Here Rests in Honored Glory: Life Stories of Our Country's Medal of Honor Recipients

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Merriam Press Military Monograph 15. Second Edition . What is the definition of a "hero" in contemporary American society? What qualifies as a "heroic" act? What is the proper way to honor those individuals on whom we bestow the title of "hero"? With U.S. military personnel at war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, these questions take on greater relevance today than they did in the years that immediately preceded the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Although acts of valor take place daily on the battlefields of the Global War on Terrorism, the United States is struggling to find the right answers to these questions about heroism in the 21st century. In Here Rests in Honored Glory, Andrew DeKever, a veteran of the Iraq War, tackles these very issues. Chronicling the lives of ten recipients of the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for combat heroism, DeKever breaks ranks from similar books by focusing more on describing the men behind the uniform rather than on the few minutes of valor that immortalized them in the pages of American military history. As a result, Here Rests in Honored Glory reminds its readers that true heroes are ordinary men and women who, under the most horrific of circumstances, are able to dig deep and find the raw courage necessary to be brave "above and beyond the call of duty" towards protecting other people and serving a cause greater than themselves. By telling the ordinary lives of these extraordinary heroes, Here Rests in Honored Glory serves as a powerful reminder that all people, no matter what their background, possess the same potential for courage and self-sacrifice-attributes that should be devoted towards improving the nation these men risked and sacrificed their lives to protect. From the Preface by Michael J. Durant, Chief Warrant Officer 4 , U.S. Army, author of "In The Company Of Heroes" and "The Night Stalkers" "Gary Gordon's selfless actions and personal sacrifice, the sacrifice of each of the heroes chronicled in this work, and the sacrifices of countless others throughout our nation's history, can never be repaid, only honored. In researching each of these heroes and capturing the details of each of their lives, Andrew has done just that. I now understand not just what Gary Gordon did, but who he was. I can appreciate what drove him to serve in the Special Forces units he volunteered for and what drove him without hesitation to sacrifice his life for my crew. Through this work, Andrew has honored Gary and all of these men, their families, and their comrades. By helping us all understand the people behind these incredible stories, he's done this nation a great service." -Michael J. Durant Chief Warrant Officer 4, U.S. Army Contents: Preface by Michael Durant; Prologue; Chapter 1: History of the Medal of Honor; Chapter 2: The Civil War; Second Lieutenant Robert Buffum; Brevet Major John T. Rutherford; Chapter 3: The Indian Wars; Private Enoch R. Weiss; Chapter 4: The Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection; Artificer Joseph Nolan; Chapter 5: World War I; Private First Class Parker F. Dunn; Chapter 6: World War II; Private First Class John D. Magrath; Second Lieutenant Harry J. Michael; Chapter 7: The Korean War; Staff Sergeant William G. Windrich; Chapter 8: The Vietnam War; Private First Class Daniel D. Bruce; Chapter 9: Somalia; Master Sergeant Gary I. Gordon; Epilogue; Acknowledgments; Medal of Honor Citations; Bibliography; About the Author. 27 photos; 8 illustrations.