In the Shadow of Greatness
Voices of Leadership, Sacrifice, and Service from America's Longest War
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- 31,99 €
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- 31,99 €
Beschrijving uitgever
Named a "Notable Naval Book of 2012" by Proceedings Magazine Their stories needed to be told. And classmates working together, under a blanket of trust and friendship, was the only way to allow people to open up. It was a three year journey into the hearts and souls of America’s youngest heroes to gather these important historical accounts, but it was worth every hour spent. Inside this book are the voices the first Annapolis graduates into a decade of war and they remind us that America is in good hands. They were walking to class on 9/11, wearing Naval Academy “summer working blues”, when the towers were struck. The campus went to general quarters, battle stations. They would be the first class after this attack to graduate into a nation at war and would be faced, like so many past graduates, of rising to the challenge to keeping America great. President Bush and Vice President Cheney articulated a world at the crossroads, and the U.S. would preemptively in seek enemies who threatened the national interest, America would not again be terrorized. In the Shadow of Greatness addresses issues that go beyond one USNA class, it explains the trials of most military veterans of this era. Understanding how a young person enlists to serve, deploys to the fight, and returns home is unknown to most Americans. Veterans pack up their uniforms, but never lose the call for service when the return to civilian society. The profiles in this book represent the “Next Great Generation” of American leaders. Men and women who lost their innocence in battle and their youths to a decade of deployments, throughout which they never gave up hope. In exchange for down range scars, they gained an unbreakable sense of purpose to America’s ideals—freedom, equality, and democracy. The compilation is the most authentic and raw narrative to emerge from the Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond. The reader enjoys a spectrum of stories, each patriotic and honorable. The narratives are meant to inspire, educate, and reveal a world many don’t understand. Its contents are readable and easy to appreciate. The Class of 2002—and more broadly, the one million veterans of the Long War—are America’s leaders of tomorrow. Read this book to learn what they endured and why they are prepared.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This collection, compiled by members of the United States Naval Academy Class of 2002, chronicles some of the most compelling war experiences from among their classmates, the first to graduate and serve after 9/11. As the mission of Annapolis is to "graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service," these 33 firsthand experiences both demonstrate the depth of that commitment and the diversity of what is meant by "naval service." The class of 2002's war experiences include leading Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, overseeing explosive ordinance units, commanding sophisticated warships on the high seas, evacuating casualties under fire during combat, flying fighter jets in support of ground units, and dealing with the deaths of friends and comrades. The book also highlights some unique aspects of military service in the 21st century: it describes Annapolis graduates serving as diplomats; participating in disaster relief; the specific problems of a female fighter pilot; the stress of dual military couples dealing with constant deployments; and the struggles encountered by gay service members. These proud Annapolis graduates provide a glimpse of the achievements of and contributions made by today's young servicemembers, making a strong case that they are worthy of being called the next great generation.