Customer Reviews

Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives

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When I was in the military I was sent on a classified mission when I was nineteen years old. No one in the entire world that knew me, cared about me, or loved me, knew where I was going or what I was doing. I carried two fears within me during this time. The first fear was obviously of being killed. The second fear was of "THE-VISIT" that my poor, wonderful, loving, unknowing, Parents would get if I was killed. The horrendous, horrifying, ghastly, human reaction by a next of kin that has no reason to worry about a knock on the door by "CASUALTY NOTIFICATION", is too gruesome to imagine let alone put in words.

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****************** "THE KNOCK" *********************

"YOU CAN ALMOST SEE THE BLOOD RUN OUT OF THEIR BODY AND THEIR HEART HIT THE FLOOR. IT'S NOT THE BLOOD AS MUCH AS THEIR SOUL. SOMETHING SINKS. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT EXCEPT WHEN SOMEONE DIES. AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DEATH."

****************** MAJOR STEVE BECK *******************

This book should be read by every single American citizen. But, be warned; it is extremely emotional and you will shed tears. I am an honorably discharged Viet Nam era veteran and I consider myself to be a pretty tough guy. I have faced death and came out on the other side. When I got this book, before I actually started reading it, I went to the center portion which has twenty-four pages of color pictures that range from pictures of our fallen hero's that are depicted in this book, to their mourning families before and after "notification", to a pregnant crying wife, draping herself over the American Flag, that is draped over the coffin containing her husband, to cemeteries, to a ripped apart "last letter" home from a fallen American Hero. As if the pictures weren't powerful enough the captions carry additional emotional power of their own. I could not make it through the pictures without tears coming to my eyes!

************************** REVERBERATIONS *******************

"YOU ALWAYS HEAR ALL THESE STATEMENTS LIKE "FREEDOM ISN'T FREE." YOU HEAR THE PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE PEOPLE MAKING SACRIFICES. BUT YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW UNTIL YOU CARRY ONE OF THEM IN THE CASKET. WHEN YOU FEEL THEIR BODY WEIGHT. WHEN YOU FEEL THEM, THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW. THAT'S WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND."

************** MARINE STAFF SERGEANT KEVIN THOMAS *********

People watch the news and they read papers and magazines about the cost and damage of war, but this book to me is the echo of the story that isn't heard when you turn off your TV or throw the papers and magazines away. Reading this book makes me prouder than ever that I served my country honorably... and it reinforces within my very soul, what I've never taken for granted... and that's the blessing that I came home alive. I could not go more than five or ten pages at a time without my eyes losing its battle to fight back tears. I have my Honorable Discharge displayed between my family room and my kitchen, and under it I've always had the following quote displayed:

**** "THOSE WHO HAVE LONG ENJOYED SUCH PRIVILEGES ***

**** AS WE ENJOY... FORGET IN TIME... THAT MEN HAVE ***

**** DIED TO WIN THEM." Franklin D. Roosevelt ************

I promise you that anyone who reads this book will never forget not only the Americans who have died for their country, but also the Americans that served and were lucky enough to come home alive. G-d Bless America and my prayers go out to all the hero's and their enduring families that will forever share tears of pride.

I remember reading about Woodrow Wilson's agony, as he prepared to address Congress, to ask for the US to enter WWI. All he could think of were the boys who would be killed or maimed as a result of his words. Witnesses said his face was actually contorted, perhaps a harbinger of the stroke he would have, a few years later. Before entering the chamber, he stopped in front of a mirror, and physically pushed his face back into a normal mode. In recent decades, one wonders if Presidents are all too cavalier about sending young men to die in questionable wars. One thinks of Lyndon Johnson telling the troops to "nail the coonskin to the wall" or George W. Bush in his flight suit, Top Gun, "Mission Accomplished" moment. "Final Salute" should be required reading for every President.

Through the eyes of those who have to perform the horrible task of notifying the next of kin of the death of their loved ones, the book tells the story of several soldiers, marines, and sailors who didn't make it home. One comes to know them well, and grieves for them and their families as they go through this agony. Lives interrupted, cut short. Children who will never know their fathers. Young war widows trying to survive. Parents who must bury a child. All this in the aftermath of "the knock" on the door. The pictures almost take your breath away.

This book is not about glory, not about conquest. In the end, I think it is about loss and love...the love of family members, the love of comrades in arms, the love of Country. As Memorial Day draws near, the sacrifices these people made, on both sides of "the knock" should never be forgotten. This is not an easy book, but you shouldn't miss it.

