Book excerpt: The Heroes of this book are the veterans and their families whose stories span 140+ years in protecting our country. Their stories are history, filled with the mundane events of service life, the fear of combat, the horror that front line infantrymen faced, the tension that air crews and pilots faced, the vastness of the Pacific that confronted sailors, the strain on the mind and bodies of Prisoners of War, and humor viewed through the eyes of the veterans. As you read their stories listen to the voices of these veterans and picture in your mind an aging color guard from a local veterans post; visualize them marching into the mist, to the sound of distant drums and the muted bugles call, along with the men and women who have gone before. There are no large marble memorials to these individual veterans; their monument is a free United States. I am left with one thought about the experience of speaking with these people; God bless the United States of America and all who serve her.