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We found 13 results for “Privileges of War”

Full ImagePreview ImagePrivileges of War: A Good Story of American Service in Vietnam by Thomas A. Ross | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/privileges-of-warPrivileges of War is a collection of positive stories about wartime service during one of the most negative and controversial periods in American history. While the stories told here are relatively simple and straightforward, they are also powerful, with the potential of changing viewpoints, opinions, and even lives. Soldiers did not commit the U.S. military to war in Vietnam. However, they did bear the brunt of that commitment on both foreign battlefields and in their own hometowns when they returned. Not only did they fight battles against an enemy who hated them, but upon returning home they often faced countrymen who seemed to hate them as well. Events of September 11th bound our country together, while events surrounding the Vietnam War nearly tore it apart. Few Americans who served in Southeast Asia were pot smoking, cursing, killing machines, as they have too often been portrayed. The great majority of the more than three million men and women who spent time in Vietnam were decent people who either felt they were fulfilling their patriotic duty or simply believed they were serving their country. Most of them were young, either still in or scarcely out of their teens when they were asked to shoulder heavy responsibility and face life-and-death situations, some of them on a daily basis. I know, I was there  I was one of those soldiers. Privileges of War is a firsthand account of the many acts of selfless heroism and courage I witnessed during my tour of duty as a military advisor in Vietnam. Many books currently available about the Vietnam War tell provocative stories with messages that are often dark and brooding. And, while there were without question many repulsive and brutal occurrences in Vietnam, with the atrocities at My Lai being perhaps the most notorious, this book dares to tell a very different story about the war in Vietnam and those who served in it. Privileges of War treats neither the politics of the war nor the conflict itself, but depicts some of those who were there and presents the spirit lifting manner in which they served. It is a detailed, action-filled account that will give readers a real, often frightening, idea of what it was like to be on the ground, or in the air over the Vietnamese jungle during that conflict. PART I of this book documents day-to-day life in Vietnam, which could be both gut wrenching and exhilarating. PART II presents the obscure and relatively unreported story of the Rescue in the Valley of the Tigers. The story of the rescue recounts a life saving mission mounted by a small group of daring Americans determined to give the gift of freedom to inhabitants of a mountain village who had been held and used as slaves for more than eight years. It is an American story of resourcefulness, integrity and courage that demonstrates the true nature of those who represented our country on the Vietnam battlefield. While this book shares many bright stories of the dedication and patriotism that the author was privileged to witness in Vietnam, they are not presented as a goody-goody gloss over of ugly occurrences that took place there. They are, however, offered as a vital piece of the American historical puzzle that has been missing. Privileges of War was written to honor those who served. And, especially for the wives, mothers, children, other relatives, and friends  or anyone who knows a Vietnam veteran who would like a different perspective. One needs no military experience to understand and follow the stories in this book. One simply needs an interest.eBook
Full ImagePreview ImageMe, Myself, and I: Winning the War Within by LaVerne Farmer | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/me-myself-and-iKingdom Mindfulness: Embracing God's Word, A Devotional Journey to Transform Your Thoughts and Relationships is a heartfelt devotional designed to lead readers on a transformative path of self-discovery and spiritual growth. With a gentle and maternal touch, the author, drawing from her seasoned perspective as a woman of faith with 40 years of marriage, guides readers through the profound wisdom of the Bible. A 3- part organized devotional of enriching sections–Me, Myself, and I–each addressing specific aspects of the reader's journeys of processes through past guilt, self-doubt and overthinking; paralyses through over-analysis. The author employs relatable colloquialisms to connect with the reader's everyday experiences, acknowledging the actual struggle of battling negative internal thoughts. In the 'Me' section, readers are encouraged to embark on a journey of self-awareness. This part of the devotional empowers individuals to explore