Careers in the US Marine Corps

Kiland, Taylor Baldwin and R. Conrad Stein. Careers in the US Marine Corps. Part of the Careers in the US Armed Forces series. 2016. 128p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6947-3. Available at 359.96 KIL on the library shelves.

The Marine Corps has a long and storied past. From humble beginnings during the American Revolution, the Corps became the principal assault force during the Pacific Campaign of the Second World War. Usually the first military units sent in, the Marines secure their environment to allow the safe deployment of army units. Trained for amphibious assaults, Marines can deploy from air, sea, or land. Members of the Marine Corps see themselves as an extended yet tight-knitted family, and, as the saying goes, once a Marine always a Marine.

This book reviews the history of the Marines, with an emphasis on their role during the Second World War and the Korean War, as well as their participation in more recent conflicts such as Vietnam, the First and Second Gulf War, and operations in Afghanistan. The roles of the Marine Corps in today’s changing world is explored. A chapter describes reasons to join the Marine Corps, while another presents information on Marine training. Marine equipment such as airplanes, tanks, ships, hovercraft and weapons are described. Finally, the challenges and rewards of being a Marine are presented.

Individuals interested in joining the Marines or wanting to know more about this branch of the military will enjoy this book.

Titles in this series include:

• Careers in the US Air Force
• Careers in the US Army
• Careers in the US Navy
• Careers in the US Coast Guard

Careers in the US Navy

Kiland, Taylor Baldwin. Careers in the US Navy. Part of the Careers in the US Armed Forces series. 2016. 128p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6949-7. Available at 359 KIL on the library shelves.

When John Paul Jones, aboard the Bonhomme Richard, uttered the words “I have not yet begun to fight,” little did he know that he was starting a maritime tradition of excellence and dominance. The United States Navy is present on every ocean, and provides military protection to American allies and deterrence to its enemies. From its humble beginnings as a small navy fighting the British for the colonies’ independence to a nuclear-powered fleet, the Navy exerts many roles.

This book presents information about the history of the Navy, and how it operates in today’s world. The various organizational structures of the Navy are discussed, and the role that diversity plays in Navy staffing is explored. Naval operations are presented, while vignettes of famous sailors and recipients of the Medal of Honor are peppered throughout. Navy specialties are explained, and service requirements are described. Finally, the book discusses Navy’s future in an uncertain world.

Individuals interested in joining the Navy or learning more about will appreciate this book.

Titles in this series include:

• Careers in the US Air Force
• Careers in the US Army
• Careers in the US Marine Corps
• Careers in the US Coast Guard

Careers in the US Army

Rice, Earle Jr. Careers in the US Army. Part of the Careers in the US Armed Forces series. 2016. 128p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6943-5. Available at 355 RIC on the library shelves.

Soldiers are the oldest armed profession. In the British colonies, the minutemen ambushed the British soldiers heading to Lexington to collect weapons, firing the shots heard around the world and igniting the American Revolution. From that crucible of violence first rose the Continental Army, which was then replaced by the United States Army. The U.S. Army has fought in more conflicts than any of the other armed services. From wars against Native tribes to conflicts against Mexico, Spain, and participation in the First and Second World Wars, the Army evolved to become a highly trained and efficient fighting machine able to take on any threat to the United States and its allies. The Army possesses some of the best trained and equipped soldiers in the world.

This book provides a detailed introduction to the history of the U.S. Army. It also discusses the various roles it serves in the era of global terrorism, from conducting ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to protecting the homeland. The various career paths for soldiers are examined, and the differences between Active and Reserve Forces are explored. Short biographies of famous soldiers are peppered throughout. Finally, possibility for the Army of the future are presented. Anyone interested in joining the Army will appreciate the range of material available in this book.

Titles in this series include:

• Careers in the US Air Force
• Careers in the US Navy
• Careers in the US Marine Corps
• Careers in the US Coast Guard

Careers in the US Coast Guard

Silverstein Gray, Judy and Taylor Baldwin Kiland. Careers in the US Coast Guard. Part of the Careers in the US Armed Forces series. 2016. 128p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6945-9. Available at 363.28 GRA on the library shelves.

