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

Bringing Courage to the Courageous by Don Williamson

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MWSA Review

Bringing Courage to the Courageous offers a unique opportunity to view the battlefield of modern day Afghanistan through the eyes of one who experienced it firsthand.  Chaplain (Captain) Don Williamson’s active twenty-year military career spans the spectrum from Private to Captain to Chaplain.  Bringing Courage to the Courageouschronicles his first assignment as Chaplain during a fifteen-month deployment to war torn Afghanistan in May 2007 to July 2008.  
 
Armed only with his Bible, Captain Williamson served as battalion chaplain for the 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Artillery Regiment for the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.  Determined to reach as many Soldiers as possible, the dedicated Chaplain endeavored to visit every single FOB at least once during his deployment—no matter how distant, remote, or dangerous.   
 
Not only is Chaplain Williamson an inspiration to those in uniform, but his heartfelt account of encounters with Soldiers in need of support, encouragement, spiritual guidance, advice, and camaraderie will encourage and enlighten the reader as well.  Very seldom is a reader privileged to such an intimate view into the life of a soldier in combat, and the ministers who strive to keep them bolstered for battle.  
 
The prose is intense and descriptive, transporting the reader into a pair of Army boots, and into the heart of a man of God.  The writing is flowing and connected, making it a pleasure to read.  The content is factual, informative, and interesting, but contains elements of honesty and sensitivity that penetrates the heart with its warmth.  
 
The author’s telling of various Soldiers’ stories is beautifully written, exposing America’s finest in a way that few of us will ever be privy to witness, allowing us to rejoice in their triumphs, weep in their tragedies, and mourn their losses.  
 
Although scorched many times by the heat of battle, not a solitary Soldier in Chaplain Williamson’s assigned unit was lost during their fifteen-month deployment.  Not a single casualty from the 4th Battalion was suffered under his prayerful watch.  What a remarkable statistic that was—so remarkable that they were dubbed the “Miracle Battalion.”  Was their immaculate good fortune a result of divine intervention in answer to the Chaplain’s unceasing prayers, or just simply blind luck?  The reader is free to make his or her own assumption.  
 
This appropriately titled body of work offers every American the chance to watch a devoted ministering Soldier do what he does best … Bringing Courage to the Courageous.  
 
This book will inspire all readers—military and civilian alike.  Supported by Biblical truths, it will fill the reader’s heart with pride and appreciation for God, country, and those brave, selfless souls who as Chaplain Williamson phrased it … “carry a weapon so I (we) don’t have to.”

Reviewed by: Claudia Pemberton (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

This book was primarily a collection of emails sent to hundreds of friends and family members during the author's time in Afghanistan.  Spanning fifteen months, it tells of a battalion chaplain's journey on the battlefields of Afghanistan, providing ministry to Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team from May 2007 to July 2008. The 4-319th would go on to be nicknamed "The Miracle Battalion" being the only battalion in the brigade to not suffer the loss of a Soldier to either wounded in action or killed in action. It tells the story of how God works in and through the lives of our brave men and women in uniform and what they sacrifice on a daily basis to keep our nation free. It is a story that proves miracles still happen on the battlefield today!

Beyond All Price by Carolyn Poling Schriber

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MWSA Review

Beyond All Price is a five-by-eight inch paperback book. The cover has a pleasant design portraying a gun battery at Fort Donelson, Tennessee. As Civil War fiction, this book presents a well-researched chronicle of Nellie Chase’s career as matron and nurse to the 100th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Nellie Chase existed. The 100th Pennsylvania Regiment existed. This fictional account of Nellie’s efforts gives the reader an insight to the early years of the Civil War; as the 100th Pennsylvania goes through training and campaigns in coastal Carolina.

Following her career with the 100th Pennsylvania, Nellie becomes the organizational force that develops the model veterans hospital in Nashville as the Civil War comes to a close.

Beyond All Price is a recommended read for Civil War followers. It is an interesting story that provides insight into Nellie Chase’s life during and after the Civil War.