their own thoughts and feelings, providing guidance on aligning them with God's divine plan. The author's comforting and detailed insights offer a roadmap for breaking free from the shackles of negativity. Moving into the 'Myself' section, the devotional delves deeper into the internal obstacles individuals face. We address the challenges head-on with the empowering light of scripture, providing a source of strength and guidance. This section aims to help readers navigate their inner struggles with a focus on self-compassion and scriptural reflection. The last section, 'I,' celebrates the reader's triumphant emergence of negativity. Armed with scriptural tools gained through the devotional journey, we encouraged individuals to sustain a joyous and fulfilled life. The overarching goal is not only to enhance personal and professional relationships, but also to foster a more profound and meaningful daily connection with the Heavenly Father. Throughout the devotional, the author's maternal perspective and understanding of the challenges faced in navigating thoughts and emotions shine through. The combination of comforting insights, relatable language, and scriptural wisdom creates a guide that resonates with readers on their unique spiritual journey. This book intends to aid readers in acknowledging their role in decision making by illustrating the prevalence of these habits. It stresses that the hardest part of adopting healthier habits is the time and repletion required to undo and relearn. rephase: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: Applying the Word of God ….. but what does that really look like? Our day-to-day lives are well-acquainted with actions, reactions, consequences, and repercussions. We gain wisdom from reflecting on our past, but as born-again believers, we struggle to break the cycle of making poor decisions. We've become more involved in religious practices and adjusted to the church culture, but our behavior remained unchanged. Here's where we miss it. We can find the missing piece in Galatians 5:16: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Emphasize the spiritual. Develop a spirit-led mindfulness, a spiritual practice to maintain awareness, paying deliberate attention to the influence of God in the present moment. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1, 2 This spiritual mind renewal transforms us beyond our limited ability and transports us as citizens under the kingship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His kingdom endows us with privileges that supersede the limitation of facts, data, and information. Physical evidence must surrender to God as the ultimate authority. We are given the right to walk in victory, power, and authority.eBook
Full ImagePreview ImageRebels Against God: A novel of murder, politics, and abolition in 19th century Virginia by Scott McIntosh | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/rebels-against-godRebels Against God is a meticulously researched historical novel set in 1800s Virginia, where the noble words of the Declaration of Independence clash with the harsh realities of slavery. Virginia's powerful planters, unwilling to relinquish their slave-owning privileges, challenge the founding principles of the nation. As Northern states lean towards abolition, one man in Virginia dares to stand against the tide. In 1806, founding father and abolitionist Chancellor George Wythe shook the foundations of Virginia's slaveholding society with a groundbreaking judicial opinion. In the case of Wright v. Hudgins, Wythe declared three enslaved women free, asserting freedom as the birthright of all humans. Supported by the Virginia Declaration of Rights, his decision was a beacon of hope for many, but a threat to others. Weeks later, Wythe and his mixed-race student—rumored to be the son of President Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings—were murdered. Although a trial followed, no one was convicted, and the records were destroyed in the Civil War, leaving the case an unsolved mystery. Rebels Against God immerses readers into the investigation led by Samuel Morrison, an anti-slavery pamphleteer, and Elizabeth Pleasants, a former slave. They navigate the treacherous waters of racial and political tensions to unveil the shocking truth behind the murders and the ensuing cover-up. This historical mystery provides a compelling resolution to the unsolved murder of George Wythe, shedding light on the dark side of America's founding era.eBook, Paperback
