Good Book

Jamzmom -- Is MMA the "redheaded stepchild" of the academies or what? :wink:

Pretty much. After three years my mailmail thinks my kid is in the Marines & at Annapolis, my neighbor thinks he's at Coast Guard & keeps asking about our KP flag, the older folks put Merchant Mariners into a whole catagory of salty beyond my craziest imagination. I give up. People are in denial that there are five academies. :shake:
 
I enjoyed Absolutely American, because it not only was interesting to read, it used tangible names/places/things that re-enforce the Academy's true vibe.
 
If you liked Absolutely American - then read "Duty First" by Ed Ruggero. I not only think candidates should read it but parents too.

Ed shadows several cadets through plebe year and also highlights some West Point faculty and TAC officers - very realistic and not spit-shinned at all.

Ed is a USMA grad and while he wrote the book 7-8 years ago - it all still applies. Does a great job of explaining the Cadet Leadership Development System.
 
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
by Marcus Luttrell
 
My DS's favorite military book Blackhawk Down...I think it is b/c he has some memories of our neighbors (When he was 4 our neighbor was the Seal commander in charge of the rescue and we literally would lift our kids across the fence to play together)
 
I believe the Merchant Marine Academy has left off of the book about the Armed Forces because it is not a military academy, it is a federal service academy. True Kings Point midshipman may be reservists in the Navy, but while attending school they are not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

With that thinking, there are Four US Military Academies:

US Military Academy
US Naval Academy
US Coast Guard Academy
US Air Force Academy


There are Five US Federal Service Academies:

US Military Academy
US Naval Academy
US Coast Guard Academy
US Air Force Academy
US Merchant Marine Academy


There are Five branches of the US Armed Forces:

US Army (USA)
US Navy (USN)
US Marine Corps (USMC)
US Coast Guard (USCG)
US Air Force (USAF)

There are Seven Uniformed US services:

USA
USN
USMC
USCG
USAF
USPHS
NOAA


Haha, that was WAY off topic.


I'm going to get back on topic now though.



I've turned into a big fan of Ted Bell as an author, and I would recommend any of his books (Hawke, Assassin, Pirate, Spy) but I especially liked Pirate and Spy. There was a USCG part that took place in an area I was patrol at the time, which was a nice surprise because the book had nothing to do with the Coast Guard. They are all spy thrillers, kind of James Bond-y.


I just read "Rescuing Sprite" by Mark Levin. It was great, and a outstanding read for dog lovers, especially ones who just lost their best four legged friend. I called into Mark Levin's radio show (on America Right, XM radio, it's conservative talk radio) and told him about a dog on a cutter I was on that saluted for food. He sent me his book signed, it was just coming out. It's a short read, but very nice.


Finally, I too was a Govt. major at CGA, and being a Govt. major, 1984 and Animal Farm (yes those books you read in high school) as still great to me, so I'm rereading Animal Farm, and then I jump into 1984 (the book I have has both in it.).
 
Read both Valhalla Rising and Treasure of Khan by Clive Cussler (currently working on Black Wind. Enjoyed/enjoying all of them. Only thing that irked me in Black Wind was a "23 year old Master Sergeant who was an aircraft mechanic in Korea in the AF."
 
I'm just starting 1984 for the third time, very good book, I need to read it for school/english..... Tom Clancy writes some very good books.... little graphic*, but good, also, a good history book(boring for some) would be "The Red Horse" by Eugenio Corti. A history of Italy during WWII under the different forms of government and war through the eyes of a farmer and his sons(before you go buy it, i might add that its 1100 pages long)

*("Without Remorse", good but not for children)
 
I recommend "When Hell Was In Session" by Admiral Jeremiah Denton. Admiral Denton (then a Commander) was shot down over North Vietnam in 1965. The book chronicles his almost eight years in North Vietnamese prison camps, four of those years in solitary. During a televised propaganda filming Admiral Denton looked into the camera and blinked TORTURE in morse code.
 
I love this thread. Ya'll are reading some great books!

I just finished reading Omar Bradley's A Soldiers' Story. It is a great read and a gripping description of the WWII European theater. We watched the HBO series, "Band of Brothers" just after I finished the book. I enjoyed watching Band of Brothers so much more after reading Bradley's book.

I have been reading books written by soldiers about WWII, Vietnam, Afanistan and Iraq...time for something different. Thanks for recommending A Soldiers' Heart WAMom68 and Just_A_Mom! I will read it next.
 
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AF6872 - you might like to read "Bat 21" I forget who wrote it.... About B-52 missile officer shot down and evading in vietnam.

I really enjoyed "Band of Brothers". My english teacher had us read it last year, and we got to meet Forest Guth who was with them till after Bastougne(I think i spelled it wrong) We were going to have "Wild Bill" Guarnere come, but he had the flu for once in his life, overall its amazing what they have done for us.

funny to mention though, Forest Guth is in the book, but not in the T.V. series
 
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"Bat-21" was very good. I think a Vietnamese Navy CPO got the Navy Cross for his actions during the extraction.
 
