Joker One

Joker One

Today I paid another tribute to the Marines, and my father. I put up an ad page on my website for the book "Joker One" by Donovan Campbell. Donovan named his book after the call sign of the platoon of Marines he commanded in Ramadi back in 2004. It is good read, as he starts out explaining the structure of a Marine platoon, company, and battalion. His explanation included the details of how short handed his platoon was, and how filling their ranks and training them for combat had to be accomplished in a few months.

His tale of working with his Marines, training them, leading them, and getting to know them is deep and his personal journey difficult to bear at times. His to the point comments about heroism in combat, versus the reality of being there. Images from his book still live with me to this day as I recall the scene from the school, or the accidental death of a Marine at night. The stories of his Marines as they struggled and fought their guts out trying to protect a civilian population that didn't even what them there, are related with incredible realism as Donovan recalls the sparks of bullets skipping off the pavement during combat with the insurgents.

Marines In Iraq 2004

Like many of us, I enjoy fiction, and read it when ever possible, but there's nothing like a true to life story, to jolt each of us out of our comfort zones, and plunge us into the reality of the hardships others in our service have endured. Joker One does that, and more, it will wrench your heart, make you rage, have you standing up walking around to relieve the anxiety, and in the end, you'll be crying in your Wheaties! So keep a box of tissues handy!

Donavan Campbell made the comment in the first few pages of his book that it is hard to tell the truth, because the telling brings up painful memories and open doors that are best left closed. Yet he felt compelled as their leader to tell their story, and as their leader he felt the responsibility had fallen to him. As a Marine and aspiring writer myself, I would have to salute him and tell him, well done Marine, on both counts, as their leader in Iraq, and the teller of their tale.

I thank Donovan Campbell for writing the book Joker One, and I suggest it to read.

Semper Fi