Letters Home, a Paratrooper's Story

Letters Home, a Paratrooper's Story

Author: H. L. "Bud" Curtis

Publisher: Aardvark Global Publishing DBA Ecko Publishing

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 9781427650306

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"H.L. "Bud" Curtis, 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT) 1943-1945"--Cover.


Exposure

Exposure

Author: William Bonk

Publisher:

Published: 2020-10-23

Total Pages: 412

ISBN-13: 9781943226511

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Author William Bonk raises awareness and provides a critical resource for thousands potentially exposed to hazardous chemicals at shuttered Fort McClellan in Alabama. Bonk, a licensed private investigator, draws attention to the real possibility that veterans, their families, and civilians once assigned to now-closed Fort McClellan (FMC), Alabama were subjected to hazardous environmental conditions to include chemical weapon material and toxic chemicals starting in the early 1950s and continuing through 1999 and beyond. "I want to attract the attention of the 535 members of the U.S. Congress," said Bonk, also a retired supervisory criminal investigator and former U.S. Army military police trainee who trained at FMC. I want them to be able to have a reason to move forward with a FMC health registry and work toward a presumption within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that FMC veterans were adversely affected by exposure to dangerous contaminants." The sad reality according to Bonk is that, "because of latency, dosage, time, and risk factors, FMC veterans have to fight individually to attempt to prove an in- service event and the service connection with a nexus between the two. In most cases, they were unknowingly exposed to a plethora of contaminants, making any argument difficult to prove." Bonk establishes a timeline and meticulously traces the post's historical use of hazardous materials, such as chemical weapons material, ionizing radiation, pesticides, and heavy metals. Bonk bases his findings on data from public U.S. government reports, open source news articles, and multiple interviews with trainees and trainers stationed at FMC, which was comprised of almost 50,000 acres and originally home to the U.S. Army's Military Police and Chemical Schools. The reports often reveal ambiguity, uncertainty, speculation, and a total lack of due diligence when rendering conclusions and recommendations regarding contaminated parcels.


The Story of the American Legion

The Story of the American Legion

Author: Wheat George Seay

Publisher: Hardpress Publishing

Published: 2016-06-23

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 9781318806782

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.


The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the Legion

The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the Legion

Author: George Seay Wheat

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2023-08-12

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

George Seay Wheat's 'The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the Legion' provides a comprehensive account of the founding and early years of the American Legion, highlighting its significance in American history. Written in a detailed and engaging narrative style, Wheat delves into the various historical events and personalities that shaped the organization, offering readers a deeper understanding of its origins and ideals. The book not only serves as a valuable historical resource but also showcases Wheat's meticulous research and analytical skills. This work is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of American veterans and the impact of the American Legion on society. Wheat's dedication to preserving the legacy of the organization shines through in his detailed storytelling and insightful commentary. Overall, 'The Story of the American Legion' is a compelling and informative read that sheds light on a pivotal period in American history.


The Story of China Post 1

The Story of China Post 1

Author: Scott Riebel

Publisher:

Published: 2021-08-20

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

China Post 1 is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Founded in Shanghai, China in November 1919, the history of this Post is in fact a history of the membership of the Post, their love for it and their dedication and efforts in ensuring the success and survival of this organization. During the early years, the Post conducted operation much like any other Post within the American Legion.In 1938, following the Japanese occupation of China, the membership shifted focus and much of their work consisted of clandestine operations, intelligence gathering and reporting through their established business connections.On December 8, 1941 following Pearl Harbor, all U.S. expats were gathered up and incarcerated in "civilian detention facilities" like Pootung Prison. During that long incarceration, Post members continued their intel gathering and reporting through a vast network of established civilian contact. One member in particular stands out, Past Commander Frank D. Mortimer.Following the war and their release from incarceration, Post members immediately returned to the old Post home and began the process of assisting expats and veterans return to the U.S., locate missing relatives, arrange for final honors; frankly, anything that was within their power to accomplish with little money. In 1948 the people abandoned the Chiang Kai-shek government in favor of Mao Zedong and in 1948, Americans in Mao's China became persona non grata. So began our exile.The Soldier of Fortune moniker appealed to a certain category of war fighters in South East Asia. The resurgence of the Post is due in large part to these people.You just cannot join China Post 1. Membership in the Post is not solicited. Prospective members MUST be recommended by a current member. The veracity of their application is carefully verified, and an intake interview is conducted. The brand that is China Post 1 is carefully protected.The story of China Post 1 is the story of the membership. This is a collection of their stories and their contributions to maintaining the Post and its brand. This is their story.