I have just completed a great read called Stolen Valor by BG Burkett and co-author Glenn Whitley. Every Vietnam veteran that I knew, myself included, and everyone they knew, all came back from Vietnam and got on with their normal lives. Yet every time there was and still is a memorial service, a dedication, or even Veteran’s or Memorial Day celebrations, we all saw/see on TV the same group of scruffy looking alcoholic drug crazed Vietnam vets. Mismatched uniform remnants, a hodgepodge of ribbons and medals, complaining about their problems with Agent Orange and/or PTSD, and their inability to get on with their lives. Besmirching the efforts of the rest of us, they were the darlings of both the media and Hollywood. Even though we knew it was wrong, instead of feeling empathy for them, they pissed us off, dragging us down into that alcoholic drug induced mud puddle where they wallowed.

We learn that there are more people who claim to be veterans of Vietnam than the total number of all who actually served in all the armed forces during the entire Vietnam era. We learn that if someone tells you that they are a MOH winner, the odds are two-to-one that they are a fake. The same percentages apply to POWs. As an aside, it actually only took 20 minutes a couple of years ago for me to expose a “Vietnam POW” who, in reality, never left the states and received an OTH discharge after less than a year of service. He ran a popcorn stand at one of the NHL arenas and actually delivered “good luck” popcorn nightly to the locker room and gave motivational speeches to the players based on his POW experiences. Sick. Similar statements can be made about those who claim to be SEALs or Special Ops. Fake veterans are causing the VA millions of dollars a year in unsubstantiated expenses my above personal example included. This guy actually represented the VA in the Special Olympics. The problem is epidemic.

What this book does is expose this rag tag group of individuals for what they are, fakes. Many, if not most, were never in Vietnam. Some were even conscientious objectors or draft dodgers. They have stolen the place in history that the true Vietnam veteran deserves.

The final chapter in this saga continues to be written. Prior to last year, nothing could be done legally to these individuals unless they were wearing the MOH or a full uniform. The groundswell of this book has caused passage of the ‘Stolen Valor Act’, Public Law No. 109-437. It is now a violation of federal law, a $5000 fine and up to 6 months in prison, to claim to be something in the military that you are not. It not only includes written or physical violations, but also verbal barroom boasts and internet bravado. It not only includes all medals and ribbons, but also badges, which includes rank insignia and designation devices such as paratrooper wings, diver insignia, SEAL and SWO devices, and pilot wings. Therefore, someone who, even in a bar or on the internet, implies to be something that they are not, such as a Navy NFO implying he is a pilot or a civilian with a “Commander” user name, is in violation of federal law and subject to both a fine and imprisonment. They, like so many who lobbied for this law have proclaimed, are nothing but thieves who have stolen something that is not theirs. We who are in the military are well aware of these problems. Now that you parents are becoming a part of this great organization, you must also do your part. Please respect those who have served honorably and continue to serve by not condoning fakes such as these who come in all shapes and forms and are only out for personal gain..
 
Thanks for the reminder USNA69. I have been meaning to read "Stolen Valor". I am going out to get it today. Here is a quote from an interesting internet site. "WARNING Many SOF imposters are involved in fraudulent criminal activity of a more serious nature. Impersonation of a Navy SEAL or other SOF operator may often represent the 'tip of the iceberg' in an imposter's long and ongoing history of fraud and deception."
The quote is from veriseal.org a very interesting and informative site. Some of the stories of impersonators and the things they get away with are truly amazing.
 
It is a great book. I recommend it highly for any Vietnam vet. I brings closure to things about which we were angry but could not quite put a finger on.
 
I just finished "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. It's fiction but references Afghanastan's changes in government from the 1960's through 2003 and how they affected the population. If follows the lives of two Afghani women and you get a good idea of what women have gone through during these years. As a women it makes me appreciate being born in America and all the freedoms I have.

The author also wrote "The Kite Runner" which I have not read yet. I plan to read it too.
 
Anything by Tom Clancy

Anything by Clive Cussler (BY, not "WITH")

Anything by Larry Bond ("The Enemy Within" might make you sick)

"Shogun" by James Clavel (my all-time favorite novel)

"A Sense of Honor" by James Webb

"Absolutely American"

The entire Harry Potter series (no, it's NOT a series just for children!)

If you want to go WAY back...

"Into The Mouth of the Cat" - Concerning Vietnam-era USAFA and NAPS graduate, Lance Peter Sijan

The "Myth" series by Robert Asprin. Warning: You WILL bust a gut laughing.

The "Incarnations of Immortality" series by Piers Anthony

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Gut-busting warning, times ten)

Others will be added as memory permits...
 
Just read To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy. As in many cases, the book is much better than the movie. From the detailed dialogs, you get a real sense of the guys in his unit, and the changes they went through from North Africa to Germany. He never mentions awards or ribbons, and although he doesn't boast about his service, he does describe many patrols, battles, and skirmishes. I came away wondering which of several instances won the MOH.
 
Fellow readers…if anyone is interested I just found out about a great website for book lovers. It’s called goodreads.com. I plan to sign up because I’m always looking for new things to read and this will be a good way to keep track of what I have already read.

Is anybody reading anything good right now?
 
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