I consider working on this book as a privilege and an honor. Our interviews with those who have sacrificed for this war have revealed new angles on history-in-the-making, and it’s been an exciting journey. So to those people who have shared your stories with me, I thank you for giving us your unique perspective: Jessica Alley, Joseph Bills, Brian and Melanie Birdwell, Bill Butler, Christopher and Leah Dubree, Oaken Ewens, Stephen Ewens, Carol Pinkerton-Ewens, Gene Fowler, Kevin and Kristin Hamilton, Steve Harrold, Kerri Hartwick, Starlett Henderson, Sara Horn, Daniel and Wendy Gade, John Gessner, Jay Johannigman, Deborah Johns, Tom Joyce, Shane Klein, Benita Koeman, Jason and Sonja Mannarino, Carrie McDonall, Mark Murphy, Joe and Stephanie Olsen, Dave and Vanessa Peters, Jim Powers, Nate Self, Patti Smith, Christopher Taffoya, Donna Tallman, Frank Vozenilek, Mark and Marshele Carter Waddell, Andrea Westfall, and Amanda and Stuart Zeigler.
Sincere thanks and appreciation also go to my family for their support during this project: to my husband Rob for cheerfully watching our young children and settling for frozen dinners many times, to my parents Peter and Pixie Falck, to my aunt Carmen Ingham, and my cousin Carrie Christensen for all their help with childcare so I could focus on meeting deadlines. Thanks also to my neighbors Teresa and Christie Carr for the free babysitting when the pressure was on. My role in this book would not have been possible without you all.
Thanks to my agent David Sanford and Rebekah Clark for suggesting that I participate in this book project, and to God and Country Press/AMG Publishers for giving me the opportunity. To the AMG staff Dan Penwell, Rick Steele, and John Fallahee thank you for having a vision for this book and for bringing it to fruition.
Finally, thanks to my co-authors Jane Hampton Cook and John Croushorn. Together we have been able to produce what no one of us could have accomplished alone. Thanks for your partnership in bringing these stories to the rest of the world. Jocelyn Green
Not everyone who serves on the battlefield believes they have a book’s worth of insight to share. But many recognize that their experiences changed them or their loved ones so much that they must tell their story, even if what they have to say only fills a few pages. By telling of their experiences, they not only gain a deeper perspective on their own lives but they also encourage others as well.
What I love about this book is that it has given many people who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan or their loved ones the opportunity to share their unique perspective. These men and women have lived loudly for liberty on battlefields marked by extreme challenges while their families made quiet sacrifices back home. Former Washington Post editor Phil Graham once quipped that journalism is the “first draft of history.” These eyewitness accounts are a final draft of journalism and the first pages of history documenting these never-before-told stories.
I want to thank each of you who shared your story with me: Todd Akin, Charles Baldwin, Will Brandon, Mark E. Braswell, Janis Dashner, Mary Ebersole, Mary Bass Gray, Matt Hamrick, Brad Head, Mike Hoyt, Michael Huntley, Gina Elliott Kim, Paul Brian Kim, Debbie Lee, Jim Lively, Amy Malugani, Sean McDougal, Daniel Nichols, Brandon Reid, Greg Rosenmerkel, Rob Thomson, Mark and Sandy Troutman, Robert L. Van Antwerp, and Mary Walker. You have inspired me by your service, courage, and strength.
I also want to express my heartfelt and sincere appreciation to my husband for your never-ending support as I pursue my passion for writing. I’m also grateful to Jonathan Clements and the Nashville Agency for continuing to believe in me as a writer and public speaker. Thanks also to producers of the FOX News Channel for giving me so many opportunities to provide historical insight into current events the past year.
Thanks to the God and Country/AMG staff: to Dan Penwell for acquiring this book, serving as managing editor, and for editing and proofing the book, to Rick Steele for editing and coordinating the publication, and John Fallahee for marketing.
Thanks especially to my co-authors Jocelyn Green and John Croushorn for your hard work and perseverance to make this book what it is a kaleidoscope of faith and courage from those who have served their nation with dignity, respect, and honor. —Jane Hampton Cook
I have served with heroes, men and women that are larger than life. One would think from portrayals in movies and popular fiction that courage is anchored in bravado. It is not. In my experience it is usually anchored in simple, practical faith that emphasizes others more than self. This project has allowed much of this servant-leadership to be portrayed.
In interviewing those who have served and their families, I found a renewed respect for the cost of our freedom. The dreams and aspirations of great men and women were not merely put on hold but rather sacrificed for a greater cause. Their actions are directly related to their faith. Faith calls men and women to action when freedom is threatened, sometimes in dramatic ways.
Universally those that serve look to their families and friends for the support to withstand the hardship of deployment. It is however those that remain on U.S. soil that have the heavier burden. Sustaining life and home while a part of your family is away is difficult at best. The stress of not knowing what is happening to your loved one, seeing reports of conflict in areas they are known to be in, and at times dealing with the frustrations of a family pulled apart by deployment these are common if not everyday trials these families go through. It is a trial my wife and children know very well. They are true heroes.
I would like to thank each of those who shared stories with me: Brandt Smith, Debbie Lee, Mike Meoli, Jim Phillips, James Maloney, Skip Mahaffee, Rich Carmona, Linda Croushorn, Bradley Macnealy, Joe Wood, Don Richards, David Graves, Rob Garretson, Gary Hensley, Paul Casinelli, and Ted. You and your families have given to this country in ways some will never be able to fully understand. Thank you.
Special thanks go to David Sanford and Rebekah Clark for introducing me to authorship. Their always-encouraging emails sustained me through many long days and nights. Thanks to Dan Penwell, Rick Steele, John Fallahee, and all those on the God and Country/AMG staff for their undying commitment to quality.
My co-authors Jocelyn Green and Jane Hampton Cook deserve special recognition. I am not a natural author, and their encouragement and motivation enabled me to complete this project. Their professionalism and passion appear on every page.
I must also recognize the true hero in my life. She went through the hardship and frustration of deployment, cared for our children and ran our household for what seemed an endless time. Her love and faith have preserved our marriage and enabled me to be the man I am today. Julie is the love of my life, and a true believer in all that is right with this world.
—John Croushorn