Full ImagePreview ImageA PLACE TO CALL HOME: THE STORY OF HOW A TV SERIES STIRRED PASSIONS AND CONNECTIONS by Donna Robinson Divine | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/a-place-to-call-home-the-story-of-how-a-tv-series-stirred-passions-and-connections1A Place To Call Home begins on a ship when a nurse—Sister Adams by name--works her passage home to Australia to console her mother who is grieving for a son killed in the Korean War. Estranged from her family, she stands before the welcome mat, fearful of what she will find inside and wondering whether her mother will accept her despite a breach of decades. Several minutes into their reunion, the mother tells her daughter to leave because she cannot reconcile with a child, born a Catholic, who is now—a Jew. On the ship, Sister Adams is asked to care for the matriarch Elizabeth Bligh of a wealthy landed family returning to Australia with son and granddaughter as well as with newly wedded grandson and his wife, a marriage intended to blunt his desire for sexual relations with men. Acutely conscious of the privileges bestowed on the Bligh family, matriarch Elizabeth also embraces a set of traditions coiled around a social structure that is expected to ensure stability from the particularly harrowing experiences of a world war exposing country and people to assaults on all fronts including the ones at home. The encounter between Sarah and Elizabeth reflects the strains and conflicts that hovered over Australia in the years following the traumas of war, their undiminished echo shaping lives and hardening the fault lines. Everyone watching this program knows how the narrative ends for Australia, but few understand what it took to make room in the country for people typically hidden from view or told, in one way or another, that they didn't count for much. The freedoms taken for granted today were won in painful struggles too often measured only as gains without taking a full accounting of losses. In 1953, Australians lived in the shadow of experiences they could not fully explain: the war to which so many young men and women had gone ended up producing more desolation and grief than peace and comfort. Church and family could not offer adequate explanations for the past nor did they continue to serve as the absolute constituents of destiny given the social and political pressures pushing upward and outward against the constraints of class and circumstance. An open society not only posed dangers to traditional class and culture; it also raised fears about what the forces blowing in the wind would bring or where they would take people and society. Would the emancipatory dreams of the poor and exploited be realized and would they march everyone to the edge of a chaotic precipice? Was a bell tolling for all that Australians believed would last forever? Even as it was on the cusp of extinction, the way of life, portrayed in this series, was ended without the world crashing down, and the story told over the six seasons on television peels back the present to reveal a past that explains why change may be more frightening to think about than to live through.Paperback
Full ImagePreview ImageEphesians: Word Come Alive by Martin Manser | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/ephesiansWord Come Alive: •is an expanded translation of the New Testament of the Bible by respected editor Martin Manser •supplies linking phrases and background information in italics within the text to help make its message more immediately understandable •aims to express the sense of the original in contemporary, natural English that will have a powerful effect on readers, with a fresh, incisive quality that will make readers sit up and think. Who is behind Word Come Alive? Martin Manser, a professional reference-book editor. He has compiled or edited more than 200 reference books, particularly Bible-reference titles, English-language dictionaries and business-skills books. He is also a Language Trainer and Consultant with national and international companies and organisations. I and my reviewers have worked from and checked my text against United Bible Societies' 4th edition/26th and 27th editions of Novum Testamentum Graece Greek New Testament (Nestle-Aland) as well as other English translations. My reviewers are respected NT authorities: Dr Gervais Angel, formerly NT Greek Examiner for the Church of England and tutor in NT Greek, Trinity College, Bristol, England. and Dr Pieter Lalleman, Tutor in Biblical Studies, Spurgeon's College, London, England. Who is 'Word Come Alive' aimed at? 1 Christians who are so familiar with the language of the Bible that it has little or no impact on them, but who want to maintain a living relationship with Jesus Christ. I want such readers of the WCA to then go back to their NIV, ESV, NLT, KJV or NKJV to see what that says. 2 Readers without a knowledge of the Bible but who want to understand its message. Features of 'Word Come Alive': an extended translation (paraphrase) of the New Testament 1 Additional explanatory phrases in italics. For example, Ephesians 2:4-7: But God – what marvellous words these are: 'but God'! God intervened in this desperate situation simply because of who he is. He is infinitely rich in mercy, so he did not deal with us as we