Reviewed by: John R. R. Faulkner (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Beyond All Price is a historical novel, based on the life story of Nellie M. Chase, a Union nurse during America's Civil War. She was strong enough to escape from an abusive relationship and resourceful enough to find a job as wardrobe mistress for a theater. The actress with whom she shared a room in a squalid tenement took an overdose of opium in an effort to escape a life of prostitution. Nellie joined the Union Army, because life in the midst of a war seemed safer than the one she had been living. She found a home with the 100th Pennsylvania Regiment, known as "The Roundheads" because of their religious beliefs. Her skill and compassion led one of her patients to write, "Even here, amid the roar and carnage, was found a woman with the soul to dare danger; the heart to sympathize with the battle-stricken; sense, skill, and experience to make her a treasure beyond all price." * She was equally at home managing a southern plantation full of abandoned slaves, a battlefield operating station, or a 600-bed military hospital. After the war, her deep-seated need to dedicate her life to a worthy cause continued to drive her efforts until she faced an enemy more lethal than war.

Wing Wife by Marcia J. Sargent

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MWSA Review

The author shares soul-felt reflections that begin in the seventies when, at twenty-two, she marries big brother’s best friend. The union is not common - both husband and brother are Marine F4 Phantom jet fighter pilots – and her life blasts off in a direction any wife could hardly fathom. Using a fast paced writing style, Marcia Sargent shares a thorough account of the ongoing love and sacrifice experienced with a career Marine aviator. Blending humor and tragedy, she vividly portrays the psychosocial dynamics at the officers clubs and wives meetings, through deployment and relocation, and when babies are born and loved ones vaporize in the air. While reading, I felt it – when the switch is hit that instantly changes your life forever … you can’t go back, reach for the brake, and zoom out of control. In Wing Wife, families persevere through incredible loss and then regroup in traditional Marine Corps fashion to show the young newcomers how to live fully in the face of constant danger. Thumbs up! I highly recommend this survival - success story and consider it an educational building block for anyone who likes or NEEDS to learn about the dedication and determination required in service to family and country.              

Reviewed by: Hodge Wood (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Marcia never flew high performance aircraft, yet she learned to appreciate and maneuver through the irreverent, technical, and dangerous world of the Marine aviator--at and under her husband's wing. In WING WIFE: How to Be Married to a Fighter Pilot, a memoir of the first few years of her marriage to a Marine jet jockey, Marcia navigates the unfamiliar skies of officer's wives, military expectations, and the loss of loved ones. Over time she realizes what she risks by loving a man who flies. WING WIFE brings the reader intimately into the bawdy, comedic, and tragic world of the Marine Corps aviator and the aviator's wife. 

American Guerilla by Mike Guardia

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MWSA Review

American Guerrilla is the fascinating, and little known story of Russell Volckmann, a U.S. Army officer who evaded capture by the Japanese when the Philippines fell to them in December of 1941. In the ensuing 3 years, Volckmann managed to raise a resistance army in the mountains, and jungles which harassed, and killed Japanese soldiers, creating havoc, and disarray in their ranks for the remainder of the war, and the reader is allowed to relive his daring adventure by reliving an almost daily account of pertinent events in diaries, letters, and official archived documents.
 
The book is meticulously researched, with facts verified by exhaustive sleuthing on the part of the author. A chronological account of the hardships, and challenges dealt with by Volckmann, and his followers is detailed page after page. The book is not a snapshot overview of this part of the war, but a fine work of investigative history. It is a fine study of the obscure origins of the U.S. army's Special Forces. Highly recommended for military history buffs that are looking for those elusive undercurrents, that are too often passed over in favor of the more spectacular.

Reviewed by: Bob Flournoy (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

A main selection of the Military Book Club and a selection of the History Book Club.
 
With his parting words "I shall return," General Douglas MacArthur sealed the fate of the last American forces on Bataan. Yet one young Army Captain named Russell Volckmann refused to surrender. He disappeared into the jungles of north Luzon where he raised a Filipino army of over 22,000 men. For the next three years he led a guerrilla war against the Japanese, killing over 50,000 enemy soldiers. At the same time he established radio contact with MacArthur's HQ in Australia and directed Allied forces to key enemy positions. When General Yamashita finally surrendered, he made his initial overtures not to MacArthur, but to Volckmann.
 
