger sister, Donna. Frustrated at nearly every turn by the POW/MIA bureaucracy, she stoically continues the search-one that has taken her from Washington, D.C. to Vietnam and back again.

Keeping the Promise is a bittersweet tale of a sister's unending dedication to do just that-keep the promise made to her brother, to the families of the POW/MIAs, and most importantly, to those left behind in Southeast Asia: We won't stop until every last man has the fullest possible accounting.

The Mullahs Storm, by Thomas W. Young

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MWSA Review

After losing his crew near Bagram Air Base returning from an attempted mission to deliver a dangerous Taliban mullah, Major Michael Parson single handedly sets out to recover the escaped insurgent and captured master sergeant Gold. During this effort, his choice to rescue master sergeant Gold from Al Quaida terrorists in the midst of a bitter Afghan winter takes the reader on a non-stop, action packed adventure as only someone "who's been there" can tell it.  The Mullah's Storm is a beautifully told story of hard choices, dedication and loyalty. 

Without a doubt, Young's fast-paced, riveting story fits mystery/thriller criteria perfectly. Pitted against the forbidding terrain of the Hindu Kush, navigator Parson and master sergeant Gold, a female Army interpreter, struggle to survive not only the fierce Afghan weather, but to survive the even fiercer insurgents dedicated to the rescue of their mullah. Excellent story, well thought out and presented beautifully. 

Character development is superbly executed as are descriptions of engagements with the enemy. Perhaps most compelling is the humanity of each combatant while never deviating from the commitment to country and duty of both main characters, Parson and Gold. Something about women's strength and contributions.

I loved the fact that at no time does the reader know the outcome of this challenge to re-capture the mullah and deliver him into US military hands. This was a pleasure to read.  Highly recommend.

Reviewed by: Carmen Stenholm (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

A U.S. Air Force transport plane takes off from Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, carrying a high-value Taliban detainee bound for prison and interrogation.  Insurgents shoot down the plane with a shoulder-launched missile, and it crash lands in the Hindu Kush mountains.  A strong winter storm makes a rescue impossible.  A surviving crew member, navigator Michael Parson, along with a female Army interpreter, must now evade capture in hostile territory with a prisoner who would like very much for them to get caught.  A battle for survival begins across some of the most forbidding terrain on earth. 

Laos File, by Dale A. Dye

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MWSA Review

The death of a salty old senior NCO who ran special operations in Vietnam, and the discovery of the detailed notebooks he kept on those classified missions, leads Marine Gunner Shake Davis on a shocking and potentially lethal quest to find out what happened to hundreds of American POWs who disappeared along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Shake Davis attaches himself to an official post-war stabilization mission designed to establish normal relations between his nation and the DRV with a secret agenda to prove – or disapprove – what he suspects might be the final fate of many Americans still listed as Missing in Action from the Vietnam War.
 
Dale is a Marine officer who rose through the ranks to retire as a Captain after twenty-one years in war and peace. He is a distinguished graduate of Missouri Military Academy who enlisted in the United States Marine Corps shortly after graduation. Sent to war in Southeast Asia, he served in Vietnam in 1965 and again from 1967 through 1970 surviving 31 major combat operations. Appointed a Warrant Officer in 1976, he later converted his commission and was a Captain when he deployed to Beirut, Lebanon with the Multinational Force in 1982-83. 

Reviewed by: Bob Ruehrdanz (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

The death of a salty old senior NCO who ran special operations in Vietnam leads Marine Gunner Shake Davis on a shocking and potentially lethal quest to find out what happened to hundreds of American POWs. Written by the bestselling author of 'Platoon,' Dale A. Dye.

For Love of Country, by William C. Hammond

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MWSA Review

The early years of the new United States serves as the setting for William C. Hammond’s For Love of Country.  The second in a series, through its pages the reader continues a sea-going adventure with the Cutlers, a merchant family from Hingham, Massachusetts. Richard Cutler captains the family’s newest vessel, Falcon.  Like other shipping companies of the time, American vessels are contending with piracy in the Mediterranean.  On Falcon’s maiden voyage, Cutler is charged with meeting the Dey of Algiers to pay the tribute required to free one of the Cutler’s merchant crews to include his younger brother, Caleb Cutler.  When negotiations go awry, Falcon sails for France, and must fight pirates along the way.