deserve. As a result of his great love, with which he loved us, he made us spiritually alive together with Christ. Because we are joined to Christ, God brought us to a new spiritual birth and into a living relationship with him. God made us alive, even when we were spiritually dead because we disobeyed him. You've been rescued only because of his grace – his kind love, his generous favour, that gives us life that we don't deserve in the slightest. Stop and reflect on this: you and I have been rescued from slavery to sin, God's just anger and death. We're now alive to God because we've been brought into a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ – and all this is only because of God's incredible love. Even more than this: God raised us up from spiritual death to life together with Christ. He has seated us securely together with him right now in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. At this very moment, we are enjoying the Father's glorious presence together with Christ! God's purpose in doing this was that he might showcase into the distant reaches of time the extravagant wealth of his generous love which is displayed in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. What glorious, marvellous privileges are ours in Christ! 2 Natural, contemporary informal English. For example, Ephesians 2:8: Now I'm going to explain God's great rescue operation, his salvation. How were you saved? By grace, only because of God's generous favour, his kind love. As regards our salvation, we bring nothing to the table, absolutely nothing. How then did you make this salvation your own? Through faith. We respond to God through faith. Faith is confident trust in God; it is depending on him. We gratefully receive what he has done for us in Christ. And this salvation is not the result of your own initiative but is God's gift to you. It becomes yours when you simply receive it from God.eBook
Full ImagePreview ImageAnatomy of a Naval Aviator by Gerald J. Bozant | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/anatomy-of-a-naval-aviator1ANATOMY OF A NAVAL AVIATOR Ensign Jeff Anderson, was your average JO (Junior Officer) trying to make through Flight School and earn his Navy Wings of Gold. A great weekend with a beautiful woman started his education on the Unwritten Rules of Naval Aviation. A jealous Ex., called in a favor on the Good Old Boy network to keep Jeff and his new girlfriend apart. Jeff's CO (Commanding Officer ripped him a new one and threatened to terminate his career if he continued his relationship. Caught in the middle of a power struggle, Ensign Anderson was the unfortunate victim. Jeff's dreams are crushed when he was assigned to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Twenty Four (VR-24), flying the CT-39G Sabreliner, at NAS Sigonella, Sicily. Jeff knew he was doomed by the reaction of his peers and the fact that he could not find the Naval Air Station (NAS) on a map of Sicily. Jeff's dread increased as he was introduced to his new Base, aircraft, and squadron mates. His professional development and education as a Naval Officer was going to be lead by a bunch of deadwood officers who each in their own turn, "Screwed up their own career." VR-24 was a squadron were the "Best of the Best, did not go." The Navy's 24-7 operational tempo and their motto of "Do more with less", clashed heavily with the local's laid back lifestyle. This constant friction always took a few points off the Fun Meter and made life miserable at Sig. (Sigonella). The civil war in Lebanon thrust VR-24 out on the front lines supporting the Fleet at Bagel Station. VR-24 was a support unit, it was never equipped, maned, or prepared to be a squadron at the "Tip of the Spear." As the Marines went ashore in Beirut to become part of the Multi-National Peace Keeping Force, the increased operational tempo stretched the talent and leadership of the unit. The Operations Officer (Ops O) was the first person to distinguish himself in front of VR-24's superiors. Trying to save the day for one of the helicopter crews on deployment in Cyprus he earned himself and the CO an ass chewing from the Commander, Sixth Fleet, a Vice Admiral. The Ops O quickly turned his wrath on his fellow officer to deflect the attention from himself. The Ops O recognized that he had just earned the top spot on the squadron's Shit List. The only way he was going to recover from that was to break out the Unwritten Rules of Naval Aviation to recover from his foul up. Jeff and his fellow JO's education was now in full force. The inner workings of a Navy Squadron are revealed as VR-24 tries to maintain it's operational requirements. There was one constant at VR-24, Good news was always crushed by bad news. The Golden Boy, Lt. Reynolds finally received a reward for his stellar performance in the squadron and received a Warfare Transition out of the black hole that was the VR Community. The