This book establishes how Volckmann's leadership was critical to the outcome of the war in the Philippines. His ability to synthesize the realities and potential of guerrilla warfare led to a campaign that rendered Yamashita's forces incapable of repelling the Allied invasion. Had it not been for Volckmann, the Americans would have gone in "blind" during their counter-invasion, reducing their efforts to a trial-and-error campaign that would undoubtedly have cost more lives, materiel, and potentially stalled the pace of the entire Pacific War. 
 
Second, this book establishes Volckmann as the progenitor of modern counterinsurgency doctrine and the true "Father" of Army Special Forces- a title that history has erroneously awarded to Colonel Aaron Bank of the ETO. In 1950, Volckmann wrote two Army field manuals: Operations Against Guerrilla Forces and Organization and Conduct of Guerrilla Warfare, though today few realize he was their author. Together, they became the Army's first handbooks outlining the precepts for both special warfare and counter-guerrilla operations. Taking his argument directly to the Army Chief of Staff, Volckmann outlined the concept for Army Special Forces. At a time when U.S. military doctrine was conventional in outlook, he marketed the ideas of guerrilla warfare as a critical force multiplier for any future conflict, ultimately securing the establishment of the Army's first special operations unit-the 10th Special Forces Group. 
 
Volckmann himself remains a shadowy figure in modern military history, his name absent from every major biography on MacArthur, and in much of the Special Forces literature. Yet as modest, even secretive, as Volckmann was during his career, it is difficult to imagine a man whose heroic initiative had more impact on World War II. This long overdue book not only chronicles the dramatic military exploits of Russell Volckmann, but analyzes how his leadership paved the way for modern special warfare doctrine.

I Know Why the Dogwoods Blush by Bill Cain

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MWSA Review

If you enjoy horror novels by classic authors then you'll not be disappointed with this supernatural crime thriller by Bill Cain. Set in a modern South Georgia town, the talented storyteller ushers the reader into a head-on encounter with pure evil. The book centers around the legend of the dog wood tree and the Dog Wood Festivals in Timmons County. This supernatural mystery is well worth the read. To say more would betray the impact of the text. You'll have to read the book. To quote the author; May the dogwoods always blush for you ... to light your path ... and show you the way. 

Bill Cain's other publications include Hitler's Last Gamble, Tank of Tomorrow Stryker and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Bill Cain is a retired US Army Colonel, Desert Storm & Iraqi Freedom War Veteran and a true American Patriot.

Reviewed by: Paul Decker (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

When love turns to hate, there’s Hell to pay!

Jeremiah “Jerry” Bronson was an abandoned newborn baby discovered by Sheriff “Big Ben” Spear in Timmons County, Georgia during the annual Dogwood Festival of 1950. Raised by the entire town, Jerry grew to become the hometown hero in every area: high school football star, Vietnam war hero, and pacifist reverend. His mentor, “Father” Roman Spindola, thought of him as his own son.

Upon returning home from Vietnam in 1972, Jerry vowed to never harm another human being again and became a respected minister. He married high school sweetheart and local entertainer Angel Andrews. Life was good. Then came the Dogwood Festival of 1979 when sadistic biker Roscoe Parker and his “Broken Bones” gang rode into town on a murder and pillage spree. Jerry saved the town and was elected sheriff. His star continued to shine.

Jerry, Angel and their dog, Blueblood, were murdered by a Russian mob cartel during the Dogwood Festival of 1995. Avenged by Dick Spear, the old sheriff’s son who now stood poised to become the sheriff himself, the little town of Timmonsville has moved on beyond these tragedies. The Dogwood Festival of 2010 is about to begin.

During the week prior to the festival, the grave of Jerry Bronson is desecrated and his body taken. Strange events are occurring around town. And to the west … in Louisiana, Kansas and Washington, former Timmons County residents are meeting with violent deaths. As more and more unexplained events take place, “Father” Spindola fears the dead are about to walk the earth, bringing about the long foretold end of days. Sheriff Dick Spear wants to believe these events are just pranks carried out by misguided teens. But both men carry secrets from the past: Spindola with his supernatural visions of death and Spear with his knowledge of what really happened the night Jerry Bronson died. Waiting in the shadows, watching his decades long plan finally come into play, is the evil Vladimir Buchinsky. He’d failed twice before in his efforts to destroy the town. But this time, he had a secret weapon: a spell so powerful it could resurrect the dead and usher in a new dark age for mankind.