Cutler is well received in France and meets with both John Paul Jones and the soon to be Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. Both warn him of the trials and tribulations of the brewing French Revolution. Cutler fears for his former love, Anne-Marie Helvetian, but is able to sneak she and her daughters out of France to the United States.
For Love of Country is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or novels about the sea. The political scene in the United States and France is well researched.  Upon completing this book, any reader will anxiously await the next installment.

Reviewed by: Stephen Phillips (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

The novel opens with the capture of the Cutler merchant brig Eagle by Barbary pirates. Young Caleb Cutler and his shipmates are taken as prisoners to Algiers. Richard Cutler is sent to North Africa to pay the ransom demanded by the Dey of Algiers to free his brother and the others. After the dey rejects the ransom, Richard must defend his family's fortune from Algerian pirates who try to take it by force. Victorious in a fierce battle at sea, Richard travels to Paris to report to John Paul Jones, his former naval commander, who will serve as America's emissary to the Barbary States. In Paris, amid the tumult of the French Revolution, Richard engages in a desperate attempt to save his former lover, the beautiful Anne-Marie Helvetian, and her two young daughters from the guillotine.

Shall Never See So Much, by Gerald Gillis

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MWSA Review

If any year defined the Baby Boomer generation, it would be 1968. The anti-war protests at home played out against heavy fighting during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. Idealistic and hopeful youth rallied around Dr. Martin Luther King and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy only to witness their assassinations two months apart. Music was great and women were empowered. It is against this backdrop that author Gerald Gillis sets his novel, Shall Never See So Much. 

Central characters Tom and Kate Flanagan, brother and sister, are typical of their generation in their passion for what they believe is best for our nation. But like the nation in 1968, they stand divided. Tom is a lieutenant in the Marine Corps leading men into some of the most vicious battles in Vietnam. Kate has just joined the staff of anti-war candidate Sen. Robert F. Kennedy as he campaigns for the presidency. Both Tom’s and Kate’s individual stories play off each other and bring the reader into that challenging year in our history.

Gillis is a former Marine and expressively captures the “everydayness” as well as the horrors of war.  Shall Never See So Much is an incredible story of family, war and the love of country that held our nation together.

Reviewed by: Gail Chatfield (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Shall Never See So Much is the story of a brother and sister in the epochal year 1968. The story is told from the point of view of Chicago-natives Tom and Kate Flanagan. Calm, thoughtful Tom Flanagan is a young U.S. Marine lieutenant serving as a platoon leader in Vietnam at the time of the momentous Tet Offensive. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, high-spirited, activist Kate Flanagan accepts a job on the staff of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy as RFK begins his ill-fated quest for the presidency. The previously close relationship between the brother and sister is severely strained over their respective positions on the war, and their discord only serves to heighten the anxieties felt by the entire Flanagan family. Tom’s own survival is threatened by the heavy fighting he experiences, especially during the Battle of Hue. Shall Never See So Much is a story of heroism and triumph.

Victory Road, by Mark Bowlin

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MWSA Review

The Texas Gun Club series is about the invasion and conquest of Italy in WWII, and the first novel of the series is titled The Texas Gun Club. When the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard (know as "The Texas Army," and sometimes as "The Texas Gun Club") was federalized, it became part of the 5th Army commanded by LG Mark Clark. 

The 36th was the first American unit to hit the beach at Salerno, Italy on 9 September 1943, and The Texas Gun Club is the story of the division's landing and the battle for Salerno as seen through the eyes two cousins, 1LT Sam Taft and Capt Perkins Berger. 

Victory Road picks up the story, and is built around the battle for San Pietro. A brutal battle fought against battle hardened German troop dung in on a series of defensive lines south of Rome. The descriptions of battle will make you think you are there. Attacks and counter attacks in freezing rain and sleet as the unit fights its way through a narrow gap and attempts to advance north on Route 6, named Victory Road by the troops. 

Intrigue, spies, tragedy, brotherhood, bravery, love, treachery, comradery, leadership and stupidity are characteristics displayed by various characters. Some of the unfinished story lines from the first book are completed, and at least one spills over into the next book. 

A realistic look at the Italian campaign and the face of war. A great read and highly recommended. 

Reviewed by: Lee Boyland (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Victory Road is the second book in the award-winning Texas Gun Club series. It's the fall of 1943: The Allied Advance up the Italian Peninsula has ground to a halt, and the prospect of taking Rome before Christmas seems more distant than ever. In their first action since Salerno, First Lieutenant Sam Taft and the soldiers of Able Company are sent to wrest a lonely stretch of road from the German defenders--the Italians call it Highway 6, but the boys of the Texas Gun Club know it as Victory Road. As Sam slugs it out in the valley, somewhere beyond the highway high up in the mountains, his cousin, Captain Perkin Berger struggles against harsh elements and murderous German intelligence agents in his quest to be the first American into San Pietro.

