Description

Each soldier who chooses to join his brothers in arms to defend this country's freedom knows that at sometime he will have to enter the valley of the shadow of death. As you pass through this valley brought on by human conflict, some become lost in the fog of war, while others, through some unexplained reason, by some miracle, survive. There have been stories told and retold by other veterans about unexplained events such as ghosts, whispered voices, lucky charms, guardian angels, and divine intervention that moved these soldiers safely through the valley. In the unwritten history of military conflict there have been literally hundreds of strange events, bizarre happenings in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; that, for many veterans, still remain unexplained. Every veteran who has survived this journey, who still mourns for his lost friends and loved ones tries to find the answer to one burning question, why. Why was he spared? Did the creator have some unfulfilled task for him to complete, or, is it mere chance, a stroke of luck that spared his life? Seeking the answer to this nagging question, an old veteran, in the twilight of his life goes to the Vietnam Memorial Wall, randomly puts his hand on a familiar name, and recalls a long forgotten memory. This book is a collection of stories not only about the strange events and happenings during combat; it is also about the human kindness, love and the drama that somehow prevails during the trauma of war. These stories although fictionalized were inspired by a true premise. J. A. (Pappy) Smith LTC USAF - Retired Forward Air Controller 2nd/16th Ranger Battalion 1st Infantry Division, Vietnam. Sidewinder 24