Books with author Patrick M. Blake

"This book has its place with other great books about war from soldier’s perspective, Das Boot (Buchheim), All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque)." "What shines through magnificently is the love of the brotherhood of the Marines who never lost faith in each other." The Cross of Gallantry is a story about Vietnam that is told at two levels – a personal journey for two young Americans, and a portrayal of the gross mistakes made by politicians and the Pentagon’s civilian leadership.The personal story is about Frank O’Brian and Mike Morgan, two middle class Americans who join the Marine Corps in 1967 and go to Vietnam where they are thrown into the middle of bloody combat operations on the DMZ. Their story begins when they meet on a Greyhound bus, headed to Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island. It continues through Marine Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) and their visits home to say goodbye to family and friends, finally entering the pipeline of replacement with thousands of other young Americans headed for Vietnam. They are assigned to 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, the Battalion Landing Team (BLT) for the 3rd Marine Division. They join the battle-hardened Marines of Charlie Company, a brotherhood of veterans where most have earned at least one Purple Heart for combat wounds. Their story continues through a landing, search and destroy operations, building bunkers along the DMZ, crossing minefields, being hit with friendly fire, and engaging in close combat firefights.Their personal experience reflects on the overarching story of every troop involved in the Vietnam War. Four major military planning mistakes made in Washington and implemented in Vietnam had a deadly impact on American troops. First, the original strategy of the generals of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was offensive -- to win the war -- was ignored by President Johnson when he chose to adopt the political-military strategy promoted by Defense Secretary McNamara and his team of “whiz kids.” They devised a defensive strategy, a “war of attrition”, based on obtaining a “10-to 1 kill ratio.” Second, the Pentagon orders the construction “McNamara’s Wall” – across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), an “impenetrable” bunker system built across the entire DMZ.The third fatal mistake was the initiation of Operation Ranch Hand, the defoliation of the DMZ with Agent Orange. Air Force planes sprayed millions of gallons of the deadly poison on the vegetation across the DMZ.Finally, the M-16 rifles provided to combat units in Vietnam by the Pentagon jammed repeatedly. Gene Stoner, the designer of the M-16 and its manufacturer, Colt Manufacturing Company, warned the Pentagon that the Improved Military Rifle (IMR) propellant or gunpowder should be used in the ammunition for the M-16. The “whiz-kids” and Army Ordnance over-ruled Stoner and Colt, which caused the cause weapons to jam. Frank, Mike, Charlie Company, and the entire 3rd Marine Division struggled, fought, suffered, survived, and died in the hell created by these mistakes imposed by Washington. The Cross of Gallantry takes you into the combat units, on the ground in search and destroy operations, the futility of building bunkers, the tragedy of friendly fire casualties, and the insanity behind a foreign war of attrition.The political-military strategy was never designed to “win” the war in Vietnam, but combat troops still won countless battles. The Cross of Gallantry tells the stories of Marines who struggled, fought and died as brothers on the DMZ in Vietnam in 1967-68.For a longer description please visit www.thecrossofgallantry.com

"This book has its place with other great books about war from soldier’s perspective, Das Boot (Buchheim), All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque).""What shines through magnificently is the love of the brotherhood of the Marines who never lost faith in each other."The Cross of Gallantry is a story about Vietnam that is told at two levels – a personal journey for two young Americans, and a portrayal of the gross mistakes made by politicians and the Pentagon’s civilian leadership.The personal story is about Frank O’Brian and Mike Morgan, two middle class Americans who join the Marine Corps in 1967 and go to Vietnam where they are thrown into the middle of bloody combat operations on the DMZ. Their story begins when they meet on a Greyhound bus, headed to Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island. It continues through Marine Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) and their visits home to say goodbye to family and friends, finally entering the pipeline of replacement with thousands of other young Americans headed for Vietnam. They are assigned to 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, the Battalion Landing Team (BLT) for the 3rd Marine Division. They join the battle-hardened Marines of Charlie Company, a brotherhood of veterans where most have earned at least one Purple Heart for combat wounds. Their story continues through a landing, search and destroy operations, building bunkers along the DMZ, crossing minefields, being hit with friendly fire, and engaging in close combat firefights.Their personal experience reflects on the overarching story of every troop involved in the Vietnam War. Four major military planning mistakes made in Washington and implemented in Vietnam had a deadly impact on American troops. First, the original strategy of the generals of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was offensive -- to win the war -- was ignored by President Johnson when he chose to adopt the political-military strategy promoted by Defense Secretary McNamara and his team of “whiz kids.” They devised a defensive strategy, a “war of attrition”, based on obtaining a “10-to 1 kill ratio.” Second, the Pentagon orders the construction “McNamara’s Wall” – across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), an “impenetrable” bunker system built across the entire DMZ.The third fatal mistake was the initiation of Operation Ranch Hand, the defoliation of the DMZ with Agent Orange. Air Force planes sprayed millions of gallons of the deadly poison on the vegetation across the DMZ.Finally, the M-16 rifles provided to combat units in Vietnam by the Pentagon jammed repeatedly. Gene Stoner, the designer of the M-16 and its manufacturer, Colt Manufacturing Company, warned the Pentagon that the Improved Military Rifle (IMR) propellant or gunpowder should be used in the ammunition for the M-16. The “whiz-kids” and Army Ordnance over-ruled Stoner and Colt, which caused the cause weapons to jam. Frank, Mike, Charlie Company, and the entire 3rd Marine Division struggled, fought, suffered, survived, and died in the hell created by these mistakes imposed by Washington. The Cross of Gallantry takes you into the combat units, on the ground in search and destroy operations, the futility of building bunkers, the tragedy of friendly fire casualties, and the insanity behind a foreign war of attrition.The political-military strategy was never designed to “win” the war in Vietnam, but combat troops still won countless battles. The Cross of Gallantry tells the stories of Marines who struggled, fought and died as brothers on the DMZ in Vietnam in 1967-68.For a longer description please visit www.thecrossofgallantry.com