word from the Detailer was F-14's, Lt. Reynolds was off to Fighter Town. But not so fast, in the Navy's eyes VR is a pit that you only place things in to, you never pull anything back out. Lt. Reynolds orders are changed and squadron morale sinks to a new low. The Commanding Officer of NAS Sigonella was preparing for his own Change of Command and had a lesson to teach to every officer on the Base. RHIP, Rank Has It's Privileges, in a stunning display of bending or breaking every rule in the book. The Base CO ordered the CO of VR-24 to schedule a "Training Flight" to London for the Base CO's enjoyment. A mishap with the Sabreliner costs the taxpayers dearly. To the amazement of all the officers at Sig., the Base CO demonstrated his kind of leadership and pressed home the fact that he could get away with murder. The Black Stallions of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Four (HC-4) rolled into Sigonella. VR-24 had a new sister squadron take up residence and they assumed the mission as the primary VOD (Vertical Onboard Delivery) asset in the Med. This event had some very serious consequences for VR-24. The most serious was the transfer of all of the personnel in the helo component across the parking lot to HC-4. This stripped VR-24 of all of it's quality Lieutenant Commanders (O-4's). The presence of another squadron at Sigonella showed how fouled up VR-24 really was. The stressful Ops tempo and the lack of middle management talent quickly sent VR's performance as a unit down the drain. Sweeping things under the rug was the next big lesson provided by the Fleet and the senior officers stationed at Sigonella. The U.S.S. Saratoga was taking part in a major naval exercise off the coast of Sardinia. One of her stellar F-14 pilots decided to make it as real as possible, so he shot down a USAF RF-4C Phantom also taking part in the exercise. Oops, that was one of the good guys. On Base, the "Dyke Busters" start a series of confrontations with "The Family", the local Navy lesbian community. All the senior officers on the Base scramble to GQ (General Quarters) to defuse and cover up the incidences in an effort to prevent their careers from being terminated. Failure strikes at VR, all the negatives in the squadron come together, jump up, and bite everyone in the ass. The Maintenance Department fails a major aircraft inspection. This forces the CO to bring the hammer down on every member of the squadron, this only succeeds in bringing the squadron to it's knees. In frustration the enlisted personnel strike back and sabotage the CO aircraft before one of his flights. The CO got the message, and backs off. In a change of tack, the CO taught a new lesson, lying to the Chain of Command. Empires rise, the Navy's time honored tradition of switching ground jobs moved Jeff out of the quagmire of the Maintenance Department. His new job was Security Manager, the power struggle begins as O-4's and JO's alike try to establish their place in the new pecking order of the squadron. VR-24 is ordered to retire it's C-1A Trader aircraft and return them stateside. One of Jeff's roommates scores the ultimate prize, a hot Swedish girlfriend who spends the summer at Sig. Yana becomes the bright spot of the year. Empires fall, the Ops O, Lt.Cdr. Rendsburg finally falls on his sword for the last time. The Ops O's arrogance and poor piloting skills has publicly embarrassed the CO for the last time. He is cast out of the Operations Department to the relief and delight of the squadron. Everyone assumed his reign of terror was over, but he continued to run the Ops Department from the shadows through his two well placed cronies. Promotions, and the Dog and Pony Show highlight the summer. All of the Lieutenant Junior Grades are promoted to full Lieutenant. Navy tradition demands that all officers throw a Wetting Down Party for their fellow officers. A huge party is thrown at Jeff's villa as the major social function of the summer. The CO's wife gets a little too frisky with Yana's boyfriend and gets into a tussle with her. After wasting the summer away, VR goes to GQ in preparation for their Command Inspection. The pain level steadily rises as the unit's Dog and Pony Show is prepared for the Inspection Team. VR-24 survived it's Command Inspection, and for a change actually did well. The Gods and Murphy's Law throw in a few welcome Snafu's to show the Inspection Team how high the pain level is being stationed at Sigonella. Minority Quals, Jeff learned how the Navy created this problem with it's policy of "Two Wrongs can always make it right." VR's new batch of deadwood O-4's create an internal struggle that forced one of the O-4's to utter the "P" word. That forced the CO into a "PC" (Politicly Correct) moment. A career meltdown is the next soap opera to unfold and drag morale down into the dumper. The newly arrived Administrative Department Head pushed too hard in a futile