Books with author Derrick J Wood

The true stories of two soldiers.Their lives are separated by almost 100 years.And yet their experiences at war are strikingly similar.Vietnam, 1970Derrick Wolf, a 20-year-old draftee from Dearborn, Michigan, arrives in Dong Ha for his tour of duty. Wolf tells of the grim daily routine of a tank crew near the De-militarized Zone just south of North Vietnam. From the near constant rain during monsoon to the unbearably high temperatures and humidity of the dry season, life becomes a series of long periods of boredom and hardship interrupted abruptly by deadly situations. Montana, 1876Sylvester Waltz, an infantryman during the Great Sioux War, leaves Fort Shaw led by Colonel John Gibbon. Gibbon's force is one of three, along with General George Crook and General Alfred Terry, intended to lead a coordinated campaign against the Sioux and Cheyenne. Gibbon's group ultimately coverges on the Little Bighorn River just days after the defeat and near-annilhilation of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry.Of No Value, a sequel to Boys for Men, is now available on Amazon!Praise for Boys for Men:"I've read several Vietnam War era memoirs over the years, but I must say that 'Boys For Men' is the best. Derrick Wolf expresses himself in a manner that combines humor, honest and a level of articulation I wasn't expecting from a 20-year-old drafted. Frankly, I wasn't ready for the book to end." -G. Chern"This book is absolutely compelling. I found myself very worried about what would happen next. The descriptions of daily life, Army routines, especially the smells, made reading the book a 3-D experience." -MikeAl"'Boys for Men' offers insight that few of us get to experience in person. Wolf helps us experience all he experienced - the good, bad, and the ugly. It gives us a good understanding of the monotonous duties of even a soldier at war and of the daily issues of life they dealt with while knowing they might, at any time, be involved in a struggle for their life." -DRA"While this rather lengthy story (752 pages) has been criticized for the seemingly endless repetition of each day's activity, I believe it accurately represents the tedium and boredom of war. There are daily accounts of minute details filling the days and days of a soldier's existence while in a combat theater, punctuated by one or more hours of intense activity during a fire-fight." -D. Zabriskie

This is the true story about how one, little orphaned burrowing owl brought five children and their parents together on a mission to care for him as best they could back in 1967. While taking care of, Reggie, we learned that—there’s no such thing as an ordinary day with a burrowing owl around. This is not just a story for children, but the whole family and though our days revolved around Reggie, it was the unique way Reggie impacted ours and those around us ordinary lives which makes this story so special. We hope you will find it so as well."Populations of burrowing owls are declining in some areas due to pesticide use, poisoning of prairie dog colonies, and automobile collisions. Conservation concerns differ by region, and in various states they are listed as endangered, threatened, or as a species of concern. They also are of conservation concern in Canada and Mexico." National Wildlife Federation. www.nwf.org

The true stories of two soldiers.Though they are separated by almost 100 years, the similarities in their experiences are striking.When Derrick Wolf left the U.S. for Vietnam in 1970 on January 6th, the day of Epiphany, little did he realize what a prophetic day it would turn out to be for him. Boys for Men is a journal of his tour of duty. Wolf tells of the grim daily routine of a tank crew near the De-militarized Zone just south of North Vietnam. From the near constant rain during monsoon to the unbearable high temperatures and humidity of the dry season, life becomes a series of long periods of boredom and hardship interrupted abruptly by deadly situations. Combined with Wolf’s stories are excerpts of the previously unpublished 1876 journal of Sylvester Waltz, an infantryman during the Great Sioux War. Waltz was a member of the Yellowstone Expedition, which culminated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn where General George Armstrong Custer was killed and his forces defeated.

The Reggie, the Burrowing Owl coloring book is a great introduction to the Reggie, the Burrowing Owl story. It is also a great accompaniment to the "Reggie, the Burrowing Owl" book. It includes over 10 pages to color and a page to draw your own picture of Reggie, the Burrowing Owl. We invite you to join the Reggie Adventure Club and submit your owl drawings to us at info@reggiethowl.com.

I first wrote these true events as they happened in 1967. I thought I had lost the story after years of moving, among other events, until at last it was found in a drawer we hardly ever used. It is good to remember and reflect on the adventures we had together with that fearless little owl. I hope by sharing this short story it allowed you to join us in the adventure too!