Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Writing History: The Veterans History Project xv
The Heart of Veterans
Life Lesson 1 Our Squadron Janitor 3
Life Lesson 2 The School Desks 7
Life Lesson 3 Mother Lode 9
Life Lesson 4 Duty, Honor, Loyalty 11
Veterans Day 15
Life Lesson 5 War Pierces the Soul 17
Life Lesson 6 Size of the Heart 19
Life Lesson 7 War and the Textbook Education 21
Heroics
Life Lesson 8 Remembering Bataan 25
Life Lesson 9 Adapt and React 29
Life Lesson 10 You Had the Rice Seeds 31
Life Lesson 11 Code Talker 33
Life Lesson 12 Wings Across America; Heroic WASPs 35
Life Lesson 13 We Grew Up Overnight at the Battle of the Bulge 39
Life Lesson 14 M.A.S.H. Innovation 41
In the Trenches
Life Lesson 15 Far Better to Dare Mighty Things 45
A Fighter's Lament 47
Life Lesson 16 They Won't Shoot Crazy People 49
Life Lesson 17 Semper Fi Leadership 51
Life Lesson 18 True Nods of Recognition 53
Somewhere in the Pacific 57
Life Lesson 19 Fly through Life with Bravado, Regardless of the Conditions 59
Rifleman's Creed 61
Life Lesson 20 The Helmet 63
Life Lesson 21 Too Young 65
Perhaps in Death I'll Understand 67
Life Lesson 22 What's in a Name? 69
Life Lesson 23 Believable Leadership Works 71
After the Battle
Life Lesson 24 Moving On 75
Life Lesson 25 Honoring Selflessness 77
Life Lesson 26 The Darkest Moment 79
Life Lesson 27 Undercurrent of True Leadership 81
Life Lesson 28 Enlightening Afghans Her Way 85
Life Lesson 29 It Was a Way of Life 89
Life Lesson 30 Lean In 93
Life Lesson 31 Dealing with Guilt 97
Life Lesson 32 Speeding Up Your Epiphany 99
Life Lesson 33 Duty and Honor Return Home to Sherman, Texas 103
Life Lesson 34 Twelve Layers of Manhood 107
Life Lesson 35 Bridging the Gap of Misunderstanding 109
Life Lesson 36 Looking for the Legacy 111
Life Lesson 37 Sliver of Humanity 113
Life Lesson 38 Getting a Leg Up 117
Life Lesson 39 Jacob's Ladder 121
Life Lesson 40 VE Day: Solemn Gratitude and Mixed Jubilation 123
Life Lesson 41 Still Playing Taps 125
Epilogue 127
Text Credits 129