The Coast Guard is tasked with protecting the shores of the United States, but its mission extends far beyond the water’s edges. Among its many missions, the Coast Guard performs search and rescue missions, conducts ship and cargo inspections, and leads cleanup efforts during environmental disasters.First started as a way to generate revenues for the new federal government, the Revenue Cutter Service is appointed to cut down on smuggling and recoup excise taxes. Tasks, such as building and manning lighthouses continued to be added throughout the decades as technology changed. The Coast Guard joined the war effort of several conflicts, from the Quasi War with France in the early 1800s to the First and Second World War and present conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This book provides a detailed introduction to the history of the Coast Guard. It also discusses its various roles in protecting the homeland in an era of global terrorism and performing search and rescue missions after Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. The various challenges faced by the Coast Guard are reviewed, its equipment is introduced, and life as a member of the Coast Guard is explored. A number of career possibilities are described and include both the enlisted and officer path. Anyone interested in joining the Coast Guard will appreciate the range of material available in this book.

Titles in this series include:

• Careers in the US Air Force
• Careers in the US Army
• Careers in the US Navy
• Careers in the US Marine Corps

Careers in the US Air Force

Rice, Earle Jr. and Wilson Camelo. Careers in the US Air Force. Part of the Careers in the US Armed Forces series. 2016. 128p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6941-1. Available at 358.4 RIC on the library shelves.

The youngest of the United States Armed Forces’ branches, the Air Force has a storied history from its humble beginnings as an afterthought of the army before the beginning of the First World War to today’s global organization capable to deliver soldiers, supplies, and weapons anywhere in the world. The Air Force possesses some of the most advanced vehicles and deadliest weapons of the armed forces, and the men and women who serve in this particular branch of the military are highly trained specialists who fulfill the various missions of the Air Force. The Air Force is not only fighter jets, however. It also flies helicopters, bombers, tankers, rescue planes, and manages some of the space assets.

This book provides a detailed introduction to the history of the Air Force. It also discusses its various roles in the era of global terrorism, from providing logistical support to conducting aerial operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The various Air Force commands are reviewed, and life as a member of the Air Force is explored from the benefits of living on base to training and educational opportunities. A number of career possibilities are described and include both the enlisted and officer path. Anyone interested in joining the Air Force will appreciate the range of material available in this book.

Titles in this series include:

• Careers in the US Army
• Careers in the US Navy
• Careers in the US Marine Corps
• Careers in the US Coast Guard

The Vietnam War: Frontline Soldiers and their Families

Levete, Sarah. The Vietnam War: Frontline Soldiers and their Families. 2016. 48p. ISBN 978-1-4824-3062-2. Available at 959.7 LEV on the library shelves.

The Vietnam War involved multiple participants and lasted over twenty years. When U.S. soldiers began to arrive to prop up South Vietnam following the French defeat in the 1950s, a regular conflict similar to the Second World War or Korea was expected. But the country’s geography and vegetation prevented large scale movements of troops and tanks, and instead benefited the guerrilla warfare the Communists had developed in their fight against the Japanese.

This book examines the impact Vietnam had on the soldiers of both sides and on their families, for every time a soldier died or was wounded, it was not only them who were involved, but siblings, parents, and relatives as well who suffered the consequences. For American families, it was being so far removed from this unpopular war that made it hard. The news from their soldiers did not seem to match what was being reported by generals and the White House. As more and more television newscasts showed the conditions on the ground, the war’s popularity dropped until a majority became opposed to it. Soldiers returning were then perceived to have participated in something that was wrong and were blamed.

For Vietnamese families, the impact was more direct. Their loved ones were hurt when villages were bombed. Soldiers died in battle and in prison. Whole areas were defoliated and destroyed, forcing more people into relocation camps. Wounds crippled many people, and left-over ordinances maimed more. The departure of American soldiers ended their participation in the conflict, but more repression followed as the South fell to the North and was united.

The Vietnam War

Rice Jr., Earl. The Vietnam War. Part of the Major U.S. Historical Wars series. 2016. 64p. ISBN 978-1-4222-3359-7. Available at 959.6 RIC on the library shelves.

The end of the Second World War led to a renewed hope on the part of European colonies that the bloodshed and the violence that had been the staple of the worst conflict in human history would provide peaceful negotiations for independence. But these hopes were quickly dashed as colonial powers quickly restored control over their colonies. Vietnam was one such colony.

