Uncommon Valor Common Virtue

An in-depth account of the World War II battle of Iwo Jima, immortalized in Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of the raising of the American flag on Mt. Suribachi, describes the events of the battle between U.S. Marines and Japanese forces, as well as Rosenthal's ten days on Iwo Jima during the conflict, in a narrative complemented by more than 120 archival combat photographs. 50,000 first printing.

On February 19th, 1945, after four days of heavy fighting on the tiny island of Iwo Jima, the Marines finally reached the base of Mt. Suribachi. The goal was to take the volcanic cone some 600 feet tall towering over the island. First to reach the summit was "Fox" Company. They erected an American flag to the thrill and excitement of Marines on the beach and coming ashore. Colonel Chandles Johnson thought it best to put up a larger flag where everyone could see it. A runner was sent to a ship off shore and a larger flag was retrieved. As the larger flag was sent up the mountain, Joe Rosenthal went up with the second flag, carried by a Marine. As the flag went up and the first came down, a split second click of his camera, caught the flag raising which became one of the most famous photographs in U.S. history. It also caused one of the biggest controversies. This writing is about one certain young man, Franklin R. Sousley, of Fleming County, Kentucky, who after battling his way up Mt. Suribachi, took part in the second flag raising and became a hometown hero as well as one from Kentucky, by raising and displaying "Old Glory" over Japanese territory, along with five other comrades. Discover some of his early life, growing into a fine young man, becoming a Marine and ending up on the island of Iwo Jima, where he lost his life for freedom, not only for Americans, but the entire world, and became part of what has long been said as "our greatest generation."

Experience the hardships and victories of the 5th Marine Division during World War II and Vietnam. This commemorative history book also includes maps, charts, outstanding photos, and special battle stories written by the 5th Marine veterans.

An outstanding history that follows the birth of the tracked fighting vehicle & the HELL ON WHEELS Division's activities during World War II. Everything is in this book from the 2nd's 1942 battle preparations to the final drive into Germany in August 1945. Includes an Association history & roster.

Uncommon Valor is a look into the formation and operation of an advanced Special Forces recon company during the Vietnam War. Code-named the Studies and Observations Group, SOG was the most covert U.S. military unit in its time and contained only volunteers from such elite units as the Army's Green Berets, Navy SEALs, and Air Force Air Commandos. SOG warriors operated in small teams, going behind enemy lines in Laos and Cambodia and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, tasked with performing special reconnaissance, sabotaging North Vietnamese Army ammunition, attempting to rescue downed U.S. pilots, and other black ops missions. During that time, Forward Operating Base-2's (FOB-2's) recon company became the most highly decorated unit of the Vietnam War, with five of its men earning the Medal of Honor and eight earning the Distinguished Service Cross-America's second highest military award for valor. Purple Hearts were earned by SOG veterans at a pace unparalleled in American wars of the twentieth century, with casualties at times exceeding 100 percent. One, Bob Howard, was wounded on fourteen different occasions, received eight Purple Hearts, was written up after three different missions for the Medal of Honor, and emerged from Vietnam as the most highly decorated soldier since World War II's Audie Murphy.

Winner of The 2020 Best Book Award for Military History -- American Bookfest An elite platoon of Marine Scout-Snipers, Lieutenant Frank Tachovsky’s “40 Thieves” were chosen for their willingness to defy rules and beat all-comers. When two Marines got into a fight, the loser ended up in the infirmary, the winner in the brig. Tachovsky wanted the winner on his team—a brush with military law was a recommendation. These full-blooded men were trained in a ruthless array of hand-to-hand killing techniques and then thrown into the battle for Saipan—Emperor Hirohito’s “Treasure” and the bulwark of the Japanese Empire in the Pacific—where they would wreak havoc in and around, but mostly behind, enemy lines. They witnessed inhuman atrocities; walked into an ambush after the cunning Japanese used wounded Marines as bait; endured body-punishing extremes of heat, hunger, and thirst; fought a relentless enemy who would not surrender; and watched best friends die. Now Tachovsky’s son Joseph tells their remarkable story—a story he didn’t even know until after his father’s death—reported from an extensive documentary record, including priceless mementos his father kept, and from exhaustive interviews with survivors who served under Lieutenant “Ski.” This is how America won the war in the Pacific, where “uncommon valor was a common virtue.” 40 Thieves on Saipan: The Elite Marine Scout-Snipers in One of World War II’s Bloodiest Battles is true history. It’s also an adventure you don’t want to miss.