Wounded Warriors: Those for Whom the War Never Ends

To most readers, the term "Wounded Warriors" refers to those Marines, soldiers, and sailors wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. Author Mike Sager, however, an experienced investigative reporter and son of a Marine officer, has widened the term to include some individuals to whom the term `dysfunctional' could easily be considered charitable Very possible the title of the book will confuse most readers. "Surely Wounded Warriors" refers to those Marines in the program at Camp Lejeune's Maxwell Hall? Sager has written a gripping account of how these Marines are coping with their combat- altered lives. An experienced interviewer, he lets the Marines' stories speak for themselves as he talks with several enlisted men as well as Lt Col Bill Maxwell founder of the Wounded Warrior program. Through the firefights and I.E.D.s remembered by those who fought in Anbar Province, Sager lets the Marines describe the firefights, mortar attacks, and IED's that wounded them, as well as how they're coping now. Powerful stuff. But to Sager, "Wounded Warriors" includes others besides the Marines. He follows a middle-class heroin addict... Vietnam-era expatriates living in Thailand...a 13-yr old Philadelphia kid who fights pit bulls, a 650/lb fat man...Kobe Bryant...Rev Al Sharpton...Marlon Brando...Sager's definition of a `wounded warrior' is far broader than a typical Marine or Army active-service or veteran would ever consider. There is no doubt, however, that Sager cares for his subjects. There are no value judgments made, no aspersions cast. Sager is simply telling the stories of some truly dysfunctional and pathetic members of society, and he relates their stories in a manner that make the reader sympathetic. But any reader who has experienced combat, or has had friends or family members serve overseas, will be hard-pressed to feel any sympathy for the likes of Kobe Bryant, Rev Al Sharpton, and Marlon Brando. At least the morbidly-obese 650-lb man is happily married and runs a thriving free-lance electronics design business, so this `wounded warrior' has overcome his disability. The definition of a `wounded warrior' is very broad to Sager as he writes of Brando making himself a recluse on his private island, Bryant signing basketballs that he sells for $ 699.00, or Rev Al wondering about the quality of the food he'll be served when he gets locked up. But in the real world, these stories pale in comparison to that of the LCPL at Maxwell Hall describing the firefight in which he's wounded and his buddy's killed. But perhaps the new definition of `wounded warrior' is how one responds to the challenges around them...and yet one more reason why those Marines in the Lejeune and Pendleton Wounded Warrior barracks remain the elite of American society today.

I purchased this book and read the first story, "The Wounded Warriors" as a volunteer for an adolescent book group, looking at it to determine if it is appropriate for high school students to read. I am also the mother of an active-duty Marine who has been to Iraq and is likely to go on a tour of duty in Afghanistan this year. In this piece of journalistic literature, the wounded Iraq war veterans share their stories - their lives, loves, war experiences, traumatic injuries, and efforts to recover. The stories are very real, and offer insight into the minds of the marines - - why they join the military, how they feel about fighting, what they think of the war, how their experiences have affected their lives, etc. This story is fairly easy to read, and it moves along quickly. It shows the men struggling, yet also having hope for the future. By representing the men who live in this particular barracks, the story represents a community that is supportive and men who have bonded and understand the importance of friendship and teamwork. The marines depicted in this journalistic story are gritty, lovable, realistic and fascinating. The story is gripping; on the cover of the book it is described as "addictive" and "engrossing" - I'd have to agree thoroughly with those assessments. I was very moved by the stories and the way they are presented; Sager is a terrific writer. I did recommend it for our adolescent book group, with two caveats: (1) The facilitator should well prepared, and must be sensitive the multitude of issues raised by war and military service; (2) The group should be primarily older teens (age 16+). The story packs a real hard punch, but is important for students to read as it presents very important issues to be dealt with in today's world. It should generate terrific discussion. In an online review of the book by the Military Writer's Society of America, which honored it with their highest book rating and Founder's Award for 2008, they said, "He (Sager) compassionately, and without personal prejudices, manages to gently and psychologically dissect what he sees and senses. He brings his points of view into the story of these men without showing anything more than their own behaviors and words. The raw pains and the emotions are all there. It is a powerful tale of a group of marines baring their souls to the author on a military base in a special unit set aside for wounded warriors. For some people this chapter will open their eyes and their hearts to what these men are going through. If this chapter does not move you then nothing will." While I did recommend testing this story with adolescent book groups, I also mentioned concerns to be aware of in using it with teens. First, the stories are disturbing as the men share their war experiences and their wounds are discussed. (Counterpoint: It is realistic without being overly graphic). Second, the groups and teacher should be aware that there is a lot of cursing in