Saluting Grandpa


Book Description

Andrew wants nothing more than to see his great-grandfather honored for World War II. He learns about Honor Flights, a program that flies veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit a memorial dedicated to them, but his great-grandfather refuses to go. Andrew becomes determined to inspire him to celebrate his bravery and dedication to his country. Children and adults will appreciate this patriotic, endearing tale.




The Saluting Marine Presents


Book Description

In this book, Johnny learns Honor as he gets his first ride on a motorcycle, meets the famous Saluting Marine, and learns why we stand for our flag. The Author, Tim Chambers (the Saluting Marine) started saluting in D.C. in 2002. The salute has touched the lives of millions.




Veterans Voices


Book Description

Through intimate photographs and poignant stories, this heart-rending book showcases the courage, heroics, and sacrifice of selected U.S. soldiers and veterans. This deeply moving, timely celebration of veterans highlights the heroes in our midst by bringing these brave men and women to life. Veterans Voices blends beauty and impact and gorgeous photographic displays with inspiring storytelling.




Final Salute


Book Description

Based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning story, Jim Sheeler's unprecedented look at the way our country honors its dead; Final SaluteIs a stunning tribute to the brave troops who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the families who continue to mourn them They are the troops that nobody wants to see, carrying a message that no military family ever wants to hear. It begins with a knock at the door. "The curtains pull away. They come to the door. And they know. They always know," said Major Steve Beck. Since the start of the war in Iraq, marines like Major Beck found themselves thrown into a different kind of mission: casualty notification. It is a job Major Beck never asked for and one for which he received no training. They are given no set rules, only impersonal guidelines. Marines are trained to kill, to break down doors, but casualty notification is a mission without weapons. For Beck, the mission meant learning each dead marine's name and nickname, touching the toys they grew up with and reading the letters they wrote home. He held grieving mothers in long embraces, absorbing their muffled cries into the dark blue shoulder of his uniform. He stitched himself into the fabric of their lives, in the simple hope that his compassion might help alleviate at least the smallest piece of their pain. Sometimes he returned home to his own family unable to keep from crying in the dark. In Final Salute, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jim Sheeler weaves together the stories of the fallen and of the broken homes they have left behind. It is also the story of Major Steve Beck and his unflagging efforts to help heal the wounds of those left grieving. Above all, it is a moving tribute to our troops, putting faces to the mostly anonymous names of our courageous heroes, and to the brave families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Final Saluteis the achingly beautiful, devastatingly honest story of the true toll of war. After the knock on the door, the story has only begun.




For Love of Country


Book Description

A celebration of the extraordinary courage, dedication, and sacrifice of this generation of American veterans on the battlefield and their equally valuable contributions on the home front. Because so few of us now serve in the military, our men and women in uniform have become strangers to us. We stand up at athletic events to honor them, but we hardly know their true measure. Here, Starbucks CEO and longtime veterans’ advocate Howard Schultz and National Book Award finalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran of The Washington Post offer an enlightening, inspiring corrective. The authors honor acts of uncommon valor in Iraq and Afghanistan, including an Army sergeant who repeatedly runs through a storm of gunfire to save the lives of his wounded comrades; two Marines who sacrifice their lives to halt an oncoming truck bomb and protect thirty-three of their brothers in arms; a sixty-year-old doctor who joins the Navy to honor his fallen son. We also see how veterans make vital contributions once they return home, drawing on their leadership skills and commitment to service: former soldiers who aid residents in rebuilding after natural disasters; a former infantry officer who trades in a Pentagon job to teach in an inner-city neighborhood; a retired general leading efforts to improve treatments for brain-injured troops; the spouse of a severely injured soldier assisting families in similar positions. These powerful, unforgettable stories demonstrate just how indebted we are to those who protect us and what they have to offer our nation when their military service is done.




Veterans Day


Book Description

This holiday is a salute to the men and women who have served in the United States military, both in times of war and times of peace. It is a day to express thanks for their willingness to wear the uniform. Through this book, kids will deepen their respect for and understanding of the armed forces.




