A GOOD BOOK!

My reading habits are far reaching. I love a good mystery but still my preferences are for true stories. Our life stories are so varied and often fascinating.

Due, I suppose, to the time I spent in Vietnam during the war years, I read a lot of military stories. All my life I have read military history. However, since ‘Vietnam’ I have been concerned about the effect of war on our young military men and women.

Recently I read a superb story written by a young 24 year old American Second Lieutenant who was sent to Afghanistan on a first assignment. The book is titled ‘Outlaw Platoon’. The author was the leader of the platoon. No book I have read can better show the mental conflict between a young man’s sense of duty (and love and protection of his men) and his moral sense of right. They don’t always go hand in hand and how he handles it shows much about this person. You finish the book feeling great empathy/love, for this young man. You feel for the loss of innocence of all such young men. And if you are an American, you must feel proud.

The book was written with help and the writing is masterful. It is a one night – all night read. I downloaded it from Amazon.

The Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell, John Bruning.

“In combat men measure up. Or don’t. There are no second chances!”