I met you and your wife at the Exchange while I was on vacation in Jacksonville, Florida. I purchased both of your novels on Amazon and I congratulate you on two top notch novels that should become movies. As one Infantry Grunt to another, I thoroughly identified with the combat aspects and really shed a few tears by the memories from Vietnam in 1965 and 1966 which were stirred up by your descriptive writing. These past few years I have read all the Clancy, Vince Flynn, Cussler, Perry, Lee Child, etc novels and enjoyed them all. I have put you on that list and hope you have another novel in the works. I kept wondering if you were the “Mike” character?
As for myself, I retired in 1983 and had become an Army JAGC in 1969. I retired in 1983 and worked as an Assistant General Counsel for L-3 communications Corporation since 1987 (after starting with Ford Aeronautic in Newport Beach in 1983 and Motorola in 1984 to 1987, followed by Loral and Lockheed Martin which spun off into L-3 . I got my Infantry “Grunt” status through ROTC at the University of Illinois at Fort Benning where I attended the Basic Officers course followed by Airborne and Ranger School and then Helicopter School at Fort Wolters; followed by three years in Munich in the 2/9th Cavalry before going to Vietnam. I came back to the University of Illinois on Active Duty to finish a law degree in 1967 after finishing a year at Fort Campbell as a 101st Company Commander. After law school I was assigned to the University of Virginia for the Advanced JAGC one year Course and had tours in the early 70’s at Fort Carson and the Pentagon in the litigation division and a LLM course in Government Contracting at George Washington University, graduating in 1976. I also got to be the SJA at Fort Rucker in 1978 before returning to DC to eventually become the Chief Trial Attorney (Contracts) for the Army.
The reason for my long resume is so that you understand that I am more than just an English major and Speech major who likes to read.. I figure between my flying Huey B model gunships and commanding troops seasoned by a JD and Masters degrees, I am not just an ordinary “Grunt” with an ordinary compliment. I recognize talent and you really deserve recognition. I am very happy that Linda and I ran into you at the Exchange. I am living my 73rd year now and will be 74 in May. I will be retiring this coming April and hope to put out my own fictional novel which will center on my life to date i and will include my tour in Vietnam. F.N . My call sign in Vietnam was “Joker 4” and I named the Jokers. The Jokers are still on active duty and are stationed in Germany. They had several tours in IRAQ.
In short, you have been an inspiration for me and God bless you and your family. Your service to the Country is greatly appreciate are your novels are great!
Sincerely,
James (Jim) Price
Colonel, Ret. USA
“Joker 4”
No comments:
Post a Comment