Leaving Mac Behind


Book Description

"My first telegram came Sep. 3 1942 that my son was missing in action. And the next telegram came Aug. 18 1943 that he was Declared Dead. Till this day I do not know what happened to him." Mrs. Ann M. Lyons, August 7, 1957. Between 1942 and 1944, nearly four hundred Marines virtually vanished in the jungles, seas, and skies of Guadalcanal. They were the victims of enemy ambushes and friendly fire, hard fighting and poor planning, their deaths witnessed by dozens or not at all. They were buried in field graves, in cemeteries as unknowns, or left where they fell. They were classified as "missing," as "not recovered," as "presumed dead." And in the years that followed, their families wondered at their fates and how an administrative decision could close the book on sons, brothers, and husbands without healing the wounds left by their absence. 'Leaving Mac Behind' reconstructs the lives, last moments, and legacies of some of these men. Original records, eyewitness accounts, and recent discoveries shed new light on the lost graves of Guadalcanal's missing Marines--and the ongoing efforts to bring them home.




One Call Away


Book Description

What can you do when your well-laid plans fall apart and life takes an unexpected turn? Brenda Warner is best known as the outspoken wife of NFL superstar and Dancing with the Stars alum Kurt Warner. But years earlier, she found herself living through any woman’s nightmare: a healthy baby tragically injured in the bathtub; a sudden end to a career she loved; betrayal and divorce; poverty; public humiliation; a deadly natural disaster that destroyed her foundation and shook her to her core. One shattering phone call at a time, Brenda Warner’s life came to resemble little of her dream. But each time her plans fell apart, Brenda faced a choice: to collapse in the face of tragedy or press forward and survive. She chose to keep going. In the process, she’s learned that the unexpected is only one call away. Her story provides hope and encouragement for anyone facing life’s challenges and shows us that our circumstances don’t tell us who we are, nor are they a measure of God’s love. God has a plan for us, even when our plans fail. Brenda’s life is proof that sometimes the best dreams are not the ones we dream, but the ones that come true when we least expect them. “Brenda Warner remains a soldier fi ghting for faith and life in the face of unexplainable devastation. The fortitude of this ‘marine mom’ will grab your heart. If you think Kurt Warner’s journey is moving, do not wait to read the story of Brenda.” —Elizabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of The View and special contributor for Good Morning America, ABC News “We have all had the phone ring and our lives changed. Brenda Warner’s moving and inspiring memoir reminds us all of the power of family, the miracles and misfortunes of life, and the foundation that faith plays in our all-too-human existences. Unflinching and fearless, she is the woman I want in my corner: safe, smart, and savvy. A heroine for us all.” —Jamie Lee Curtis, Author/actress/mother/sister




What Are Wisdom and Intelligence


Book Description

To whom it may concern, "What are wisdom and intelligence" chronicles the life of an average American's struggle through a society eclipsed by a manmade distortion of true reality. This 430 page book shows people the everyday rollercoaster of an average Jim in 65 chapters peppered with the morals, ethics and coping skills learned through life experiences. Written for my children, this book has an i...ntense feel of introspect; and by reading this material, it will take you back to a lot of your own memories and give YOU back to the basics of YOU. This book will show you the simple things that are becoming lost in a society distracted by the complexities of life itself. "What are wisdom and intelligence" doesn't speak of the actual meaning of wisdom and intelligence but instead poses the question of whether our society needs to ask this question in the first place or does society automatically judge a person by there wisdom and intelligence? This unique view of the simple man's life brings back a sense of integrity through making bad decisions and seeing the results first hand. These missteps are further compromised due to the apathy of our time. Society has become too complicated in its own intelligence. People with a lot of education think that they have all the answers and often times refuse to listen to "the common man's" wisdom. Here in lies the premise of my book and the average "Jim's" plight. My life and in turn my book is filled with "the simple things in life that save us all." Integrity, morals, ethics and a simple smile are the tools of an average Jim. My experience is life itself, nothing more and nothing less. I was a Jack of all trades and master of none. I started as a Marine and then did a bit of everything; truck driver, cowboy, fence contractor, restaurant manager, and taxi driver just to name a few. Also at one point, I hitch hiked across the US. My strength and wisdom came with time, as it should. The common sense approach to life is what brings me around to today. My daily inspirational thoughts on the internet have become strength for many and in time, I hope, will be one of the strengths of my book. My public speaking, thus far, has been filled with music, laughter and inspiration. People are searching, in many ways, for answers when they are right there in front of them and that is what makes this book so inspirational and introspective. People see themselves through the words I give to my children and in turn find the joy in their own life. There are no magic words to restore the basic realities of life but in there own minds. All they need to do is take away the distortions of wisdom and intelligence. I truly appreciate you taking the time to look at my simple book of life and hope that it will be the inspiration for you to want more. Please feel free to contact me and hope to hear from you soon. Thank you so much for your time. Respectfully, James H. Kelley




Pushing the Limit


Book Description

I give you all fair warning; this story is mine. There are many like it, but this one is mine. I am my best friend. It is my life. I am an AIDS survivor and a Marine. I must master my rifle. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless; without my rifle, I am useless. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. Before God I swear this creed, my rifle and I are defenders of my country. We are masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is Americas, and there is no enemy but peace! Be prepared to get pissed off, begin to hate, begin to love, want to get violent. This may cause seizures, cause you to attack somebody, have you attacked, begin to question things, and quite possibly find yourself living a great life in reference to mine. You may also learn how to live without malice in your heart. I would suggest this book be placed in an adults hands, but if youre an addict or if youre thinking of using drugs, read further regardless. I also suggest anyone who is living with HIV/AIDS have a look also. I learned to relinquish my weapons and step aside, can you? I firmly ask you again, do not enter!







Softly Fiji


Book Description

The loss of the father and the son resulted in war and cannibalism in Fiji. Learn of the original worship of the father and the son in Fiji. How the son took away his protection and the land fell into the period of the Rooster Wars. With the advent of the Christian missionaries in Fiji, the country entered a period of the Return of the Father and Son. Christian Missionaries then advised cession to Queen Victoria as Defender of the Faith, and arms were laid down on 10 October 1874, to take up the rule of law. The country then entered a period of taking up arms from the coup of 1987, the attempted coup of 2000, the coup of 2006, and the Declaration of a new legal order in 2010. With the Constitution Commission of 2012, Fiji now enters a period of The Search for Answers as it tries to go back to constitutional rule. The author was called by the Lord to help the Fijian people. This he did from 1986 to 2012 and for the first time he reveals some of the hard facts behind it.




Mother's Son


Book Description

Mother’s Son is a passionate story of a young man’s life; told from the heart and mind of his grandmother. She held him gently as pain griped his body. A child born with Sickle Cell Anemia Disease; only his grandmother’s potions and ointments along with her stories managed to ease his pain. She told her special grandson stories of Post Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement were a prince of peace flew over the mountain top, and a tall stature stool transforming himself into a black revolutionary. Her most compelling story talks of a boy ́s struggles through his pain by wondering the streets infested with drug and violence. His journey as a Black Panther put him in the forefront as community organizer where he helped establish the first Sickle Cell Anemia testing community – wide testing and free clothing programs in Dallas. His struggle for identity took him to the brink of insanity, there he found himself, as he emerged as a man who dedicated his life helping those who have fallen through the cracks of despair; and drug abuse; lost children who carry the psychological wounds of slavery. People he could identify with, people like him, people with stories similar to his grandmother’s story.







Raised by Wolves


Book Description




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