As the events of the Bronson murders of 1995 are revealed, things appear worse than ever. Has Jerry Bronson returned from the grave to save the town? Or has the real threat to the survival of Timmons County ... and all of mankind … been Jerry Bronson from the start? The blushing Dogwoods know the answer. Their secret will change the world!

I KNOW WHY THE DOGWOODS BLUSH is a crime drama/thriller with a supernatural flourish. It is intended to be a stand-alone tale but with threads linking it to potential follow-on stories told in the same universe and time line. If you think you know the legend of the dogwood tree, think again!

Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you!

Once a Knight by Walt Shiel

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MWSA Review

Trading his horse for a Camel, Everett Ross left the Texas plains for the skies above trenches in Paris. As a volunteer with the Royal Flying Corps, Ross soon finds the realities of war, which include harrowing dogfights, the loss of comrades, and the dichotomy of combating a German ace one hour and romancing a French maiden the next.  

When Walt Shiel introduces Ross in Once a Knight, the pilot is already cynical.  He is clearly on top of his game as an aviator, but he has realized the futility of war. The only thing keeping him from total disgust with life is Geniviéve, who fortunately returns his affections.

Shiel quickly has the reader enthralled with detailed, yet fast paced flying of a style unknown to most today. One comes away sensing they now understand aerial combat whether in a Nieuport or a Sopwith Camel in the days of silk scarves and leather helmets. The combat is unique balanced with a love story that feels like many other courtships in classic literature, without coming off like a cliché. By the end, it is easy to cheer for the hero and leaves the reader hoping for a sequel.

Once a Knight is a great read that will fit well alongside The Razor’s Edge and A Farewell to Arms.

Reviewed by: Stephen Phillips (2011)

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World War I: Air combat is invented in the skies above the battlefield.
 
May 1917: America is gearing up to enter the brutal conflict, and the Sopwith Camel is entering combat service. Many individual Americans, however, have long since signed on to fight the war.
 
In 1916, Everett Ross quit the Texas Rangers and traveled to England to join the Royal Flying Corps, trading his horse for a Nieuport pursuit biplane. No stranger to violence and death, now-Lieutenant Ross duels with German pilots in the pristine skies above the grimy trenches where foot soldiers fight for victory foot by bloody foot.
 
Between dogfights, Ross loses his heart to a young French beauty whose domineering mother fights her own battle to protect Geneviéve from this American cowboy wearing a British uniform. Ross soon must decide between love and duty, between orders and necessity.
 
This fast-moving story combines romance and combat action in a land knocked out of kilter by a deadly war often seemingly without objectives.
 
As a pursuit pilot in the War to End All Wars, Ross struggles to maintain his own sense of honor and valor in the midst of chaos and death.
 
The combat sequences are told as only an experienced military pilot and historian can. Walt Shiel, long fascinated by the rapid evolution of aerial warfare in the First World War, has studied innumerable books and articles written by the men who flew and fought in the Great War. His understanding of aviation, combat tactics and their development brings the aerial scenes to vivid life. His knowledge of how those knights of the air lived, loved and died puts the reader in their flying boots and cockpits, complete with the emotions that drove them, the doubts that haunted them, the death that stalked them.

Still Standing by Jim Kosmo

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MWSA Review

Still Standing is John Kriesel’s story – growing up in Minnesota, joining the National Guard, being deployed to Iraq. There he confronts death in Fallujah when an IED takes his legs. John’s story (as told by others) takes us through the rapid medical response to save his life. John’s story is about survival. John’s story is about recovery. John’s story is about his support systems, his community.

A Vietnam veteran told me “Life is not about legs.” This is also true in John’s story.

We’ve all heard horror stories of obtaining a US passport. Just read Katie’s (John’s wife) account of getting her US passport so she could go to Germany and be with John. Incredible! This event brings joy to your heart.

Still Standing is a recommended read for anyone interested in the stories of sacrifice by American soldiers in Iraq.

