Memoir

Title: George - 3 - 7th Marines: A Brief Glimpse Through Time of a Group of Young Marines
Author: Jim Nicholson
Genre: Memoir
Reviewer: Steve Maffeo

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1426947828

In the four years of the Korean War, America lost almost 54,000 men, roughly the same number who lost their lives in Vietnam, yet this war has almost disappeared into American history as the "Forgotten War". George-3-7th Marines tells a story of the bloody Marine infantry campaigns fought in the deadly mountain ranges of Korea; it is a story told by the men who fought there-and died anonymously-in an unknown and bloody war.

The never-before-told tales of the battle-hardened Marines of G-3-7 were collected and recorded by one of their own. Described by those who experienced the action firsthand, these accounts blend the shocking details of savage, bloody, killing with gentle, almost heartbreaking prose seldom seen in a chronicle of war. Jim Nicholson paints a brutally accurate picture of America and the Valhalla culture that shaped the toughness of soldiers in the fifties.

He examines the events and mistakes that led to a collision of the free world with the rapidly expanding Communist military machine. He reminds us that history does, in fact, show clearly that the sacrifice of young American boys saved the South Koreans, who now live freely in their beautiful "Land of the Morning Calm".

Title: CORPS VET: A Memoir
Genre: Memoir
Author: Dick Hrebic
Reviewer: Hodge Wood

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0981950582

"LOYALTY TO GOD, COUNTRY, AND CORPS" More than just a Marine's motto, Dick Hrebik takes these words to heart and lives the life he espouses. From the streets of Chicago to the jungles of Vietnam to law offices in Washington, D.C., Hrebik's moral compass and values guide him through the highs and lows of his life. Dick's courageous voice from the "Silent Generation," offers a unique insight into a Marine's mind, and how the lessons he was taught in the military carried forward into his life after his distinguished career in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Title: From Geordie Land to No Mans Land
Author: George Russell Elder/Vivienne Toon
Genre: Memoir
Reviewer: Mike Mullins

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): B005UNQG5A

In writing his `one and only' book, George Elder, a proud Geordie, detailed
many of his experiences endured whilst serving in the British Army during
World War 1. Many of his tales would not have been appreciated by his peers,
but they actually happened and would have been recognised by the common
soldier. From Geordie Land to No Mans land was written to inform his family,
friends and anyone buying his book of the real life events that occurred. How
an ordinary man survived 4 years in the front line experiencing the horrors
of war that most of us could not imagine, enduring many privations such as
mud, cold, hunger, thirst and fear of imminent death all around him. George
maintained his spirit by forming a close bond with his fellow Geordies even
refusing to be transferred to Hospital in case he could not return to his
original unit. His description of the intensity of shell fire that we have
seen in pictures of the battlefields of Flanders and the Somme bring to life
how men endured the unendurable, how men lived as animals, how men coped with
all the privations of the battlefield. What he doesn't describe is how he
coped with life immediately after the war, when he returned to civilian life.
His post war diary did detail the problems his family faced with sickness and
lack of money, but as we are now aware of the post Falklands and the Gulf
wars the physiological effects on men is a story in itself. Coping with
ordinary life after 4 years of war living on the edge in fear of imminent
death would have been a major issue for George and his family.

Title: FAHIM SPEAKS A Warrior-Actor's Odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and Back
Author: Fahim Fazli
Genre: Memoir
Reviewer: Hodge Wood

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 978-0-9821670-7-6

Fahim Fazli is a man of two worlds: Afghanistan, the country of his birth, and America, the nation he adopted and learned to love. He’s also a man who escaped oppression, found his dream profession, and then paid it all forward by returning to Afghanistan as an interpreter with the U.S. Marines. When Fahim speaks, the story he tells is harrowing, fascinating, and inspiring. Born and raised in Kabul, Fahim saw his country and family torn apart by revolution and civil war. Dodging Afghan authorities and informers with his father and brother, Fahim made his way across the border to Pakistan and then to America. After reuniting with his mother, sisters, and another brother, he moved to California with dreams of an acting career. After 15 turbulent years that included two unsuccessful arranged marriages to Afghan brides, he finally qualified for membership in the Screen Actors Guild—and found true American love. Though Fahim's California life was happy and rewarding, he kept thinking about the battlefields of Afghanistan. Haunted by a desire to serve his adopted country, he became a combat linguist. While other interpreters opted for safe assignments, Fahim chose one of the most dangerous: working with the Leathernecks in embattled Helmand Province, where his outgoing personality and deep cultural understanding made him a favorite of both Marines and local Afghans—and a pariah to the Taliban, who put a price on his head. Fahim Speaks is an inspiring story of perseverance and patriotism—and of the special love that one man developed for his adopted country.