Compilation of real life stories about a parents loss of a child in the United States military.

AR 638-2 06/23/2015 ARMY MORTUARY AFFAIRS PROGRAM , Survival Ebooks

SURVIVAL OF A TEXAN Before the days of McDonalds, Best Western and affordable telephones, two sets of Grandparents, not knowing of the other’s plans, set out on a 75 mile trip by horse and buggy, to await the arrival of an expected Grandchild. It was a three day journey. They slept under the buggies at night on quilts placed on top of tarpaulins. The father of the expected baby was caught in a fierce “Blue Norther” while trying to get a doctor. Despite the dilemma, a baby Boy was born. He was an adventurous little boy intent on working for money at an early age. His Dad was generally a loving father but became abusive when he was drinking hard liquor. Billy Boy took on the responsibility of the support of the family at an early age. He bought his first house at the age of twelve and remodeled it with a little help. At the age of 18 {actually 17} he went off to war where he was critically wounded twice on the same day and was given the Last Rites. A bullet entered below his right ear exploded in his mouth and a part of his right check was blown away. He was in a fierce battle in the retaking of Manila. A freighter, which was converted to a hospital ship, was transporting Bill and others from Leyte to Hollandia, New Guinea. It was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and the crippled ship moved on slowly toward Hollandia, NG. The submarine was obliterated by a US Navy escort. Bill was “Born Again” in a foxhole. His faith in Jesus has carried him through the rough times and personal tragedies. You must read this fascinating book of Bill’s unusual and eventful life.

This book was put together to show how artist printmakers from all over the world might interpret the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and translate those impressions and feelings to paper. The world will never forget that tragic day and the horrific events that unfolded right before our eyes. This book is in memory of all those fallen friends and family.

Special Agent Barrett "Bear" Raines of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has his Little League game interrupted when a returning GI uses Bear and the local sheriff to commit suicide-by-cop. Barrett agonizes over the young man's death. He knows that the young marine came home with a squad of other veterans who live outside the law near a place called Devil's Slew. Those GIs come under suspicion when federal authorities trace counterfeited currency to Bear's backyard. The feds believe that the counterfeiters are responsible for the kidnapping of a female agent off the streets of New Orleans. The threads connecting these local crimes stretch from northern Florida to Afghanistan and Mexico, and so, once again, Barrett Raines and the FDLE are called in to dodge the bullets and connect the dots. A superb storyteller, Darryl Wimberley writes about a Florida not many people know about, bringing to life its rich characters---and its lurking dangers.

A compassionate guide to help Gold Star parents cope with the grief and loss of their military son or daughter. Author Joanne Steen tackles the subject that terrifies parents of military personnel—the death of their son or daughter on active duty. In short, easy-to-read chapters Gold Star parents find thoughtful explanations and trustworthy advice for coping with military grief. Steen weaves together realistic examples with voices of other Gold Star parents, connecting the readers to the wisdom of those parents who have walked in their shoes. Chapters for relatives, friends, and professional service providers of Gold Star parents are also included, supplying them with what they need to know about military loss; what to expect in the parents; and best practices on what to say and ways to help support them. Gold Star parents will find a path to survive their life-changing loss and develop the resilience to move forward. Joanne Steen has more than twenty years’ experience in the grief and loss field, with a specialty in military loss. She is a board-certified counselor, instructor, Gold Star widow, and the founder of Grief Solutions, a training company on grief, loss and resilience. Steen is also the coauthor of Military Widow: A Survival Guide (Naval Institute Press, 2006)

Don's Nam is a vivid first-person account of war in Vietnam centered around the daily activities of the Orient Express, it is a story unlike any other account of the war. Written from a diary, and documented with operational reports, eyewitness accounts, journals, and photos, Rast eloquently and passionately takes the reader on a gut-wrenching roller coaster ride of horror, courage, and sacrifice that the headlines and TV news never saw. It is essential, poignant reading for those veterans who were in `Nam and cannot forget, and also for those who were not there, but strive to understand the electrifying intensity of what war is about. Ride the primitive roads on dangerous convoys with the men of the Orient Express, and get a true feeling what it was like to be ambushed or mined in 1969 and 1970. Experience "Rat Patrols," rocket attacks, reconnaissance missions, and the political intrigue that made the war so difficult to fight using conventional methods. The men's stories, taken down in his muddy diary, and kept locked in an old army footlocker for twenty-eight years, jump to life off the pages and leave the reader crying, laughing, or just plainly boiling with rage as this dramatic account of the Vietnam war unfolds in a story that is truly spellbinding. Professor Gilda M. Agacer Monmouth University Editor

At a time when the U.S. flag is both a source of both pride and controversy, this volume provides the first encyclopedic A-to-Z treatment of the U.S. flag in American history, culture, and law. This title is a comprehensive resource for understanding all aspects of the American flag and its relationship to the American people. The encyclopedia provides a thorough historical examination of key developments in the flag's design as well as laws and court decisions related to the flag and the First Amendment. In relation to the flag's history, it also discusses evolving public attitudes about its importance as a national symbol. The encyclopedia contains illuminating scholarly essays on presentations of the flag in American politics, the military, and popular culture including art, music, and journalism. Additionally, these essays address important rules of flag etiquette and modern controversies related to them, from flag-burning to refusing to stand during the playing of the U.S. National Anthem.

For readers of Michael Oren, Alan Dershowitz, and George Gilder comes a new perspective on a hot topic: the future of Israel. "Can Israel survive?" has been the essential question for Israelis -- and Jews worldwide -- since the Holocaust. Now a renowned Israeli journalist and security expert conducts a "strategic state of the nation" tour to evenhandedly assess the issues facing the country today, and ultimately suggesting that the "essential question" has become a misleading, even wrong question. Israel will survive. But what kind of country will it be?