False Honor, by Jim Greenwald

MWSA Review
Missing
 

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Author's Synopsis

Not found

Christmas Whistles, by Bonnie Bartel Latino

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MWSA Review
 

Missing review
 

Author's Synopsis

This short story of around 1,400 words was written especially for those who have lost someone they deeply loved--especially during the month of December when it's difficult to generate JOY like everyone expects. It is a profoundly sad--but uplifting--true story.

CHRISTMAS WHISTLES won the Military Writers Society of America's 2011 William E. Mayer Award for Literary or Artistic Excellence. 

Events detailed in the story also became the catalyst for the award-winning novel, YOUR GIFT TO ME by Bonnie Latino and Bob Vale. 

Chitose Road, by Bob Ruehrdanz

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MWSA Review

Interesting look into a forgotten slice of history. 

Robert Ruehrdanz’ novel, Chitose Road is hard to characterize. It’s historical fiction; but it’s also a love story. The book reads a lot like a memoir, and it certainly exudes authenticity based on the author’s past experiences in the Army and in Japan. The book takes place almost entirely in Japan in the early 1950s – during and after the Korean War. The novel’s main character, James Q. “Jim” Truax, is drawn into a crazy world of espionage, intelligence… all of which is leavened with Army incompetence, mishaps, bad weather, vindictive officers and Japanese culture. 

Shortly after joining the Army in 1953, Truax is thrust into the arcane world of the Army Security Agency (precursor to the National Security Agency or “NSA”). Nothing goes as planned (as is often the case in the US military):  his records are lost, he doesn’t get paid, and he fails to receive proper training… the list goes on and on. All the while, Truax attempts to cope with the curveballs life throws his way. He falls in love with his Japanese hosts, their habits, and the country’s beautiful scenery. The reader – like many of US personnel stationed there over the years – will be enthralled to learn about Japan and its people. 

The book flows smoothly due to Ruehrdanz’ writing style and the book’s large text make it quite easy to read.

Reviewed by: John Cathcart (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Chitose Road is about a strange cast of Americans stationed on the Island of Hokkaido in the 1950s involving espionage, romance, and crowded living conditions, as they learned how to interact with the Japanese culture during and after the Korean War.

Eddie & Bingo, by Katherine and Kathleen 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...

The Untold Experiences by C. Gilbert Lowery

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MWSA Review

This is a recounting of how C. Gilbert Lowery, a US Navy Hospital Corpsman, was assigned to a US Marine Corps Reconnaissance Patrol Team during covert missions in Korea. Pyonggang Airfield, Kaesong, Sariwon & more.

A formal & well told slice of military life out beyond the DMZ with plenty of technical, material & topographic details, & few philosophical detours or
anachronistic Monday morning quarterbacking. A look into other areas less known that those in the military perform regularly then and now. An engaging, gentlemanly read about brothers of a forgotten war.

Reviewed by: Dave Brown (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

The Untold Experiences of a Navy Corpsman: A US Navy Hospital Corpsman with a US Marine Corps Reconnaissance Patrol Team in the 1950's on covert Korean missions.

War Remains by Jeffrey Miller

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MWSA Review

War Remains by Jeffrey Miller is an excellent read. Never having been a history buff due to teachers and professors who made it less than enjoyable for me, I am truly grateful for authors like Mr. Miller who can take me through the Korean War days in a way that attaches it to people and emotions and the reality of how it affected families.

When I think about the title War Remains I asked myself as I was reading it, just what the author had in mind.  The title can certainly have multiple meanings. The obvious seems to be that many of our military were left behind in Korea and families were told they were MIA and unless their remains were to be found and identified, that would continue to be their classification. From my research, it appears that we have MIA status for approximately 10,000 of our military. One fifth of those are from Vietnam, and the other four-fifths from the Korean War. Have I ever once given thought about the family members that have been affected in this way? I’m ashamed to say that I don’t think so. War Remainshas touched me in a very special way.

This book led me to research what has been happening for these families. Hence, to me, the title can also mean that this war remains in the hearts of the survivors. Jeffrey Miller’s book will open the hearts and the eyes of those who have lived their lives unaffected by the Korean War. I thank him for that gift. It should also prove as a source of hope for families still waiting to have closure.