Reviewed by: John R. R. Faulkner (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

When SSG John Kriesel lost his legs and two buddies in a roadside bomb explosion, no one expected him to survive. He died three times on the operating table. Miracles, a lot of miracles, starting with a few grunts who refused to let him die in Iraq, ripped the young warrior from the grip of death and sent him on to four hospitals, thirty-five surgeries, and months of recovery and rehabilitation. Medical miracles put his body back together, but it was an incredible confluence of angels at every step along the way that breathed life into his shattered body.

This is not just another war story. This is the story of an ordinary young man who overcame extraordinary challenges with a lot of help from others, including many strangers and he emerged stronger and more in love with his country, his wife, his children, and ultimately, his own life.

Safe Landings by Fran McGraw

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MWSA Review

In Safe Landings, Fran McGraw has woven a chronicle of her life as the wife of an aviator in the United States Army. She speaks of places her husband has been, with her and their children most of the time, and the joys and pains they experienced as they navigated the unique adventure of military life.

But this book is mostly about Ms. McGraw's life as a military spouse. Descriptions of the places they have lived are richly detailed, as are the lasting friendships they made during her husband's aviation career.

It is apparent that Ms. McGraw's family is bound by love and a deep Christian faith. She speaks of how their faith has been called upon whenever a difficult decision has to be made, or when life has brought troubling or troublesome, events. Through the years of their marriage, and the rearing of their children, their faith never wavered, and it was instrumental in helping create the successful life they have.

Safe Landings contains enough information about military life to make it a good choice for anyone who might be considering a military career. It will also be a nostalgic journey for someone who has known similar experiences.

Reviewed by: Larry Wikoff (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

A heart-warming memoir of an aviator's wife and her successful fifty-year marriage that endured numerous separations and frequent locations related to military service and her husband's insatiable desire to fly. There are vivid descriptions of military quarters and family situations during assignments that included a 3-year tour in Italy, Alabama (4 times), Arizona (3), Georgia (2), New Jersey (2), North Carolina, Hawaii, and New Mexico (2) where the family lived during the Vietnam War years.

Our Daddy is Invincible by Shannon Maxwell

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MWSA Review

Shannon Maxwell’s experience is the experience of thousands, for war by its very nature is traumatic. Injuries to the mind are inherently more difficult to deal with no matter the form they present themselves in.

This is not a story of a loved one’s injuries but rather the journey the family faced together. When Alexis and Eric were reunited with their father after his return from war they faced a new reality, their Dad was not “Invincible.” His injuries had changed him. The family literally embarked on a journey of discovery, not one of choice, but love. The excellent illustrations add to the power of the words and engage children on a level they easily identify with. I would state here that adults (parents) would gain from reading this book as well.

It is extremely difficult for a husband or wife to deal with the results of traumatic injuries, yet much has been written about it and treatments, therapy etc. have been created to bridge the gap created as a result. For too long children were left pretty much a footnote in the struggle to regain “normalcy” in their daily lives. This book is a great step toward including children on a level they can identify with. 

Reviewed by: jim greenwald (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

What happens when a parent becomes traumatically injured? In Our Daddy Is Invincible! Alexis and Eric find out that their Daddy was badly hurt, something they thought impossible. They are scared for him and wonder how his injuries will change their lives. They learn that his love for them continues to be strong and that life goes on. There are people to help in their daddy’s recovery, new adventures to be found, and new ways to find enjoyment together as a family. Turn the pages of this beautifully illustrated, hope-filled book and discover the possibilities.
 
Our Daddy Is Invincible! is based on the real life experiences of author, Shannon Maxwell’s family. First hand knowledge through their journey following the penetrating traumatic brain injury of LtCol Tim Maxwell, USMC (ret), and advocacy for other wounded families are drawn upon, bringing an uncommon depth of perspective to the challenges, hopes, and possibilities families may face through traumatic injury, recovery, and return home. 

Blooming Red by C. Howard-Johnson & M. Ball

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MWSA Review

This collection of highly individualized and unconventional Christmas poems is not for the tradition-bound. Yet, buried here in the esoteric is enough pathos, longing, joy and humor to strike a familiar chord of the human condition, of that unique flight of the heart during the Christmas season.

