"THE MAKING OF OUR WARRIOR" by Jeff Falkel

There are no words that I could write to ever accurately define the sorrow and regret expressed by Author Jeff Falkel in the book he wrote about his son Chris; “The Making of Our Warrior”, How SSG Chris Falkel became a Green Beret Warrior and Hero. The task of explaining to others the emotions that Jeff expresses through his writing is impossible to accomplish and that is why this book is a must read for everyone. I mean absolutely everyone; ‘disregardless’ of their political affiliation, religious views or any other orientation that may guide anybody’s thought process.

This book will absolutely change your mind about the way you see the world in which we live and the freedoms we take so easily for granted here at home. It will leave some readers feeling ashamed of whom they have become in comparison to this young man, his brothers and his father. For others, they will feel a since of pride in that they shared in his sacrifice in some way; be it through their service to our great nation, in doing their patriotic duty here at home, by serving their own communities in some way or another, or by just flying Old Glory in front of the house, paying their taxes and voting their conscience when the time comes. One thing for sure; after reading this book, the feelings of indifference that many of our fellow citizens feel about OUR war, OUR government, OUR military, OUR freedoms and OUR way of life will no longer exist!

As I read Jeff’s words I could hear Chris calling as he pointed the way, “Pick up a Weapon and Follow Me; I am the Infantry!” Chris’ life example is a call for action, for all to head. The story beckons the reader to take a stance as Chris did. He stood the test in defense of our nation! His life is a call to action, to do that which we are capable of to ensure that life as we know it and the freedoms we have protected will not perish. It is a reminder of exactly who we are as a people and what it has taken for us to become the greatest nation on earth, the last bastion of freedom.

Still, there is one particular point in his writing that I must put my foot down and absolutely disagree with Mr. Falkel about. On various occasions he wrote; “My only regret, of the entire battle, was that I was not there. It is the only regret I have for my entire life. It is a pain that I will never recover from.” And although the pain of having lost his son may never subside; the fact is, Jeff Falkel was there with his son that day and everyday of his life, be it physically or spiritually. Jeff you lived in your son’s heart, in his mind and in his soul.

I can tell you all from my own experiences in life that the lessons my father taught me as a child are still with me and I hear his voice everyday. Whenever I have a decision to make, my first thought is; “How would my father go about doing this?” Then I ask myself, “Would my father approve?”

As a fellow soldier, I am absolutely positive that Chris was asking himself those very same questions from the moment he left home, throughout his time in service and at that very moment of his glory. I know without a shadow of doubt that as he fought so valiantly that day, he had his father there with him, at his side, on his left side, in his Falcon Spirit, covering his Six! Just as Jeff feels that his son Chris is there with him, guiding him, making demands of him to this day, he was there with Chris that day, if not in body, then in mind and soul.

For over two decades you were there for him, and prepared him to face the greatest moments of his life. You prepared him to become one of a few selected individuals to earn the Green Beret. You prepared him to spread his wings and fly as only he could, as a member of that ‘Spartan Team of Brothers.’ You prepared him so that he would be able to take his place around the fire as a member of something greater than himself, as member of the Brotherhood! The Brotherhood of the Warrior, the Brotherhood of the Special Forces Soldier and with him he brought the spirit of his father, and in his action he reflected the spirit of his ancestors, the Lakota Spirit of the Falcon!

Because of you, your son Chris earned his place in history as a Warrior among Warriors. He has brought honor and respect to his name, to his Brothers-in-Arms and to ‘Our’ family. Therefore I say feel not regret, for you did your part and embrace the pain; because as you wrote, “That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger!”

God Bless the Falkel Family and our Nations Warriors!

“De Oppresso Liber!”


S. B. (Steve) Newman, Author
The Night Eagles Soared

An Update from the Author

The Night Eagles Soared is about a Special Forces Team Sergeant who leads the first team of Green Berets into Afghanistan after 9-11; and although it is a fictional story it is based on true events, facts and emotion. As the Author, I created the protagonist Mike, and that allowed me to construct the story based on my own experiences in the Army.

Told in 1st person narrative, the protagonist relates the story of how he came to be selected to lead this team at that incredible moment in history. The story begins at the ending and goes back in time taking the reader on a journey into the jungles of South America and across the deserts of the Middle East. It comes around full circle to end at the beginning, through, “The Night Eagles Soared.”

My original intent was to create a story that would be understandable and enjoyable to younger readers, say at the age of seventeen. I did this by not making the story so technical that only my fellow soldiers would be able to understand it. My hope has always been that the story will impart a sense of pride in the military and perhaps convince some to join.

So far my youngest reader has been ten years old and I’ve been told that it is the cleanest war book ever written. The reason for that is? Tate Publishing is a Christian organization, and therefore required me to find others ways of describing certain scenes that are violent or sexual in nature without using gratuitously graphic language. This reality stretched my abilities as a writer by forcing me to come up with other ways of describing certain subjects. The end result was the creation of a much better story that not only leaves some detail to the readers’ imagination, but also appeals to a much wider audience.

Since the official release date on the 5th of October, 2010 we have received endorsements from several different organizations. First the Green Beret Foundation that supports wounded Special Forces Soldiers and their families. Second, the Special Forces Book Store.com that generally lists only non-fiction but included “The Night Eagles Soared” in their line up as an exception to the rule because the story rings so true. Thirdly, we have received an endorsement from the warriors on Professional Soldiers.com; which is an online forum for Special Forces soldiers and others. Lastly, we have recently received an endorsement by the Soldiers’ Angels, a benevolent organization that is supporting thousands of our soldiers through the sending of letters and care packages among other incredible acts of kindness and generosity. I am so proud to be associated with all of these fantastic organizations and appreciate greatly their support of my writing.

In other news, I recently contacted my publisher and informed them about my intent to complete the sequel to “The Night Eagles Soared” so far titled, “Burnt Yellow and Red.” Their response based on the synopsis that I provided was to immediately offer me a contract with the proposed start of production in March 2011. If we meet this deadline, it will enable us to release the sequel sometime in late summer, early fall of 2011.

Most recently, we were nominated for consideration to compete for the W. Y. Boyd, Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. This award is administered by the American Library Association and will be granted sometime in July 2011. This doesn’t mean we’ve won the award, it just means that we are in the running and being considered, an incredible honor that stands on its own merit.

Therefore, please allow me to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the readers out there that have purchased and enjoyed their copy of “The Night Eagles Soared.”

God bless you all and never forget that fortune favors the bold!

“De Oppresso Liber”


S. B. (Steve) Newman, Author
The Night Eagles Soared
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Special Offer from the Author S. B. Newman

For every copy of my book, "The Night Eagles Soared" purchased through the Buy Now secure Pay Pal button found at the top of this page I will donate $2 to Soldiers Angels; a non-profit organization that is doing a great deal of outstanding work in support of our troops!

Please help me, help them do what they do through the purchase of my book, "The Night Eagles Soared." Not only will you recieve a signed copy of the book directly from the Author, you will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting a unique soldier support organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of life for our nations finest men and women!

Thank you and God Bless!

"De Oppresso Liber"

S. B. (Steve) Newman