The Gift of Valor
A War Story
Michael M. Phillips

Every day ordinary young Americans are fighting in Iraq with the same bravery, honor, and sense of duty that have distinguished American troops throughout history. One of these is Jason Dunham, a twenty-two-year-old Marine corporal from the one-stoplight town of Scio, New York, whose stunning story reporter Michael M. Phillips discovered while he was embedded with a Marine infantry battalion in the Iraqi desert. Corporal Dunham was on patrol near the Syrian border, on April 14, 2004, when a black-clad Iraqi leaped out of a car and grabbed him around his neck. Fighting hand-to-hand in the dirt, Dunham saw his attacker drop a grenade and made the instantaneous decision to place his own helmet over the explosive in the hope of containing the blast and protecting his men. When the smoke cleared, Dunham’s helmet was in shreds, and the corporal lay face down in his own blood. The Marines beside him were seriously wounded. Dunham was subsequently nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for military valor.

Phillips’s minute-by-minute chronicle of the chaotic fighting that raged throughout the area and culminated in Dunham’s injury provides a grunt’s-eye view of war as it’s being fought today—fear, confusion, bravery, and suffering set against a brotherhood forged in combat. His account of Dunham’s eight-day journey home and of his parents’ heartrending reunion with their son powerfully illustrates the cold brutality of war and the fragile humanity of those who fight it. Dunham leaves an indelible mark upon all who know his story, from the doctors and nurses who treat him, to the readers of the original Wall Street Journal article that told of his singular act of valor.

It has been said that military life is "not for the faint of heart." But neither is it without its benefits and blessings. One thing is certain: It is an experience like no other--for both the soldiers and their families. In this collection, readers will experience the pride that wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends feel when a loved one chooses to put his or her needs aside for the benefit of the country. Featuring stories from the current Iraq war as well as stories of servicemen and -women who have long retired from the armed forces, this timely collection will span generations. This book is sure to inspire every reader, whether a husband whose wife is defending freedom today, or a grandchild who wants to know why her grandfather is called "hero."

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A Cup of Comfort for Military Families: Stories that celebrate heroism on the home front
Colleen Sell

It has been said that military life is "not for the faint of heart." But neither is it without its benefits and blessings. One thing is certain: It is an experience like no other--for both the soldiers and their families. In this collection, readers will experience the pride that wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends feel when a loved one chooses to put his or her needs aside for the benefit of the country. Featuring stories from the current Iraq war as well as stories of servicemen and -women who have long retired from the armed forces, this timely collection will span generations. This book is sure to inspire every reader, whether a husband whose wife is defending freedom today, or a grandchild who wants to know why her grandfather is called "hero."

For more information, or to buy, click on a bookseller:
Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble