Guest Review
I received this book from Alyce (At Home With Books) with one condition, that I must read it and review it. I had every intention of doing this, but then I remembered my good friend Tracy's father and brother are Marines. I asked if her if she would be willing to read it and write something about her experience. Many thanks to Tracy for doing this.....
When Joker One was recommended to me by Staci, I was immediately interested because it is about a Marine platoon's time in Iraq and is written by a Marine Lieutenant. Because my Dad was a Marine who fought in the Pacific during WWII, I have always been interested in combat and what life must have really been like for my father. By page 7 the tears were flowing. These words are the explanation I've longed for most of my life as to why my father never talked about the war:
"Our time together in Iraq seems like someone else's story, for there's nothing in American even remotely similar to what we experienced overseas, nothing that remidns us of what we've suffered and achieved together. And none of us have really been able to tell htat story, not fully, not even to our families, because each small telling takes a personal toll. No one wants to suffer the pain of trying to explain the unexplainable to those who rarely have either the time or the desire to comprehend. So, many of us have simply packed away war away and tried hard to fit into normalcy by ignoring that time of our lives."
I truly believe that none of us could possibly understand what it's like to truly be in the midst of combat and to take others lives. Most shocking to me was Campbell's description of meeting with a lawyer who explained exactly what the Marines could and could not shoot at! After spending grueling weeks being trained to kill, imagine being told what you were "legally" allowed to do in combat!
The profoundness of this book isn't in the writing itself, but in the raw emotion. Even after having grown up with the military, it astounds me that these men believe so strongly in God, their country and the American ideals that they would risk their lives fighting a losing battle on foreign soil.
I believe this book is a must read! Everyone can gain a true appreciation for what these American heroes have gone through so that we can sleep safely at night.
Semper Fi
Tracy is not only my co-worker but a dearly loved friend. She puts up with my craziness and most especially when I'm ADD!! She's a wonderful friend, mother, wife, sister, and an awesome middle-school teacher!! Thanks for doing this for me!!! Please don't hurt me for using this photo!!
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