Baltimore City, 1960. Jane Harty suffers from bouts of klutziness that leads to a brain tumor diagnosis at the age of ten. Pulled out of school early, Jane is feeling discouraged and lonely. In the first hours of the morning, she is awakened by sobs of grief and anger that mirror her emotions. Peering from her second-story window, she is astonished to find an incredible transformation of the boarded-up house across the street; it is now a beautiful Victorian mansion, surrounded by well-maintained gardens. Is it real? Jane vows to help a kindred spirit.

Baltimore City, 1960. Jane Harty suffers from bouts of klutziness that leads to a brain tumor diagnosis at the age of ten. Pulled out of school early, Jane is feeling discouraged and lonely. In the first hours of the morning, she is awakened by sobs of grief and anger that mirror her emotions. Peering from her second-story window, she is astonished to find an incredible transformation of the boarded-up house across the street; it is now a beautiful Victorian mansion, surrounded by well-maintained gardens. Is it real? Jane vows to help a kindred spirit.

Excerpt from Dissonant Voices in Soviet LiteratureEsenin, Sergei. My hour is at hand, I fear not the scourge. I spit out of my mouth the Host, the body of Christ. I will not accept salvation through his torment and the Cross: I know another teaching which pierces the eternal stars. I behold another Coming In which death doesn't dance on truth.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

A strange looking orphan girl in a remote fishing village encounters an eccentric wizard who informs her of her true heritage, her secret power, and her exalted destiny: The desperate attempt to restore her to her birthright begins. Witches and savages are ranged against young Elgit, her sister, and their companions, along with forces of nature and creatures of terrible power - but new allies emerge as well, ready to pledge their swords and their lives to the cause of the one true heir. Discover the vast world of the Wollend marshes and the Green Isle of Scael, a beautiful and ancient land where a high civilization has been subjected to the misrule of a cruel usurper. Come to know the bravery of Honiara the she-serpent of the northern woods and the honor of Flamu, a young fisherman who becomes the gallant protector of his adoptive "red sister." Sail the Northern Sea on the Arcturus and climb to the heights of the Ossian mountains where far greater dangers than mere avalanches and blizzards are lurking. Meet the fairy-folk who inhabit the green hills and deep forests of Scael, from golden pixies to creepy satyrs and surly gnomes - and then of course the mighty mammuts. A world of strife, love, duty, betrayal, and sacrifice will open before you, and you need only step within...

A strange looking orphan girl in a remote fishing village encounters an eccentric wizard who informs her of her true heritage, her secret power, and her exalted destiny: The desperate attempt to restore her to her birthright begins. Witches and savages are ranged against young Elgit, her sister, and their companions, along with forces of nature and creatures of terrible power - but new allies emerge as well, ready to pledge their swords and their lives to the cause of the one true heir. Discover the vast world of the Wollend marshes and the Green Isle of Scael, a beautiful and ancient land where a high civilization has been subjected to the misrule of a cruel usurper. Come to know the bravery of Honiara the she-serpent of the northern woods and the honor of Flamu, a young fisherman who becomes the gallant protector of his adoptive "red sister." Sail the Northern Sea on the Arcturus and climb to the heights of the Ossian mountains where far greater dangers than mere avalanches and blizzards are lurking. Meet the fairy-folk who inhabit the green hills and deep forests of Scael, from golden pixies to creepy satyrs and surly gnomes - and then of course the mighty mammuts. A world of strife, love, duty, betrayal, and sacrifice will open before you, and you need only step within...