Legion of the Lost

Legion of the Lost

Author: Jaime Salazar

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2006-08-01

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 1101118466

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The son of underpaid Mexican immigrants, Jaime earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue. But at twenty-three, he was disillusioned with the corporate fast track. So he became an outcast American in a hard-bitten group of recruits-men on the run from their pasts, men without hope: He joined the French Foreign Legion. From the Legion's notoriously brutal training to Salazar's fierce competitiveness, ultimate disillusionment and dramatic desertion, Legion of the Lost is a compelling, firsthand account of today's French Foreign Legion that will dispel myths while adding to the legend of the finest trained army of warriors the world has ever known.


Special Forces Berlin

Special Forces Berlin

Author: James Stejskal

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2017-02-15

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 1612004458

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The previously untold story of a Cold War spy unit, “one of the best examples of applied unconventional warfare in special operations history” (Small Wars Journal). It is a little-known fact that during the Cold War, two US Army Special Forces detachments were stationed far behind the Iron Curtain in West Berlin. The existence and missions of the two detachments were highly classified secrets. The massive armies of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies posed a huge threat to the nations of Western Europe. US military planners decided they needed a plan to slow the expected juggernaut, if and when a war began. This plan was Special Forces Berlin. Their mission—should hostilities commence—was to wreak havoc behind enemy lines and buy time for vastly outnumbered NATO forces to conduct a breakout from the city. In reality, it was an ambitious and extremely dangerous mission, even suicidal. Highly trained and fluent in German, each of these one hundred soldiers and their successors was allocated a specific area. They were skilled in clandestine operations, sabotage, and intelligence tradecraft, and were able to act, if necessary, as independent operators, blending into the local population and working unseen in a city awash with spies looking for information on their every move. Special Forces Berlin left a legacy of a new type of soldier, expert in unconventional warfare, that was sought after for other deployments, including the attempted rescue of American hostages from Tehran in 1979. With the US government officially acknowledging their existence in 2014, their incredible story can now be told—by one of their own.


Shot Down

Shot Down

Author: Steve Snyder

Publisher: Sea Breeze Publishing LLC

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 374

ISBN-13: 0986076007

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Shot Down is about author Steve Snyder¿s father, Howard Snyder, the ten man crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth, and the unique experiences of each man after their plane was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgium border on February 8, 1944. Some men died. Some were captured and became prisoners of war. Some evaded the Germans for awhile but were betrayed, captured, and shot. Some men evaded capture and were missing in action for seven months. The stories are all different and are all remarkable. Through personal letters, oral and written accounts, military records, and interviews ¿ all from people who took part of the events that happened 70 years ago, the stories of the crewmen come alive. Further enhancing their stories are more than 200 time period photographs of the people who were involved and the places where the events took place. Even before the dramatic battle in the air and the subsequent harrowing events on the ground, the story is informative, insightful, and captivating. Prior to the fateful event on February 8, the book covers the men¿s training, their journey to England, life while stationed there, and numerous combat missions. Everything is centered around the 306th Bomb Group stationed at Thurleigh, England of which the crew of the Susan Ruth was a part. To add background and context, many historical facts about the war are entwined throughout the book so that the reader has a feel for and understanding of what was occurring on a broader scale. Thus, it is a fascinating account about brave individuals, featuring pilot Howard Snyder, set within the compelling events of the war in Europe. You will be given an insider¿s seat to the drama surrounding a remarkable group of young airmen and the courageous Belgian people who risked their lives to help them.


War Stories

War Stories

Author: Al Zdon

Publisher:

Published: 2002-12-01

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 9780971194014

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Written accounts of people who served in the Civil War; Spanish-American War; World War I and II; the Korean War; the Vietnamese Conflict; and the Persian Gulf War.