attempt to get promoted. When he fails to make Commander, his bitterness causes a disgusting display of personal behavior. His actions cause him to expose the quotas hidden in the Promotion Preamble. As one career evaporates, the new Ops O suddenly finds out he is a player. Screened for Command and selected for promotion to Commander, the Ops O has to recreate his image from the looser, to potential Commanding Officer material. The JO Golden Boy of the squadron received his prize, a Warfare Transition to A-6E Intruders. Arrogance again almost cost him his Wings as he is caught putting on an air show for his enlisted girlfriend. To the squadron's disgust the Golden Boy proves once again that he is made of Teflon and skates out of trouble right before he departs from Sigonella. Delta Force comes to town in response the TWA hijacking in Lebanon. VR-24 is once again thrust on to the front lines. The leadership that Delta Force exhibits again showed how screwed up VR and Sigonella really was. More Delta Force action brings VR back to the Tip of the Spear. F-14's intercept and force an Egypt Air 737 loaded with terrorist to divert and land at Sigonella. This created an intense standoff between the Americans and Italians. Jeff volunteers for a Special Mission with Delta Force. As the 737 departs the mighty Sabreliner is tasked to follow the Egypt Air flight and if possible effect a capture of the Terrorist by the Delta Force unit. This mission is Jeff's fifteen minutes in the dark. For a short period of time Jeff and VR are no longer "Misfits" of the Fleet.eBook
Full ImagePreview ImageCourtside: A Memoir of Life, Learning, Law & Purpose by Derick Loury | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/courtsideCourtside, by Derick Loury is an autobiography detailing the growth, development, and challenges of a man with a rich range of experiences throughout his life. Basketball becomes a grounding and centering point for him, inspiring him on and off the court. He becomes a talented player throughout high school and college, though ultimately follows a different path once reaching adulthood and he cycles through a few jobs before joining law enforcement and, eventually, becoming a prison warden. He has many relationships along the way, friends and family that impact his life. The book is divided into three main sections–aptly titled with basketball terms–that chronicle grade school, college, and life after college. Though high school had set him up for a bright future in basketball, even earning him a scholarship to college, various obstacles kept him from achieving any true momentum with the sport. After many set-backs and life challenges, he finds a new passion and career in Law Enforcement which would eventually lead to his current career as a prison warden. Basketball remained a passion as he sought to organize leagues to give back to his community or to officiate for various schools. This book succeeds in an interesting combination of styles, while not quite being strictly any of them. It has a stream-of-consciousness feel while maintaining a linear drive forward through the author's life. At times it reads very factual and textbook like, which feels authentic to the author's style and experiences. He blends lists and facts with a distinct narrative voice to properly capture his unique perspective on life and its many challenges.eBook, Paperback
Full ImagePreview ImageJim Crow Hangover: Poverty, Racism and Classism in America by James Paige | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/jim-crow-hangoverJim Crow Hangover looks at America's unending quest to address the unresolved Civil War. The terms of agreement for surrender signed by Robert E. Lee in 1865 ended the armed conflict. After each side put down their arms, negotiations regarding states' rights, social integration, and economic support for the formerly enslaved began. The issue of the states' rights - rights and powers reserved by the state governments rather than the national government according to the U.S. Constitution – remains an issue. The battle over states' rights has shifted from north versus south to red versus blue. The social and economic disparities between Blacks and whites persist. There are three periods of race relations in the United States following emancipation. Reconstruction, Segregation, and Complicit Tolerance. Reconstruction, 1865 to 1877, was a period of hope. The formerly enslaved were less restricted socially and politically. Continued negotiations on the Confederacy's states' rights led to the withdrawal of Union troops - freedom protections for the formerly enslaved ended. Segregation became law in 1896, and hope for inclusion and integration faded. It took nearly 60 years for the United States to rule segregation and the associated Jim Crow laws illegal. The Brown v Board of Education of 1954 did not lead to a post-segregation era. The Jim Crow Hangover started an age of Complicit Tolerance of discriminatory practices against and over-policing African Americans. Congress passed the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Act of 1972, and in 1974, the Fair Housing Act. Housing and employment equity remains elusive. After several voting rights acts, there is still voter suppression. Toleration of racial, social, and economic inequity continues. The wealthiest country in the world continues to produce an astonishing number of under-resourced and unhealthy citizens. What could ignite sufficient moral indignation to challenge America's social and economic structures?Paperback
