"Semper Cool" Book Review

I loooove reading... and a friend of a friend runs a book club out here.  She was asked to have the book group review a book, "Semper Cool".  All I knew was that it was written by a former Marine, and it was his own story, his own words.  In the introduction I read that all the sales from the book were going to be donated to the Veterans so I thought that was really generous of the author to do.  Usually I'm more into books by Nicholas Sparks but I was excited to read the adventures that this person lived to tell about. 

In a nutshell- I loved the book.  There was never a dull moment, and he explained things so well you could almost smell the Viet Nam Jungle at times.  The ONLY thing that kinda caught me off guard was the numerous time the "F" word was used. Not that I should be surprised...  I am married to a Sailor, who has lots of Sailor friends over.... and hey- even some of my Sailor Wives drop it here and there ha ha ha.  Just if your going to read it- be prepared ha ha ha. 

I almost felt like I was reading a book my grandfather would have written.  Him being also a young Marine, fighting in war... I could almost see him hanging out with Barry Fixler (the author).  Like most men from his generation, was was not something he ever really spoke about... but you hear stories, and read books.  So I imagined him a lot throughout the book.  Not that I ever heard him drop an F bomb but he dropped a few other words ha ha ha.  Mostly yelling and my brother and 2 cousins. 

My favorite part of the book was the end.  He told stories about life AFTER the war.  You grew to appreciate this young Marine throughout the book, I was thankful for all he, as well as all past and present members of the military have done so that we remain the land of the free.  By the end you admire and respect him for the man he became.  He never forgot what he went through, and always tried to help fellow veterans.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an inside look at what life was like as an 18 year old Marine fighting in Viet Nam.  Really makes you apprciate the small things in life just a little bit more.  And makes me miss my Sailor more then I already do.