Super Soldiers


Book Description

A military veteran and comic book expert explores the link between superhero legend and real-life combat in this fascinating book. Comic book superheroes have been influenced by the true heroes of our armed forces for decades. From Captain America punching Hitler in the jaw on his first cover, to The Punisher’s tour of duty in Vietnam, there are countless instances when military history has crossed over to the pages of comic books. A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, author Jason Inman re-discovered his childhood love of comic books during long days at the Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq. He started to wonder about the phenomenon of superhero service members. What kinds of soldiers were these fictional characters? And how were they changed by war? Super Soldiers looks at the intersection between war and pop culture to understand these questions and more. Each chapter revisits military comic book characters and compares them to personal stories from Inman’s military career; describing superhero soldiers from DC comics and Marvel comics, including lesser-known characters lost to time.




Soldier Dogs


Book Description

A leading reporter offers a tour of military working dogs' extraordinary training, heroic accomplishments, and the lasting impacts they have on those who work with them. People all over the world have been riveted by the story of Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who was a part of the Navy SEAL team that led the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. A dog's natural intelligence, physical abilities, and pure loyalty contribute more to our military efforts than ever before. You don't have to be a dog lover to be fascinated by the idea that a dog-the cousin of that furry guy begging for scraps under your table-could be one of the heroes who helped execute the most vital and high-tech military mission of the new millennium. Now Maria Goodavage, editor and featured writer for one of the world's most widely read dog blogs, tells heartwarming stories of modern soldier dogs and the amazing bonds that develop between them and their handlers. Beyond tales of training, operations, retirement, and adoption into the families of fallen soldiers, Goodavage talks to leading dog-cognition experts about why dogs like nothing more than to be on a mission with a handler they trust, no matter how deadly the IEDs they are sniffing, nor how far they must parachute or rappel from aircraft into enemy territory. "Military working dogs live for love and praise from their handlers," says Ron Aiello, president of the United States War Dogs Association and a former marine scout dog handler. "The work is all a big game, and then they get that pet, that praise. They would do anything for their handler." This is an unprecedented window into the world of these adventurous, loving warriors.




Mission 22


Book Description




The Five Ls


Book Description

"I have known Shawn for a short time as lifetimes go, but I say I feel like I have known him for a lifetime through our shared experiences during Huts for Vets weekends. In his book, The Five Ls, Shawn masterfully weaves life experiences, humor, tragedy and faith into a must-read guide for those of us in the work of preventing suicide. Shawn, I am so glad to be of Service with you." -WANDA WRIGHT Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Director, Arizona Department of Veterans' Service "In The Five Ls: A Practical Guide for Helping Loved Ones Heal After Trauma, author Shawn Banzhaf serves as a trailblazer, lead climber, and guide, as well as Sherpa, charting a course for others while providing much needed sustenance. With humor, pathos, and honesty, Shawn courageously opens his life and heart in a way that provides support and guidance for people in need. He didn't just write this book, he lived it. Shawn draws on his unique combination of skills, education, work experience, military service, and personal characteristics...The 5 Ls is written for both those who care about someone living with trauma and those dealing with the effects of trauma directly. It is a thoughtful, insightful, and intimate book, at once simple and complex, clear and deep, written with the powerful hope of literally and figuratively saving lives and relationships." -DENISE ANN BODMAN Principal Lecturer and Barrett Honors Faculty, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, ASU "Banzhaf's Five Ls approach emerges from a place of curiosity, empathy, and compassion. This book is for those who need straightforward solutions for bearing one another's trauma with open-minded love. Whether the framework is directed toward personal or corporate action, I trust the values embodied within Banzhaf's message can be used to guide others toward freedom and wholeheartedness." -RENEE RONIKA BHATTI-KLUG Founder and CEO, Culturally Intelligent Training & Consulting LLC "Once in a while a book is able to weave together theory and practice in such an intricate way that the transitions are barely noticed. The Five L's does just this inviting professionals, lay leaders, family, and those who have experienced trauma into reciprocal spaces of learning and support. Rooted in research but grounded in experience, Shawn offers a book that is highly accessible without being trite or sanitized. His experience in the military is both central to the story and serves as a bridge for other non-military persons. This book offers insight, wisdom, and clear strategies to empower those impacted directly and indirectly by trauma." -AMY F. JACOBER PhD, MSW, MDiv "Shawn Banzhaf, my dear friend and a co-laborer in the trauma informed community movement, created an impactful resource called the "Five Ls." He effectively illustrates how to be a helpful companion for those who are suffering and deeply wounded. Shawn's humble but authentic sharing of his life story makes this book both powerful and persuasive. I highly recommend this book to anyone in the field of trauma informed care." -SANGHOON YOO Founder of The Faithful City and Arizona Trauma Informed Faith Community