There are jewels to be extracted by an attentive mining of the lines of these poems. In Out of Malibu, America's Fulfillment of Prophecy, the original Christmas journey is adapted to a post-millennium bittersweet pilgrimage having as its ultimate destination the Vietnam Memorial.

On a less somber note, sardonic humor tinged with longing for the good old days is found in Christmas Reinvented, a stanza of which is below.

That was then these days we
may celebrate a couple of days
before the twenty-fifth, or
after, on bastard dates left
over from when others have
laid their claim on our
progeny.

Sly, subtle humor makes its way into Test of Faith, featuring grandma. Here it is, in part:

when I was six, I
lost the babe, no bigger
than a thumbnail. The loss,
foreshadowing
for shoplifted babes,
always first in the holy family
to go missing,

One of the most intriguing of these poems is Scientists Say in which the poet employs both criticism and irony in a reaffirmation of the meaning and sanctity of Christmas against the atheistic, existential interpretation of the Bing Bang Theory.

This is hardly your grandmother's collection of Christmas poems. The beauty and poignancy of the Holy Season  don't jump out at you; but, if you dig for them, it is worth the effort.

Reviewed by: Don Farinacci (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

The reality of Christmas does not always resemble the images we see on commercial Christmas cards--or in our dreams. Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Mardalena Ball present a booklet that can easily substitute for a Christmas card. They portray the familar--those of family and warmth, giving and receiving. You'll also find the unusual from carols to the universe to end-of-year pondering with a couple of humorous poems thrown in for good measure.

USAF Interceptors by Mary Isham & D. McLaren

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MWSA Review

This book is about the USAF Interceptors. A compilation of the history of the ADC (Air Defense Command) air fleet from the Cold War to the entry into the jet age.

The compilers of this work have done a great job of opening a window onto the past of fighter aircraft as they relate to the US's airpower and its development. Complete with appendices it provides all the details a history and aviation buff craves and will devour in a sitting.

Loaded with aircraft photos involved in all aspects of their functions this book cannot help but capture the interest of aviation fans young and old. Another super pictorial work from Specialty Press.

Reviewed by: jim greenwald (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Following the successful format of previous Specialty Press Military Photo Logbooks, this book offers readers an excellent photo compilation of all the great USAF Air Defense Command interceptors from the entire Cold War era. Beginning after World War II with the propeller-driven Northrop P-61 Black Widow and North American F-82 Twin Mustang, the Air Force's aerial intercept mission entered the jet age with the fabled North American F-86 Sabre, Northrop F-89 Scorpion, and Lockheed F-94 Starfire, all of which are still high-interest aircraft today. Colorful and unique mission-support airplanes such as the C-124, EB-57, EC-121 Constellation, and T-33 are included as well as the famed next-generation "Century Series" supersonic Air Force interceptors such as the McDonnell F-101B Voodoo, Convair's F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart twins, and the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. All the great aircraft flown by the Air Defense Command are well documented here with rare archival and candid photography.

I Want to be the Fat Pretty One by Lori Kathleen Cline

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MWSA Review

I Want To Be The Fat Pretty One is a first-rate handbook aimed at guiding the reader to a better self-image—from the inside out. This 106-page book is full of Biblical truths that with a modicum of effort and discipline can be applied to the life of every believer. The goals that the author suggests are lofty, but completely attainable.  
 
Although sometimes specifically geared toward military wives, readers of all walks of life can benefit from Cline’s wisdoms and applications. At the conclusion of each chapter, the author offers corresponding scriptural proof to back up her thoughts and principles as they pertain to that specific section. Worksheets and soul-searching questions are also provided at the conclusion of each chapter.  
 
Christian readers will not only be armed with spiritual guidance for the enrichment of their own lives, but will become better witnesses for Christ and a blessing to others as a result.  
 
Cline’s heartfelt writing is cohesive and credible, and is presented in a manner that is easy to understand. It teaches the reader that looking inward is the best way to enhance the outward, and that doing God’s work makes for the most contented self-reflection.    
 
I highly recommend this book to anyone in search of a more fulfilling life, and improved sense of self.

