There is a great article in today’s NY Post: Army of One by Gary Buiso. It profiles a man who makes most males seem very small. Sgt. Dillard Johnson served two tours in Iraq and amassed 2746 confirmed kills, believed to be the highest total ever, although it is possible others had more in previous conflicts when records were not fastidiously kept. In his memoir Carnivore, the nickname of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle he operated during his first tour, he details how he blew away truckloads of enemy soldiers with artillery shells. He served as a sniper during his second tours, using skills he learned while hunting in Kentucky, amassing 121 kills, one from 821 yards! He was awarded 37 medals, including a Silver Star and Purple Heart. 48, he is currently battling stage three Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which he believes he contracted from uranium leaks in the shells. He has no bitterness about that, as he would not have survived a fierce battle without them. He helped stave off 44 tanks and 1000 troop trucks, potentially 20,000 men - in a sand storm. He now lives in Daytona Beach, Florida, with his wife and four kids, and works as a consultant for an ammunition company, for which he seems eminently qualified. Thank you, sir. Unfortunately, his great work may have been in vain, as Iraq seems on the verge of chaos. Without the presence of U.S. troops as a deterrent, bombings have increased, 2000 dead since April. This hasn’t been a surprise. It was predicted by experts and pundits after the U.S. pullout. I’m not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, Iraqis eventually have to stand on their own. On the other, we kept troops in Germany and South Korea for decades. The Arab Spring shows signs of becoming a bleak winter. Despite vast oil wealth, the region has failed to halt a decline that began centuries ago. I don’t know what else America can do to help.
It was a quiet day at the floating book shop. I put only a tiny dent in yesterday's massive donation from my friend Richie. My thanks to the lovely woman who bought three hardcover mysteries and to the mother and daughter who purchased three more educational books.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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