Posted on 08/02/2004 8:28:25 AM PDT by AJ Insider
Posted on Mon, Aug. 02, 2004
Ex-Marine sends his latest book to Iraq
By BERTRAM RANTIN
News Columnist
With his own words, W. Thomas Smith Jr. said thanks, one chapter at a time.
The former Marine knows all too well the isolation many of the nation’s military men and women experience while serving their country overseas. So the Columbia author recently mailed a very personal care package — his third book, “The Alpha Bravo Delta Guide to American Airborne Forces” — to some Marines stationed in Iraq.
“Being a former Marine, I know that nothing is more important than mail and packages from home,” he said.
Smith, who once served in the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines unit, vividly recalls the downtime he often faced while completing his own tour of duty many years ago. He’s hopeful his book will help fill some of the voids created by that time.
“People think that there is something going on all the time, but there’s not,” he said. “This will give them something to do.”
The new book offers a history of America’s combat parachute forces from all branches of military service and the CIA.
In the spring, Smith approached his publisher, Alpha Books-Penguin USA, about sending copies of the book to members of the 1st Marine Division recently redeployed to Iraq. The publisher agreed to ship 50 copies, but most of those were destroyed by Iraqi guerrillas during a convoy ambush.
Smith sent replacement copies late in June and has challenged fellow members of the American Society of Journalists & Authors to send out copies of their own books as well.
So far, eight Marine units have received copies of his book.
“That is so rewarding to me,” Smith said. “I feel like the least we can do back home is provide anything we can to make their lives more pleasant.”
"Unfit for Command" would be a good book to send to GIs overseas.
Paging Mr. Hewitt....
Bibliopath ping. If we were in the Marines, this guy would be our hero!
In the interest of morale, please include a bookmark with each book. A picture of you in your Xena outfit would work.
Coincidentally, I ordered this book today. Hope it is good.
Hard to be looking at Xena's pics with wife lurking. :-)
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