Review of "M. O. D." by J. C. Allen

"M. O. D." by J.C. Allen was quite an interesting read. I truly enjoyed it from cover to cover. It contains a bit of a lot of different elements: adventure, technology, political intrigue, fantasy, and even a little romance. What's right? What's wrong? When does right cross over into being wrong and vice versa? This is the core of this book's plot, and it's done in an entertaining and original manner. It's quite well written.

Mr. Allen has created an entire world with feet in both the fantasy world and the real world. All of the details kept me turning the page, and there were enough surprises to carry it to the end. This is a good book and quite a bargain! I look forward to more work by J. C. Allen.
M.O.D. by J. C. Allen

Military Writer's Society of America review for "SAT & BAF!"

"SAT & BAF!" just received a terrific review from Lee Boyland of Military Writer's Society of America. I'm very proud of it, and it's quite fitting to post it on this eve of Veteran's Day. I couldn't have asked for a better reviewer.

"Young men, graduates of the Infantry School, arrive in Germany and are assigned to a special unit that guard's Pershing II nuclear missiles. They are given a high-pressure assignment that requires a secret security clearance with no preparation or special training for the job. Not what they expected.

Doug DePew tells it like it was, not something the average civilian can understand or relate to. You have to have been in the program to understand the pressure and responsibilities associated with nukes and guarding them. SAT & BAF! Memories of a Tower Rat is part of the "Cold War" story, and what it took to win. Unfortunately, the importance of the Cold War is being deleted from history books, along with much of what made America great.

For those not familiar with military terms, I suggest creating a glossary as you read. SAT and BAF, the reader discovers on page 56 mean Security Alert Team and Backup Alert Force. Guard towers were placed around the Pershing site and the men who manned them were "Tower Rats."

DePew's book is insightful, and gives the reader a peek into a corner of the secret world that protected the U.S. from the USSR. DePew and his buddies were hard drinking, brawling, fraulein-chasing, pranksters who, when duty called, seriously guarded the warheads and missiles from Soviet and peacenick attacks. Men who bonded and always had each others back. Men I would have been proud to have commanded, and I can speak from the experience of having had a couple of NCOs who were like DePew and his buddies.

I enjoyed the lieutenant and the password scene. I never forgot a password, but it brought back memories of a couple of men who did, and one who talked too much about them. I was very pleased to note that while the author and his buddies had numerous run-ins with the MPs, there was never a security breach or incident, and when all is said and done, that's all that matters.

The book contains descriptions of the author's travels through out Germany, Spain and Switzerland, along beer, wine and frauleins. I think DePew had a good time.

Having been a member of the nuclear fraternity, I appreciated DePews' story and will keep the book on my shelf."
SAT & BAF! Memories of a Tower Rat

Review of: "SitRep Negative: A Year in Vietnam" by G. J. Lau

G. J. Lau's recollection of his year in Vietnam was quite moving. Like a previous reviewer stated, it's not an action-packed war memoir. It is simply his memory of what the war was like for him. There isn't a lot of dialogue in this book. It reads more like hearing him tell the story.

This is a good book that adds another piece of the puzzle to our understanding of the war in southeast Asia that had so much impact on our nation and our culture. It's a different perspective from many. It is worth reading. Thank you, Mr. Lau for sharing your story.
SitRep Negative: A Year in Vietnam

Review of "Changed By War" by Den Slattery

"Changed By War" is Mr. Slattery's story of his two tours in Vietnam. He spent one tour with the Marine Corps as an infantryman and later another with the Army as the war was ending. His descriptions of his time in Vietnam are quite good and he captures the feel of what it was like very well. It was also interesting to hear his experiences and some of his activities after the Marine Corps.

This book is much more than that, though. It is also the story of how Mr. Slattery really was transformed by war. It chronicles his journey to becoming the person he is today. This book has a strong religious overtone. If that turns you off, I would not recommend this book. Personally, I found his story quite interesting and appreciate him sharing it. It is worth reading.
Changed By War

Review of "Light Casualties: A Private War" by J. C. Willis

"Light Casualties: A Private War" is an extremely well written book. It offers an unusual perspective in war memoirs. It gives us the view of a young, draftee private just doing his best to stay alive and get home during the peak of the Vietnam war. It carries us all the way from being drafted to arriving home as J.C. makes his way through time with the artillery and the infantry. The dialogue is realistic. The characters are well-developed. The voice is familiar and friendly. It's a very personal story that strikes me as a truly authentic look at what service in Vietnam was like for many people. I enjoyed reading Mr. Willis's story very much. It's one of the most authentic, real war memoirs I've ever read.

This book also has some very nice touches. The beginning of each chapter in the Kindle book has a personal photograph and map to match the setting. I love the way he scatters letters home through the book. This is simply a wonderful book, and I thank Mr. Willis for his service and for sharing his story with us. It's a good read that I recommend to anybody who'd like to see what life on the ground was probably like for many, many Vietnam veterans.
Light Casualties: A Private War

Review of "Christmas Eve Can Kill You" by William Marantz

"Christmas Even Can Kill You" by William Marantz is an extremely entertaining book! I enjoyed getting to know broken down, Jewish, country singer turned talk-radio jock, Val Virgo. The narrative flows well. The plot is interesting and exciting. The dialogue is realistic, sharp, and witty. The characters are well developed and interesting.

This story developed at a quick pace. There were plenty of twists and turns and even a couple hairpin turns that caused my breath to catch in my throat. The mystery kept me guessing. The romance was interesting and believable to me. The conclusion left me feeling satisfied yet interested in learning more about Val Virgo. I particularly enjoyed the flavor added by the Winnipeg setting. I could see the great, white north, and I've never even been there.

This is a good book. Yes, the narrative voice is sarcastic. As one with a deep sarcastic streak myself, I liked it. I wouldn't mind hanging out with these characters. I enjoyed this book a lot and recommend it to anyone looking for a quick paced, interesting read.
 Christmas Eve Can Kill You

Facebook is so cool!

I don't understand why some people are so against using facebook. It's like they wear it as a badge of honor. I completely get the privacy concerns, but that's not what it's about. They seem to take pride in refusing to use it.

I just don't get it.

I've found family that were lost since the 1970s. Well, I guess they weren't lost, but we were out of contact with them after my mom's dad died. I've set up family reunions, class reunions, and a lot of other events through there. I have a fan page for my book with a couple hundred members. We're going to set up a reunion of my Army unit through that. It's just really great for that...keeping in touch.

The latest thing that happened is a group some German girls created just for people who hung out in two nightclubs in Heilbronn, Germany. It's the "Alstadt-Uncle Sam" group. It's a closed group that even has rules. We have to post a face picture when we first join. I was stationed in Heilbronn and hung out in those clubs nearly every night I could. We're actually recognizing each other! People we thought we'd never see again, and we're chatting and having fun talking about the old days of Bon Jovi music and big hair!! We get to capture a magical era of our youth through faded photographs and vivid memories. I posted one picture, and a couple of the German girls have told me they recognize me already. I definitely recognize some of them. They've posted a lot of pictures, and I remember some of those night...even though they might be clouded through a haze of hefeweissen and Apfelkorn. It was a fun time. I never would have seen those pictures without facebook.

I just think that's awesome. I don't get why some people take pride in refusing to use it. I refuse to use a cell phone, so I guess I should get it. I just don't, though.