Full ImagePreview ImageAngels of the Night but Devils by Dark: (Serving with a Military Sentry Dog at Hahn Air Base, Germany) by J.D. Bennett | BookBaby Bookshophttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/angels-of-the-night-but-devils-by-darkDo you remember your first time away from the influence and control of your parents? Was it when you went away to college or when you moved out of your parent's home to your own place? Do you remember the ambivalence of feeling that you should follow those parental teachings of your youth and being pulled toward the excitement and missteps of your newly found freedom? Maybe, like our protagonist in this memoir, your taste of freedom came from when you served in the military. This is a light-hearted account of a young man from a small town background trying to come to terms with coming of age, while serving in the U.S. Air Force in Germany and being tempted regularly with opportunities for mischief. It's a somewhat fictionalized memoir of his experiences but also brings attention to the proud tradition of American K-9 service members. Deciding that his on-duty assignments were cutting into his party time too much and having had his fill of the straight security duty, Jerry managed to get reassigned to the sentry dog unit, the K-9 unit or as the base referred to them, 'dogmen'. He had become attracted to this duty because of various encounters with dogmen, while he was standing post. They seemed to appear out of the fog that frequently filled the German nights, like the Phantom rising from the mist. Besides, he was a life-long dog lover and, if he had to be there for three years, what better way to serve the rest of his time than by walking in the shadows with a dog. One of the officers referred to them as, 'the infantry of the Air Force'. He was assigned to a German Sheppard Dog named, Drusus von Stuben der Unhold (a.k.a. Sam). This story didn't seem as complete without some comments from Sam's perspective, so several are included. Sam eventually accepted this new human and became Jerry's best friend, companion, and on-duty partner. Sam did more to train Jerry than Jerry ever did to train Sam and they managed to get involved in several bits of trouble during the couple of years that they worked together. The K-9 unit provided a unique combination of skills, a dog and man partnership. While on post they were the angels of the night, serving with these skills to protect the assets of the Air Force given to their responsibility but, when the humans were off duty, it seemed that by design each escapade was more outrageous than those that preceded it, they were likable devils after dark and off duty. Our character even found himself being tempted to devilment while on post, at times. Like the time when Sam and he made a captain lie face down in a spread eagle in the snow in front of his car, which he had routinely parked in a restricted security area that was part of their K-9 post that night. When Sam, still growling and gnashing his teeth, and Jerry finally identified the captain and let him up to drive his car away, the captain was spewing threats of loss of rank and time in the brig as he got in his car. Jerry wasn't so concerned about loss of rank because he wasn't interested in a military career but time in the brig weighed on his mind that night. Fortunately, when the captain went to see the Provost Marshall the next morning, it was he who got the ass chewing for parking in a restricted area. That kind of skating out of potential trouble became a theme for Jerry, his guardian angel worked overtime most of the time. Jerry survived his own misspent youth in Europe but almost did not. As he was becoming a 'short-timer' and looking forward to his transfer to the U.S. to be discharged A car accident resulted in the loss of a close friend and left him with a broken back and leg. Coming back to base in a car driven by one of his fellows, who did not drink all night while the others made fools of themselves drinking beer and chasing bar girls, there was an accident that caused the car to smash into a stone wall. After hospital convalecense, he came home, saddened by the inability to bring Sam with him.eBook

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