Remember the Ramrods: An Army Brotherhood in War and Peace
Book by David Bellavia
DETAILS
Publisher : Mariner Books (November 8, 2022) Language : English Hardcover : 384 pages ISBN-10 : 0063048655 ISBN-13 : 978-0063048652 Item Weight : 1.24 pounds Dimensions : 6 x 1.01 x 9 inches Best Sellers Rank: #10,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #4 in Iraq War History (Books) #4 in Iraq War Biographies #340 in Memoirs (Books) , The Iraq War’s only living Medal of Honor recipient reveals the untold story of the remarkable brotherhood behind one of the war’s legendary acts of valor In 2004, he stormed an enemy stronghold to save his platoon. Fourteen years later, his unit reunited and saved him. This is their story. “Acting on instinct to save the members of his platoon from an imminent threat, Staff Sergeant Bellavia ultimately cleared an entire enemy-filled house.” So reads the Medal of Honor citation describing one of the Iraq War’s most celebrated acts of heroism. But the full story of the brotherhood at the heart of these events is untold—and far more remarkable. In 2004, David Bellavia’s U.S. Army unit, an infantry battalion known as the Ramrods—2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division—fought and helped win the Battle of Fallujah, the bloodiest episode of the Iraq War. On November 10, 2004, Bellavia single-handedly cleared a fortified enemy position that had pinned down a squad from his platoon. Fourteen years later, Bellavia got a call from the president of the United States: he had been awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions in Fallujah and would receive America’s highest award for bravery in combat during a ceremony at the White House. The news was not welcome. Bellavia had put the war behind him, created a quiet life for himself in rural western New York, and lost touch with most of his fellow Ramrods, who were once like brothers to him. The first time they gathered as a unit after the war was at Bellavia’s medal ceremony, six days in Washington, D.C., that may have saved them all. As they revisited what they had seen and done in battle and revealed to one another their journeys back into civilian life, they discovered that the bonds had not been broken by time. A decoration for one became a healing event for all. This book—beginning in brutal war and ending with this momentous, transformative reunion—covers the journey of Bellavia’s platoon through fifteen years. A quintessential and timeless American tale, it is the story of how forty battle-hardened soldiers became ordinary citizens again; what they did during that time, and how November 10, 2004, rattled within them; and how their reunion brought them home at last. Read more
REVIEW
David Bellavia has written an important and excellent book. I was taken aback by his candor and honesty regarding his trials, tribulations and personal feeling of regarding combat, his comrades and of receiving the MOH. I knew a gentleman in my neighborhood who was a WWII awardee of the MOH. Twenty years of casual chats and conversations of happenings in world and yet all I knew of his valor was in his citation. I knew nothing of the man or his experiences before, during or after the war. Thank you David for giving me some insight! I am a Navy vet and know little of the Army. But, I sure know who the 'Ramrods' are and I won't soon forget!!
DOWNLOAD PAGE
留言列表
