A riveting memoir of one marine rifleman's journey from Parris Island through the hell of Vietnam and the Tet Offensive with the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines. In 1967, a young E. Michael Helms boarded a bus to the legendary grounds of Parris Island, where mere boys were forged into hardened Marines—and sent to the jungles of Vietnam. It was the first stop on a journey that would forever change him—and by its end, he would be awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. From the brutality and endurance-straining ordeals of boot camp to the endless horror of combat, Helms paints a vivid, unflinchingly realistic depiction of the lives of Marines in training and under fire. As powerful and compelling a battlefield memoir as any ever written, Helms's “grunt's-eye” view of the Vietnam War, the men who fought it, and the mindless chaos that surrounded it, is truly a modern military classic.

The Proud Bastards: One Marine's Journey from Parris Island through the Hell of Vietnam

Biographies & Memoirs

Helms, E. Michael

Leaders & Notable People

Pocket Star

The true story of one young marine's harrowing journey from boot camp at Parris Island through the hell of combat in Vietnam during the height of the war. This is no run- of-the-mill "guts and glory" war story. Helms' powerful narrative rips off the blinders and shows war as it really is! The military details are accurate. The emotional details are extraordinary. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know about Vietnam, about war, about life in the military.

The Proud Bastards

Karmichael Press

Vietnam didn't stay in Southeast Asia. It followed former U.S. Marine Corporal Nathan Henson back to the World-his hometown in the Florida panhandle. Seventeen years later, specters from 'Nam still haunt the corners of Nathan's life and the recurring nightmarish scenes of carnage won't die. Desperate, he seeks help and joins a support group for Vietnam combat veterans.   Now a new war begins-against Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In a series of gut-wrenching sessions, Nathan faces the ghosts of his past and shares the struggles of others as they confront and relive horrors and dark secrets kept locked inside.             There's Vic Guerino, a former Army helicopter pilot trying to adjust to the boredom of a grounded life, Dan "Doc" Matthews, wrestling with addiction brought home from the battlefields of Vietnam, and Rene Boudreaux, the loner who withdraws from society with paranoia ruling his every waking moment.             Nathan must conquer the demons of PTSD to win peace in his life, but it's a harrowing rollercoaster ride through the valley of healing. The path is strewn with heartbreak and humor, hope and despair and love lost and regained.             This is the comeback story of a heroic young man who saw it all, lived through it, and ultimately emerged from the shadows of war.

The Private War of Corporal Henson

Literature & Fiction

Contemporary

Stairway Press

Two brothers fighting on opposing sides during the War Between the States. An intense struggle for survival, peace, and reconciliation in the midst and aftermath of a terrifying conflict that roared across the nation, tearing friends and families asunder.

Of Blood and Brothers V1

Genre Fiction

Coffeetown

    Following the unexpected death of his father, reporter Calvin Hogue is eager to resume writing his weekly serial featuring Daniel and Elijah Malburn, brothers who fought for opposing armies during the Civil War some six decades ago.After its resounding victory at Chickamauga and subsequent defeat at Lookout Mountain/Missionary Ridge, the Confederate Army of Tennessee has fallen back to winter quarters at Dalton, Georgia. Spring arrives, and with it come thousands of fresh Union troops to reinforce the armies under the command of General William T. Sherman. Soon the Federals launch a relentless offensive against the greatly outnumbered Confederate army, determined to take the vital railhead at Atlanta.The Confederates make the first of many valiant stands at Resaca, but are flanked and forced to retreat toward Atlanta. During a fierce battle near the small town of Dallas, Daniel suffers a severe head wound. His "pards" report he's been killed, but he comes to and is captured. Sent north to Rock Island Prison, Daniel faces a new war--surviving the harsh conditions and cruelties to which the Southern captives are subjected.After unwillingly leading Union forces on a raid through the Econfina Valley, the Malburns' lifelong home, Elijah learns the Federals' next objective is to capture the Florida capital of Tallahassee. The Confederates confront the invaders south of the city at Natural Bridge, and after a vicious battle win a striking victory. Elijah survives the fight, but he's had enough of a war he wanted no part of. With Union forces scattering in disarray, he and beloved family slave Jefferson desert and set out for home.The South finally surrenders, but the peace is far from won. Freed from prison, an expectant Daniel faces an arduous, year-long trek home only to find his dreams shattered and his world forever changed.Trouble stalks the Malburns in post-war Florida. Amid the violent days of Reconstruction, Daniel and Elijah face continuing conflict, family turmoil and heart-wrenching tragedy as they struggle toward a hard-earned and costly reconciliation.

Of Blood and Brothers Book Two (Of Blood & Brothers)

Koehler Books

In the spring of 1927, ambitious cub reporter Calvin Hogue covers a family reunion in the Florida Panhandle. He learns two Malburn brothers fought on opposing sides during the Civil War, and encourages them to tell their stories. Before the night is over, Calvin realizes he has a far greater story than a run-of-the-mill family reunion. Thus begins the first of many sessions with the Malburn brothers. The saga unfolds in their own words with wit, wisdom and sometimes, sadness. Before long the brothers are confronting troubled pasts and conjuring up ghosts laid buried throughout the long post-war years. Calvin is swept along by the harrowing eyewitness account of our nation’s most trying era, through bloody battles, personal trials and losses, and the mutual love of a beautiful young woman. The South surrenders, but the peace is far from won. Trouble stalks the Malburns in post-war Florida. Amid the violent days of Reconstruction, Daniel and Elijah face continuing conflict, family turmoil and heart-wrenching tragedy as they struggle toward a hard-earned and costly reconciliation. Book One follows the exploits of Daniel Malburn and the 6th FL Infantry through the battles of Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain/Missionary Ridge. While working at the salt works along St. Andrew Bay, Elijah is taken prisoner by Union forces. Faced with imprisonment, he reluctantly chooses to join the 2nd US FL Cavalry as a scout, only to learn he must lead a destructive raid on the Econfina Valley—his lifelong home. Book Two, the sequel to Of Blood and Brothers, will be released in March of 2014. The story of the Malburn brothers, Daniel and Elijah, picks up where Book One in the series ends.

Of Blood and Brothers: Book One

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