Glider pilots over France, amphibious landings in the Philippines, the Big Red One and MACV-SOG in Vietnam, Pershing missiles, submarine tenders, EOD in Afghanistan, and the mothers and wives who held the line at home. One family, and two and a half centuries of answering the call.
“For our family, service is part of who they are.”From the Introduction
When my father died, my sister pulled me aside and admitted something that stayed with me. She had never understood the full weight of his service. She said she wished she'd asked more, listened more, and taken the time to understand the life he lived before we were even born. That moment made something painfully clear: if we don't tell these stories now, they vanish. I refuse to let that happen. No one in this family should grow up unaware of the service that protected us and carried our name through generations.
I am the only one in my family who did not serve in the military, and that is precisely why I felt compelled to write this book.
Read the author's acknowledgement →Every chapter sits inside a larger story. Explore the stories by era.
The Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War
3 stories02Gliders over France, LVTs in the Philippines, flight instruction in Colorado
3 stories03Frozen hills, instrument flying, and a Bronze Star
1 story04Big Red One, MACV-SOG, Camp A Shau, Phu Loi
10 stories05Germany, Pershing missiles, armor, the DMZ, and the FBI
6 stories06Submarine tenders, electronic intelligence, and EOD
3 stories07A bomber pilot at the Pentagon on 9/11, and the one still serving
2 stories08The wives and mothers who held the line
3 storiesEach chapter is a real person from one family tree. Their full stories are in the book.
Their Service: When a Nation Calls is coming soon to Amazon as a full-color paperback. Start with the free sample: the Introduction and “The Pink Scarf,” my father’s story of serving side by side with the South Vietnamese Army.
Read the Free Sample