How many RallyPoint members have written (or helped write) a book in their lives to benefit the military?

SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 08:14:24 -0500

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Nov 10 at 2016 8:33 AM

SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 08:33:24 -0500

To follow up with that question I did, I thought this would be interesting topic before Veterans Day to see who has given to our military community in way people don't see it much. Not sure it any of you are interested or not but here I go, One, I could not post the cover because it is FOUO and we all know that is a NONO. and I could wake some sleeping giants out there. So in 2006 I was in a TSBN for Field Artillery and we trained soldiers at Fort Dix NJ and 5 of us were selected as a CAAT team to deploy in to IRAQ and collect data on National Guard units already deployed there can't give names or locations. (OPSEC)

But we did write for the Center for Army Lessons Learn (CALL) at Fort Leavenworth, KS the was TTP on Security Forces Handbook can't give no numbers but if interested I'm sure you can reach out to the CALL and ask.

But I will go down and always remember the 5 guys I deployed with and never forget the shit we went through in IRAQ before I retired. SO I am one of 5 Contributing Authors to this book. I was in the shits to get this data.

Thanks for the deploying units who read this and I want to thank the Commanders and NCOS who ensured their soldiers carried this book with them,

Story, When I came here a Commander from the Navy saw my book on my desk and ask me to bring it to his office for him to look at as soon as he saw the cover, he asked me" if I helped write this book" I said "YES" He froze and stood up behind his desk, and reached his hand out to shake my hand. This is a NAVY CAPT now and I'm just little old civilian, and he THANKED ME for saving his soldiers because his unit in the NAVY used our book from the ARMY while they were deployed.

Great story.

STEPHENS'

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Nov 10 at 2016 10:24 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 10:24:47 -0500

Although there have been many valiant efforts to provide Vietnam Veterans with the welcome home they were denied, there has been little done to correct the propaganda produced excoriating us a baby killers and the only Americans to lose a war. I blogged on this subject for a couple of years and finally assembled my posts into two journals, one documenting my year at Infantry School and the other documenting my tour of duty in Vietnam. I pushed them on Smashwords and earned a few dollars from sales of the first copies, then decided to offer them free-of-charge to promote the widest possible distribution. Since then I've been rewarded with emails from readers thanking me for them. I've also sound several book reports about them done as webpages produced by high school and college students. Thus, I hope that I am able to correct the record. (Although I still am tempted to tear my TV off the wall whenever I see a retrospective of the war produced by Mike Wallace or some other "war correspondent" of the time)

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Nov 10 at 2016 10:29 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 10:29:41 -0500

Benefit is in the eye of the beholder. I do remember developing and writing up blasting techniques for cutting sea ice which the CG adopted. I also wrote the first JOPES environmental annex guidance. Both have been morphed considerably from the early days of this stuff. The JOPES thing probably morphed most rapidly to be converted into MIL Mumbo Jumbo speak, which I hate. Words like "promulgate" etc. made me want to barf.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Nov 10 at 2016 3:32 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 15:32:35 -0500

It happened just recently, as a matter of fact, SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM. RP member Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS just wrote and published "Persona Non Grata" and will be donating all profits from the Kindle (ebook) and Trade Paperback Sales of Persona Non Grata to Sponsor a Vet Life (SAVL) during the month of November 2016 to coincide with Veterans Day and Remembrance Day (through Black Friday and Cyber Monday). SAVL is spearheaded by another RP member, COL Mikel J. Burroughs.
https://www.rallypoint.com/shared-links/welcome--5?urlhash=2030356

Welcome | RallyPoint

RP Members and Connections check out this greatbook written by our very own here on RallyPoint: “Persona Non Grata” Valor Books will be donating all profits from the Kindle (ebook) and Trade Paperback Sales of Persona Non Grata to Sponsor a Vet Life (SAVL) during the month of November 2016 to coincide with Veterans Day and Remembrance Day (through Black Friday and Cyber Monday). The book can be purchased through Amazon (US) at...

Response by LTC Wayne Dandridge made May 17 at 2018 2:10 PM

LTC Wayne Dandridge — Thu, 17 May 2018 14:10:36 -0400

My terrific step father, a US Marine Corps WWII Sergeant was in Medal Of Honor Recipient (Major back then) Pappy Boyington's BLACK SHEEP Squadron and other units, including Infantry and Artillery, in the Pacific war. He got me hooked on becoming an Army pilot and soldier.

I was an enlisted infantryman, aviation warrant officer and commissioned officer (Transportation Corps and Aviation Branch) in the US Army from 1967 to 1991. I served in the 121st Assault Helicopter Company (Tiger UH-1D Slicks and UH-1B Viking Gunships) and the 235th Aerial Weapons Company (AH-1G Cobra Viper Attack Helicopter Company) in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 as a Warrant Officer Pilot.
I was wounded seriously on the March 28, 1969 flying a Huey gunship, with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), broken back, shattered ankles, broken jaw, broken right hand, severely lacerated neck, and terribly whip lashed neck, in a B Model Huey gunship. One leg is now shorter than the other and I lost some brain cells but I am still working, enjoying grandchildren, fishing, writing, and walking. I retired from the Army in 1991 as a Lieutenant Colonel pilot and then worked 23 years in aerospace, hospice, and law enforcement. I was a Saint Louis County and Bridgeton, MO police officer for five years.

Now I am a 100% military combat service connected disabled and a full-time writer and editor. And I also work part-time as a volunteer Patient Adviser, Jobs Assistance Officer, Veterans Service Officer (VSO), Customer Service Council Member, and Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) Instructor for the terrific Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and the Association of the US Army (AUSA) here in Charleston, SC.

For the past four years, I have been helping to lead the effort to raise funds to build a FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON, in Charleston, SC, to support the families of troops and veterans, who are inpatients in the terrific Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center here. I have written an all five-star reviewed, non-fiction, military history, 416 pages --- with 46 combat pictures, and action book titled BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE) to help raise money to build FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON. Thus far, the book, my speeches, and book signings have raised over $60,000.00 for FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON.
All 2015 profits from the sale of BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE) went to FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON, SC! Also, two dollars from the sale of each book in 2016 and after are going to FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON! The Fisher House Charleston is a world-class comfort home with 16 bedrooms and private baths. The guests staying there free of charge, for as long as necessary, while a family member is being treated at the RHJ VA Med Center, and will share a common living room, dining room, kitchen and laundry room where they will be able to form friendships based on mutual experiences and need for support during a stressful time.
BLADES OF THUNDER (Book One) paperback and hard cover versions have all (over 125 5-star reviews) five-star reviews on AMAZON, on Good Reads, in ARMY AVIATION Magazine, in AVIATOR Magazine, by the Sr. Editor of the CHARLESTON MERCURY News Paper, by the History Editor of Arcadia, and at many other sites. Many readers have said that the book should be made into a movie or mini-series and they have described chapter two as the best short course ever written on leadership.

Best regards,
W. Larry Dandridge, [login to see]