Unbreakable Bonds: The Mighty Moms and Wounded Warriors of Walter Reed

Description

Unbreakable Bonds tells ten touching stories of mothers who spent years aiding the recovery of their children, US soldiers and Marines who suffered severe injuries during the War on Terror. The survival of these wounded warriors is a testament not only to the extraordinary efforts of military medical personnel and their own inner fortitude, but also to their mothers. These women put their lives on hold from the moment they get that first call about their injured son or daughter, giving up their homes and careers and leaving behind family and friends. They are ever present, from those agonizing early days in intensive care, through dozens of lifesaving operations and the months and years of both triumphs and setbacks during therapy and rehabilitation. Their commitment, like the wounds their children suffer, is lifelong. Unbreakable Bonds showcases the selfless love and support of the mothers who, like their wounded warriors, have been changed forever, and who have, without hesitation, sacrificed greatly for their country. They also find strength through the exclusive network of caregivers, who are there not only for their sons and daughters, but for each other as well. With forewords from former president George H. W. Bush and former Maryland congresswoman Connie Morella, this book will appeal to US service members and their loved ones-and those without ties to the military will gain appreciation for those who risk so much to serve our country. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Dava Guerin is a Washington-based communications consultant and writer and is the communications director for the US Association of Former Members of Congress. She was formerly president of Guerin Public Relations, Inc., and profile editor of Local Living Magazine and Bucks Living Magazine. She volunteers her time helping wounded warriors and their families at Walter Reed National Military Hospital. Guerin resides in Berlin, Maryland. Kevin Ferris is an assistant editor with the editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer. For many years, he wrote the Back Channels column for the Sunday Currents section. His freelance work has appeared in the Weekly Standard, Wall Street Journal, and Christian Science Monitor. He served in the US Army from 1976 to 1979. Ferris lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania. George H. W. Bush was sworn in as president of the United States in January 1989 and served until January 1993. During his term in office, the Cold War ended; the threat of nuclear war was drastically reduced; the Soviet Union ceased to exist, replaced by a democratic Russia with the Baltic states becoming free; the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunified with Eastern Europe; and he put together an unprecedented coalition of thirty-two nations to liberate Kuwait. He served in the US Navy from 1942--1945, and has supported our nation's service members and their families throughout his life. As a champion of public service, he has encouraged all Americans to serve through his Points of Light Foundation, as well as his personal philanthropic efforts. He resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Barbara, and their two dogs. Connie Morella represented Maryland's eighth congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 2003, served as ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development from 2003 to 2007, and is now president of the US Association of Former Members of Congress. Already a mother of three, Morella adopted her sister's six children after she passed away from cancer. In her role as president of the US Association of Former Members of Congress, Morella has been a champion of US wounded warriors and has supported them through her organization's charity golf tournament and Salute to Service: Statesmanship Awards Dinner, as well as many other initiatives. She resides in Bethesda, Maryland.