Mr. Miller begins his book with the discovery of a footlocker in an attic. This footlocker then finds its way to the son of Sgt. First Class Robert (Bobby) Francis Washkowiak, Ronnie Washkowiak. It contains many letters from Bobby to his wife, Mary, and their infant son, Ronnie. When Bobby heads off to war, it is his small beloved family that keeps him going through his time in Korea. The book uses his many letters, which are then read by Ronnie, and his son, Michael to take us to the time and place when Bobby is writing the letters to his beloved wife.  In this way, we see the side of war from the Korean War happenings which the author does a superb job of writing, telling readers about what the GIs in Korea were facing and about the many battles and the fact that the Korean War is called a “forgotten war.” Then we move back to present day, when Bobby’s family is always wondering what happened to their father, grandfather, and husband. Just how long should a young woman with a young son hold out hope for her loved one to return? How long should one wait to accept that your husband has probably been killed?  Mr. Miller does a superb job of transitioning back and forth between time frames.

Mr. Miller has very successfully written a story that shines light onto what many American families have experienced. It is a beautiful love story, shown through the many letters from Bobby to Mary. It is a war story, in that we see the Korean War up close and personal, through Bobby and his GI buddies. We see our military heroes returning to the States never knowing what happened to buddies that they had gotten close to during their service to our country. It is not always easy reading when you encounter the Chinese in the rice paddies in the deep of night. But it is encouraging to know that some families have received closure when DNA has been matched to the remains of their loved one. 

I highly recommend War Remains to readers…this book has touched me deeply and is sticking with me both in my mind and my heart days after completing it. War Remains is a very impressive first novel for Jeffrey Miller.

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Robert "Bobby" Washkowiak battles his way through the bitter first winter of the Korean War, longing for home, his wife, and newborn son. Fifty years later, his son and grandson come across his wartime letters and together, they try to find out what really happened to him on one of the battlefields of that "forgotten war."

Truman and MacArthur by Don Farinacci

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MWSA Review

One of the Best Books on Truman & MacArthur. The younger American generation has little clue as to what actually happened in the Korean War--it is truly a lost history.  Author Donald Farinacci puts together a largely unknown and misunderstood part of that era with his revealing book about the relationship between two of the giants of that period of our history--President Truman and General MacArthur. 
 
There are still many historians that feel General Macarthur was right.  The debate still rages on because of the present day world problems with both China and North Korea. Farinacci chronicles past events and brings them alive. He skillfully documents events while weaving in brilliant his narratives.  
 
"Truman and MacArthur: Adversaries for a Common Cause" is one of the best books I have ever read on this subject matter. If you were only going to read one book about the Korean War and the politics of this time period, then this would be the book that you must read first to gain a better understanding of what happened and why. 

 I highly recommend this book for those interested in history, politics and war. It is informative and actually entertaining.  I would rank this book right up there as one of the top 25 books ever written on that time of our history.  

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

The author's purpose in writing this book was to tell a story of events which occurred during a brief but momentous period in American history, involving two extraordinary men, President Harry S. Truman and General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur. The story tells of their interaction during a time of grave national crisis, how they veered badly off course and ultimately collided head-on. It was a collision which both altered the course of history and irreparably changed their personal destinies. 

What is related here is first and foremost a human story, but one that plays out against the panorama of the Korean War--a nasty, brutish and fearsome slice of hell where what was at stake was nothing less than the determination of whether the Communist Sino-Soviet alliance would gain dominion by force over large regions of the continent of Asia or be contained and held in check by a coalition of United Nations Forces led by the United States. 

As the drama unfolded during a critical period of approximately ten months in 1950 and 1951, the all-pervasive tension holding the principal players in its grip was the ever-present threat of nuclear war looming over all of humankind. 

Other larger-than-life personalities also emerge in this epic tale and are interspersed with the two main characters. They include Eighth Army Commander Matthew B. Ridgway, Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall, South Korean President Syngman Rhee, NATO Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ambassador Averell Harriman, Army General Walton W. Walker, Marine General O.P. Smith, Army Chief of Staff J. Lawton Collins, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Omar Bradley, and Marine Colonel "Chesty" Puller. Every one of them played an integral role in the drama and some of them such as Ridgway, Acheson, Marshall and Eisenhower actually changed the course of history. But, the overarching giants of this tale are Truman and MacArthur. Their saga of 1950-1951 underscores the fact that no matter what the magnitude of events, history is still primarily a collection of stories about people. 