Conquered by the French starting in the mid 1800s, Vietnam was lumped in with the colonies of Laos and Cambodia to form the colony of Indochina. Local activists advocated for independence for Vietnam, but for decades they were unable to make significant progress. Led by Ho Chi Minh, a communist who had spent time working, studying and traveling in Europe, the United States, and Russia, a guerilla was slowly organized. When the Japanese attacked in World War II, the Vietminh fought alongside other groups against them, and fully expected the French to recognize them at the end of the war, if not as an independent country then at least with local representation.

The French however wanted to reinstate their colonial empire. Returning in 1946, the situation between the two groups degenerated until armed conflict was seen as the last solution. Vietnamese and French troops fought until the mid 1950s, when over 11,000 French soldiers surrendered at the battle of Dien Bien Phu. The peace accords negotiated between the two sides led to a temporary division of the country into a communist north, led by Ho Chi Minh, and a regime supported by the French and the Americans in the south. Elections were also called for to determine the final status of both sections of the country. These elections never took place, however, since the Western powers knew the more populous North would carry the electoral weight.

Under the domino theory first espoused by President Eisenhower and continued by Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, the Americans believed that if South Vietnam was allowed to fall into communist hands surrounding countries would too. Efforts were stepped up to prop the unpopular and uneffective South Vietman regime. From a few military advisors in the early 1960s, the American presence escalated until over half a million soldiers where in South Vietnam, fighting the communist guerilla known as the Vietcong. Supported by North Vietnam, the guerilla fought hit and run tactics, forcing the Americans to adapt. But as the body count increased with no apparent gains, with protests at home and dwindling support for a war of choice, the United States concluded a peace treaty with North Vietnam in 1973, withdrew all of its forces, and South Vietnam fell in 1975.

Still one of the most unpopular war, the Vietnam War has marked the American psyche and remains less studied than the Second World War.

The Things They Carried

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. 1990. 190p. ISBN 9780395515983. Available both at FIC OBR on the library shelves and as an eBook from Overdrive.

An infantry soldier in Vietnam, O’Brien fictionalizes several stories centered around the same platoon members which overlap and reference each other. Everyone there had a story to tell, and everyone carried special items not part of the standard equipment. From photos of girlfriends to Bibles, drugs, and extra ammunition, the men of 3rd platoon, Alpha company became brothers under fire. They lived (and sometimes died) in one of the most intense and senseless conflict, not sure why they even were here.

Exploring what it means to be a soldier and a man in Vietnam, O’Brien brings forth unforgivable and flawed characters who represent humanity at its best - and worst. Readers who enjoys the bonds of men together in the field, or those interested in war and in Vietnam will find themselves unable to put this book down.

The Wednesday Wars

Schmidt, Gary. The Wednesday Wars. 2007. 256p. ISBN 9780618724833. Available both as an eBook and an audiobook on Overdrive as well as at FIC SCH on the library shelves.

It’s 1967, Holling Hoodhood is in 7th grade at Camillo Junior High on Long Island, and, unlike all of his classmates he lives right on the border of everything. He’s on the border between the northern and the southern part of the town. He’s on the border between the religious groups, half the class being Jewish and the other half being Catholic, while he’s the only Presbyterian. His father is a driven architect who is always seeking the next contract in town. His mother is quiet and doesn’t go against her husband’s wishes. And his sister is a flower child wannabe.

Holling finds himself in Mrs. Baker’s class. With the Vietnam War raging on, Mrs. Baker’s husband is deployed and fighting in Vietnam, so Mrs. Baker has plenty of time to focus on her class. On Wednesdays, all Jewish students leave early afternoon to attend religious instruction at the synagog, while all catholics leave ten minutes later to also attend religious instruction at church. Holling is the only one left in class, and Mrs. Baker must supervise him despite an attempt to have him sent to remedial 6th grade math. Holling is pretty sure Mrs. Baker hates him.

So begins a Wednesday War between Mrs. Baker and Holling. At first their relationship is rocky, but eventually they work out a compromise. Holling will read Shakespeare and then take a test on it. It will not count for anything but his edification on universal themes of humanity, love, death, and family.

Despite himself, Holling realizes that Mrs. Baker may in fact not be the enemy, but an ally who seeks to help him discover who he really is. Take a trip with Holling through the school year and the Wednesday Wars, and see how he grows as a student and as a human.

The writing is hilarious and Holling thinks out loud what most people are afraid of saying. With an unforgettable cast of well-rounded characters, you will thoroughly enjoy this book and want more. Fans of the Wednesday Wars should take a look at The Labors of Hercules Bean.