"Even as we can never fully repay our military families for their service here at home, the ten mothers featured in this moving portrait give us yet another gift their stories, courage, and enduring love." Nancy Pelosi "Movingly relates the untold story of selfless devotion, duty, and strength demonstrated by military family caregivers that is so instrumental to the recovery and rehabilitation of our nation's wounded warriors. This is a must-read for Americans in every corner of the country to truly understand the challenges of postwar recovery on the home front." Senator Elizabeth Dole "Its discussion of the nature of family, duty, and service is a tour de force. . . . It is a book not of happy endings, but of small and improbable triumphs." -Weekly Standard "The mothers of the wounded have played an important role in their recovery since man invented war stories that have gone untold. Guerin and Ferris capture the sadness and joy, compassion, persistence, fierce advocacy, and courage in ten inspiring stories stories of love." David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States "Chronicles an amazing fusion of moral courage and limitless love. It tells the story of motherhood, tested and unbroken, and in doing so, it radiates wisdom, tenacity, compassion, and resolve on every page. Sparta's Leonidas was right. A mother's strength is the warrior's ultimate inspiration." Colonel Paul McHale (US Marine Corps, Ret.), former congressman and former assistant secretary of defense "These mothers are heroes in their own right. They have given so much and we must never forget." Gary Sinise, award-winning actor and philanthropist, founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, and a champion of service members, veterans, and their families "A touching testament to their strength and resolve, and a must-read for anyone who values the power and perseverance of the human spirit." Colonel Bob Clement, former congressman (D-TN), US Army (Ret.) "This is a book about courage, about service, and about patriotism. It is a call to arms, because we are in many ways failing a group of heroes that needs our support desperately. This book will have you talking, feeling, and thinking for a long time after you turn the last page." Peter M. Weichlein, CEO of the US Association of Former Members of Congress "When a service member is wounded, the whole family is wounded and must be a part of the recovery. Unbreakable Bonds will inspire you with the never-ending commitment, strength, and love between these amazing moms and their kids." Jim Knotts, CEO of Operation Homefront "These ten stories are specific and true. They are also representational, reminding readers of those who have gone to fight on our behalf and of the endless costs of battles, minefields, inhumane technologies." Beth Kephart, author of Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir "Mothers with soldier sons and daughters who hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, will want to read Unbreakable Bonds. It's like a conversation among best friends who share their innermost thoughts about dealing with their adult son's and daughter's traumatic injuries. You'll appreciate the honesty, and, even more, the upbeat outlook of these amazing moms." Liza McFadden, CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy "Even as we can never fully repay our military families for their service here at home, the ten mothers featured in this moving portrait give us yet another gift their stories, courage, and enduring love." Nancy Pelosi "Movingly relates the untold story of selfless devotion, duty, and strength demonstrated by military family caregivers that is so instrumental to the recovery and rehabilitation of our nation's wounded warriors. This is a must-read for Americans in every corner of the country to truly understand the challenges of postwar recovery on the home front." Senator Elizabeth Dole "Its discussion of the nature of family, duty, and service is a tour de force. . . . It is a book not of happy endings, but of small and improbable triumphs." -Weekly Standard "The mothers of the wounded have played an important role in their recovery since man invented war stories that have gone untold. Guerin and Ferris capture the sadness and joy, compassion, persistence, fierce advocacy, and courage in ten inspiring stories stories of love." David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States "Chronicles an amazing fusion of moral courage and limitless love. It tells the story of motherhood, tested and unbroken, and in doing so, it radiates wisdom, tenacity, compassion, and resolve on every page. Sparta's Leonidas was right. A mother's strength is the warrior's ultimate inspiration." Colonel Paul McHale (US Marine Corps, Ret.), former congressman and former assistant secretary of defense "These mothers are heroes in their own right. They have given so much and we must never forget." Gary Sinise, award-winning actor and philanthropist, founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, and a champion of service members, veterans, and their families "A touching testament to their strength and resolve, and a must-read for anyone who values the power and perseverance of the human spirit." Colonel Bob Clement, former congressman (D-TN), US Army (Ret.) "This is a book about courage, about service, and about patriotism. It is a call to arms, because we are in many ways failing a group of heroes that needs our support desperately. This book will have you talking, feeling, and thinking for a long time after you turn the last page." Peter M. Weichlein, CEO of the US Association of Former Members of Congress "When a service member is wounded, the whole family is wounded and must be a part of the recovery. Unbreakable Bonds will inspire you with the never-ending commitment, strength, and love between these amazing moms and their kids." Jim Knotts, CEO of Operation Homefront "These ten stories are specific and true. They are also representational, reminding readers of those who have gone to fight on our behalf and of the endless costs of battles, minefields, inhumane technologies." Beth Kephart, author of Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir "Mothers with soldier sons and daughters who hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, will want to read Unbreakable Bonds. It's like a conversation among best friends who share their innermost thoughts about dealing with their adult son's and daughter's traumatic injuries. You'll appreciate the honesty, and, even more, the upbeat outlook of these amazing moms." Liza McFadden, CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy