Books for Veterans Day – Honoring Those Who Have Served in the Armed Forces

Veterans Day honors and celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

November 11th, 2018, Veterans Day,  also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The hostilities were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. 

Honoring those who are serving, have served, and those who have fallen while in military service is a tradition here at Chanticleer Reviews.

We here at Chanticleer Reviews have had the honor of reviewing top novels by written by outstanding authors whose stories enlighten, remind,  empathize, and creates a better understanding with those who have served in the armed forces.

It is our pleasure to share these titles with you that bring important moments in history along with poignant storytelling to their readers.

Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips,  WWI, Immigration, sweatshops

Chanticleer International Book Awards Grand Prize Winner 

From the riveting opening that takes place in NYC’s Lower East Side’s sweatshops until its gripping conclusion after World War I, this enthralling novel vividly portrays the desperate times of German immigrants landing at Ellis Island in search of a better life intertwined with the story of a young man and his heroic military service during WWI.

 Murder Beside the Salish Sea by Jennifer Mueller  WWII, Japanese Internment, PNW

A Mystery & Mayhem Book Award First Place Winner

Brock Harker, World War II fighter pilot returns home to the Pacific Northwest on leave. He’s searching for a little peace once he finds his half Japanese wife who vanished while he was away. What he finds is Murder Beside The Salish Sea by author Jennifer Mueller, who artfully pulls Brock into an intriguing plot that hides the darkest of secrets.

Wait For Me – Janet Shawgo      WWII and Historical Romance

Goethe (formerly Chaucer) Book Awards First Place Winner

The often-unknown role of women in wartime as travel nurses and pilots, as well as the use of herbs for natural healing, add interesting and relative historical content to this engaging American saga.

The Jøssing Affair by J.L. Oakley  – WWII, Norway, Resistance Fighters

Goethe Book Awards Grand Prize winner for Historical Fiction

A profound work of historical fiction recounting the Norwegian Resistance to the Nazi Occupation. A testimonial to the underground heroes who put aside personal safety for a cause much bigger than themselves. Their courage is acknowledged in this superbly gripping novel.

A Crowded Heart by Andrea McKenzie Raine   PTS, Veterans, Military, Social Issues

Shortlisted for the Somerset Book Awards

The wide ensnaring net of the aftershocks of war is poignantly portrayed here — powerful and deeply affecting!

Raine wisely expands the narrative of the novel to reveal the wide net of war. Willis is not the only victim; the people in his life experience the after-shocks of fighting as well. 

Not to give up on those who have already given up on themselves is the challenge. Raine reminds us that doing so requires a full heart, indeed, a crowded heart.

Watch Over Me by Eileen Charbonneau   WWII, Espionage, Code Talkers, Thriller

Chatelaine Book Awards First Place Award Winner

In a world of half-truths, crooked policemen, spies, and impersonators, the real question is who to trust. Watch Over Me shows a living portrayal of 1940s New York spinning wildly in the madness of espionage, where secrets and sacrifices threaten the bond of love and the hope of family.

Non-Fiction Works that were written by Veterans

Standby for Broadcast by Kari Rhyan     PTSD, Wartime nursing, Social Issues

I & I Book Awards – Grand Prize Winner

Rhyan served nearly twenty years in the US Navy as a nurse, her final deployment taking place in Afghanistan to a medical unit run by the British where Rhyan upheld her duties to aid others, while inwardly feeling unprotected and helpless. After witnessing the many tragedies of war, primary among them multiple amputations, she comes home scarred in mind. Her trauma becomes so obvious that she is sent to a special private unit.

Rhyan’s memoir is frank, insightful, and a powerful reminder of the toil taken by those who wrestle with the fallout of the carnage of war. She also reminds us of the resiliency of the human spirit and the power of hope.

Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD by Christopher Oelerich, author & Vietnam Veteran

Shortlisted for the Journey Book Awards

“A very personal, no-holds-barred yet ultimately empowering discussion of PTSD and its effects on those who suffer from it.” – CBR

The book has been written in a ‘How To’ format for combat soldiers which is reflected in examples and language.

“I went away to war one person and came back another, and in my wildest dreams would never have chosen to be the one who came back…I was a twenty-year-old Warrant Officer Helicopter Pilot fresh out of flight school when I arrived in South Vietnam in May of 1969 and was assigned to B Troop 7/17 Air Cav in Pleiku.  I joined the Scout Platoon and spent my entire tour as a Scout Pilot in the Central Highlands, and in that time saw my friends killed, captured, wounded and lose their minds.

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife by Barbara McNally

This ground-breaking initiative offers advice and hope to those who are trying to understand and cope with war’s many aftershocks.

“The critical issues surrounding post-traumatic stress among America’s wounded warriors is expanded here to include the challenges and concerns of military wives and families.

Barbara McNally was working as a physical therapist when she watched helplessly as a man jumped off a bridge to his death. Feeling involved in his tragedy, she learned he was a wounded veteran. The experience spurred her to find out more about PTS and its effects on those who have participated in war. Gradually her attention focused on the plight of the wives of these wounded military survivors.”

If you have a moment, take time to watch this video that offers an intimate look into the chaotic and demanding lives of military spouses as they adjust to living with mentally and physically injured combat veterans. Please feel free to share.

Some interesting current statistics regarding U.S. Veterans*

• 22 veterans, on average, commit suicide every day.
• The suicide rate for younger veterans (18 -29) is 7 times higher than their civilian peers.
• The rate of suicide among veterans is 21 percent higher than the rest of the country.
• The suicide rate of among female veterans is a 140 percent higher than their civilian peers.
• No one knows how many military spouses and families members commit suicide.
• There are 18.8 million veterans living in the United States.
• 3.8 million of these veterans are disabled (2014).
• U.S. military is the world’s second largest (China’s army is the largest) and troops are deployed across the globe.
• It is believed that 45 percent of all veterans who served in the Middle East are disabled.

And another interesting and enlightening link from the PEW RESEARCH CENTER – The FACT TANK regarding Veterans in today’s society.

Honoring those who are serving, have served, and those who have fallen while in military service is a tradition here at Chanticleer Reviews.

With Appreciation and Gratitude to Veterans who are actively serving and have served. THANK YOU! 

*Sources: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, American Community Survey 2015, United States Census Bureau.

Just a Note from the blog post author, Kiffer Brown:

On a personal note, many of my family members have served their country (many of whom have passed) and are serving their country: my father (deceased), my brother (with us but 100% disabled), my nephew Robert is currently serving in the Air Force,  my dear Aunt Ellen (WWII nurse – she passed away recently), my cousin Billy Wayne (first 100 to die in Vietnam), and many other cousins to numerous to mention here.

This is my small way of honoring and recognizing my relatives for their service to our country.

Thank you for taking the time to read my annual Veterans Day blog post.

Semper Fi – Kiffer