Reviewed by: Claudia Pemberton (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

Ladies, why do we allow society to dictate how we feel about ourselves? How we style our hair. How we smell. What style we are wearing. Everything we present to the public is surface appearance. 
I am challenging every female to get together and work on your God Esteem. By the end of the book I want you to be able to look into the mirror and see God. I want you to be so full of God that there is no doubt that you are a child of God. We all come in different shapes and sizes. The difference though is one you are born with and the other, your rebirth, is a choice. How do you choose to allow the world to see you?

Inside the President's Helicopter G.T. Boyd & J. Boor

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MWSA Review

In August, 1974, I was busy watching over an active toddler and pregnant with our second child. The preceding twelve years had been chaotic – for me personally and for our country. Frustrated, angry, confused and scared, I was no different than anyone else. I remember sitting on the couch, dry-mouthed, watching the first family troop out to a helicopter on the White House lawn. The President’s wife and daughters were stoic, but I knew they’d been crying and would cry again. Nixon paused in the doorway of Army One and flung his arms into the air in his signature “victory” gesture, but his over-shiny eyes betrayed him. I wanted to curse at him, but only a sob came out. What the heck was going on in the world?

LTC Gene Boyer was also a witness to this event – not from the perspective of a prying-eye television set, but from the cockpit of the helicopter waiting for the Nixons and their entourage to board. His description of the sad tableaux inside the craft as it carried the first family to Andrews AFB where Air Force One waited is both sensitive and revealing—as is the rest of Colonel Boyer’s book. This intriguing memoir is filled with many familiar images in American History told from the perspective of a publicly invisible but crucial participant – the President’s helicopter pilot.

Gene Boyer was already an accomplished pilot with thousands of hours in the air, when he was assigned to the Army’s Executive Flight Detachment in October 1963. He was no stranger to carrying VIPs at that point, but this job was special – it was to ferry the President and his guests to official and unofficial events. Boyer was excited about the new position and honored by the opportunity. However, he had not yet arrived at his new duty station when John Kennedy was assassinated. He only worked a short time when new President Lyndon Johnson split the group – sending half to Austin and the other half to Vietnam. Boyer went to Nam.

Helicopters were useful in Korea, but in Vietnam, they became a ubiquitous tool of combat – used to insert and extract troops, rescue the trapped and provide medical assistance to the wounded. Boyer’s time in-country built his love for rotary aircraft and enhanced his already impressive abilities. Those skills were to come in handy when he returned from Southeast Asia to fly Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.  

The sheer breadth of Boyer’s experiences makes this a terrific read. There was the time that he flew Dwight Eisenhower and Walter Cronkite over Omaha Beach while filming a documentary for the Twentieth Anniversary of D-day. There was the struggle to dump Agent Orange out of the back of a Chinook in Vietnam, which turned out to have dire consequences for the health of American troops on the ground and for the pilots charged with dispersing the poison, as well. There’s the story about flying a mile ahead of a motorcade carrying LBJ and Mexican President Diaz Ortez. With a secret service agent strapped to one side of the helicopter and his Mexican counterpart on the other side, they saw a sniper on top of a building overlooking the route. They radioed ahead and the man was arrested. The presidents had no sooner arrived at their destination in Juarez than security had to subdue and arrest a young woman with a pistol.  

There’s also many neat things that only an insider would know--like the time LBJ loaned a helicopter with pilot to ailing ex-President Eisenhower. When then Major Boyer arrived, Ike asked him to take a covey of pretty girls for a ride…and when he returned, before landing, to hover near his hospital window so that he could take their picture. Then there’s the story about taking off from St. Peter’s square with Nixon and a load of presents from the Pope—and the one about a harrowing trip to Peru with Pat Nixon after a catastrophic earthquake.

However, in the end, this book spoke to me more than other accounts of the Watergate travesty. Boyer doesn’t see the political side of Nixon—or the desperate or criminal one. He describes a human being under incredible pressure—a man who was unfailingly polite and appreciative of the service Boyer provided. Along with Colonel Boyer, I had to imagine what the world would have remembered of Nixon had Watergate not happened…certainly history would have shown a productive and successful presidency. I was struck again by the tragedy of it all.