This is one of those stories--one that is part of the larger framework of the forty-five year-long Cold War, but one that is surpassed in importance by none other in that singularly perilous epoch of world history.

Tiger Bravo's War by Rick St John

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MWSA Review
If you have never read a book about the Vietnam War, I recommend that you read this one. For that matter, if you’ve read fifty books about Vietnam, I still suggest that you read Tiger Bravo's War by Rick St John. Engagingly written, Tiger Bravo's War draws you into the maelstrom of war, one step at a time. It provides context and understanding of a divisive time in our nation’s history. It honors the men who lived and loved; laughed and cried; sacrificed and bled or died.

Civilians like me who have never experienced military life will be led through one company’s train-up to deployment, in-country training, year-long deployment, and homecoming without feeling disenfranchised by their lack of knowledge of military terms, acronyms, and special jargon. (Veterans will likely find enjoyment in the way that St John is able to define the experiences and vocabulary without condescending or over-explaining.) 

Tiger Bravo is nonfiction military history covering a year in the lives of the soldiers of B Company, 2/506 of the 101st Airborne Division. It recounts the life and death struggles, the battles, the strategies, the humor, the horror, the victories, the defeats, the gains, and the losses during the company’s 1968 combat tour in Vietnam. St John allows us to see and feel what is going on through his superb writing, meticulously researched details, and seamlessly transitioned first-hand accounts of soldiers who were there. The numerous maps of battle plans allow us to understand how it went down from a bird’s-eye view. And the photos help us to realize that these were real people, not statistics—fellow citizens who were part of the Tiger Bravo company that year. 

This is not an easy book to read. But it’s important. There were several times I had to put the book down, just to take some time off to absorb the difficulty and the horror of what our fighting men endured. And there were a couple times I just wanted it to end; the book seemed too long. However, I felt compelled to continue reading in honor of those who actually lived through the experience. If they could persevere and endure for a full year, I reasoned that I could continue reading for a few hours. No doubt they would have liked the luxury of time off to absorb the difficulty and horror. And no doubt they just wanted it to end. But they soldiered on. I could do no less.

MWSA Reviewer: Betsy Beard (March 2018)

Author's Synopsis

Tiger Bravo’s War is an extensively researched, nonfiction account of a company of young paratroopers (B Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry), from the very same battalion in the 101st Airborne Division as portrayed in Stephen Ambrose’s World War II best-seller Band of Brothers, during their first year of combat in the Vietnam War - - - from a bayonet charge in a legendary VC stronghold and street fighting during the Tet Offensive of 1968, to a rescue mission to save a surrounded platoon and rock and roll in the company mess hall, and much more. Thirty of its soldiers would be killed in action, and collectively it would amass 150 Purple Hearts. 

It is also a soldier’s tale of the young men of Tiger Bravo - - - the son of a World War II Japanese fighter pilot, who wins a Silver Star fighting as an American infantryman; the tough kid from rural Texas, who leaves a job cleaning astronaut offices in Houston to volunteer to be a paratrooper; the medic, abandoned by his mother, who would find in Tiger Bravo the family he never had, and over a dozen more with their own unique stories. 

“If anyone wants to feel the fast-paced tempo and dangers of combat, read Tiger Bravo’s War. The vivid descriptions of the soldier’s daily struggle for survival and love for each other . . . is a must read for anyone who wants to understand combat at its most fundamental level.” Lieutenant General David E Grange Jr (US Army, retired).

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 13:9780998854205, ISBN 13:9780998854229 (ASIN:B075LZ3L83), ISBN 13:9780998854236
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Nonfiction, History, Memoir
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 331
 

Saga of the Sioux, by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

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MWSA Review

This adaption of "Saga of the Sioux" by Zimmerman is an excellent book for young adults and children. Marvelously written and containing maps and pictures to keep their interest. Clearly a book that belongs in history classes as it tells a story more to the truth than is found in most history taught in schools today.

Reviewed by:Dick Geschke (2013)

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Author's Synopsis

This new adaptation of Dee Brown's multi-million copy bestseller, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, is filled with photographs and maps to bring alive the tragic saga of Native Americans for middle grade readers. Focusing on the Sioux nation as representative of the entire Native American story, this meticulously researched account allows the great chiefs and warriors to speak for themselves about what happened to the Sioux from 1860 to the Massacre of Wounded Knee in 1891. This dramatic story is essential reading for every student of U.S. history.