This is a book that made me want to meet the author – to ask him about Julie and Tricia, to talk about the wild party at his home after the Frost/Nixon interviews, to chat about choppers and bloopers – and a host of cultural happenings that we both lived through…he on the edge of reality, me from afar peering through my TV.

Reviewed by: Joyce Faulkner (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

How does a dirt-poor kid from Ohio become the senior helicopter pilot for the White House? "One adventure at a time," says retired U.S. Army LTC Gene T. Boyer. As the pilot who flew President Nixon away from the White House in Army One the day he resigned, Colonel Boyer weaves a fast-paced and revealing account of his extraordinary aviation career through the keen eyes of a Skywitness to History.

Breastfeeding in Combat Boots by Robyn Roche-Paul

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MWSA Review

As the founder and former president of "The Military Writer's Society of America" (MWSA) I have reviewed well over 600 military related books over the last decade. I have never been asked to review any book in that time on "breast-feeding". I wasn't sure therefore how I would be qualified to know what constituted a well written manual for this genre. I did not even know there was a need for one. That I was so ignorant of the need leads me to think that commanders and NCOs of units with breastfeeding mothers in them do not have a clue as to the needs of their women soldiers , sailors, Marines or airmen. In fact, after reading this book ("Breastfeeding In Combat Boots: A Survival Guide to Successful breastfeeding While Serving in the Military" by Robyn Roche-Paull) I realized that we have a crisis need for such books. 

I got the education of my life - and can only assume that others will as well. This book is not just for the mothers but should be mandated for all those in leadership positions who really need to know and understand what the issues are. The author relates the problems and cites the regulations and is very specific and practical. It is obvious that this book is well researched and detailed with information for all involved. This is a manual that belongs of the office shelves of all military units. It is long over-due and in today's modern military it is needed and should be required. 

For military women having this life situation it is indispensable. The regulations are made clear and one would have to assume that if followed this would advert a lot of potential problems and misunderstanding on both sides of this issue. There is an abundance of great and very practical advice, information and details. I honestly have not read any other books on this subject matter but this book appears to cover everything one could possible have any questions about. 

I highly recommend this book - first off, for all military mothers but also for unit leaders so that everyone can work together in harmony as a team. This book will let everyone know the limits and rights of those who choose to breast-feed. This may be only a niche reading market but it is an important one and this manual needs to be recognized as breakthrough effort!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

A much needed resource for active-duty mothers and mothers-to-be, who are seeking information and support on how to breastfeed successfully while serving their country.
 
Are you pregnant and in the military?  Do you want to breastfeed, but just don't know how you can combine 12 hour shifts, training exercises, or deployment with breastfeeding your baby? Author Robyn Roche-Paull answers these questions and more in Breastfeeding in Combat Boots -- A Survival Guide to Breastfeeding Successfully While Serving in the Military. As a veteran of the United States Navy, mother of three breastfed children, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and La Leche League leader, Robyn Roche-Paull has helped many active-duty mothers breastfeed their babies. She has now compiled this knowledge into a comprehensive guide to help all mothers in the military breastfeed their babies successfully. 
 
Most services now have written policies in place to support breastfeeding and direct commanders to provide a place and time for pumping milk. However, even with the policies in place, military mothers face unique circumstances that can make breastfeeding successfully a challenge. This book was written to help military mothers overcome the challenges they face so they can provide the best nutrition for their babies. Some of the topics covered include:
 
o             How do I get breastfeeding off to a good start in only six short weeks?  
o             Can I pump while in the desert for training exercises?  
o             Is my pump allowed onboard ship?  
o             Do I need to pump and dump if I've been exposed to JP-8? 
o             How do I deal with co-workers who do not support my pumping while on duty?
 
These questions and more are answered in Breastfeeding in Combat Boots! In this book, Robyn Roche-Paull provides military moms with insight into the rewarding and wonderful aspects of breastfeeding on active duty, while also giving a realistic look at the challenges that lay ahead. If you are an active-duty pregnant or breastfeeding mother or you work with active-duty mothers, this book is a must-have book for your resource library. Not only is it comprehensive and easy-to-read, it also includes many testimonials from military moms who have successfully breastfed and are happy to share their experiences!