This is a fine work of quiet journalism. Mr. Sheeler has written vignettes from his personal observations of our current military burial practices and rituals, from family notification to points yet undefined, if only because some of these counselors remain in contact with some of the families. These are matters of depth and duration.

These are his accounts of the daunting job of those who bring terrible news to the "Next of Kin", and of the next of kin themselves. Such journalism is difficult to do cleanly and honestly. He does a remarkable job of not inserting himself into the chapters. He was, by the testimony of United States Marine Colonel Beck, most respectful of the fallen and of their families. Bias may be inevitable, but I find none here to cloud or distract or distort these sad events.

Each story is only as long as necessary. No editorializing. No purple embellishment. With such clarity he lays before us so that each touches us. First each alone, and then in a gradual appreciation of the both range and the commonality of them all. They are moving and enlightening.

The only time you get a sense of this author is when he bares the events where he is himself involved. After all, he really was there and in contact with the families and others. He cannot deny it by omission. But as he works through the difficulties of not being that in-your-face newsman we usually read or see, he actually further illuminates the courage of these families.

I started off by mentioning burial rituals and practices. Mr. Sheeler has a keen eye and ear. He does much to record the ceremonial side as well as the personal side. Indeed they touch profoundly in his renditions. Things sometimes vary by service. He points them out to us. He supplies quite a lot of information in a subtle way as the book unfolds. Such careful presentation is artful without artifice. Here is beauty and pain, ache and remembrance, truth and respect. Please read this book.

This is a truly beautiful and important book. I didn't think I would be able to read about this subject, I thought it would be too depressing or difficult, but I had heard about Sheeler's Pulitzer-winning article on the subject, so I thought I should try. I ended up reading this book almost straight through as soon as I got my copy. Yes, I cried, but I laughed too, and I ended up feeling really good about our country after finishing it. In a strange way, it feels like I'm doing my part, in some small way, saying thank you to our troops and their families for the sacrifices they've made. They go over there and serve their country and face incredible danger, and we continue to live our comfortable lives over here without thinking about what they and their families are giving up. And sometimes the price is really high. Jim Sheeler deserves a lot of credit for telling a very difficult story in an incredibly beautiful and sensitive way. It gives me chills just thinking about some of the wives and their children. I couldn't put it down and will recommend it to all my friends-- we all need to be reminded of what's going on over there and in our own communities here in the US.

I heard Sheeler's interview on NPR's "FRESH AIR" a couple of weeks ago, and knew that I would have to read this book. I did the "pre-order" and received it in the mail two days ago. I began reading it at 4 p.m. in the afternoon, and finished the final page around 10 p.m. that evening. It was enthralling!

Since I am a military veteran, I must admit that I had a vested interest in what the writer would convey. The author did a masterful job! I felt as though i were standing in the living room with the Burns family, and with the Anderson family as well as the other families.

I had to close the book a few times and shed tears. These were tears of grief for the families who had lost so much; tears of gratitude for the brave military member who gave everything, their life.

This really is a "must-read" for every American. I plan to buy several copies and give them to friends.

The book describes how families of soldiers who died in Iraq cope with the death of their loved ones. It follows a handful of families over a period of about a year, starts with the account of the notification to the next of kin and moves on to the burial and the aftermath. Many of the soldiers had young children (some of the questions the kids ask their mother are heart-breaking, like - I paraphrase - "Where's dad?" "He's in heaven" "I know he's in heaven, but when is he coming back?" "He's not, buddy"), and when they did not have children, they were young men and their families were absolutely devastated. No one should have to bury one's child. The officer helping with the families with their grief is a remarkable man. The author hints at not all families receiving that kind of support, and I wish we had been told more about that, but maybe that would have changed the spirit of the book and turned some readers off.

I spent most of the book crying. (The color pictures in the middle of the book are extremely moving too.) No matter what you think about the war in Iraq, you need to remember the troops. The book is inspiring because of the obvious sense of honor among members of the military. A couple of typos at the beginning made me cringe, but the rest of the book is flawless. The format of very short chapters annoyed me somewhat - pulling me out of the flow of the story every time - and it's clear the author is a journalist, used to shorter features rather than book-length work, but that is a minor detail. The book made me feel grateful, humbled, and proud of our soldiers.

This book, quite simply, should be required reading for every American citizen. Regardless of your political views, your stance on the war, or your personal beliefs, this book sheds a light on the sacrifices that American military men and women make every single day in order for us to lead our lives in safety. Read this book, read it with tissues handy, and then remember the message it brings. You will never forget the lives that are chronicled here.

So many thanks to Major Beck and his fellow Marines and to the family members of the honored dead for helping Jim Sheeler write this compelling and heart wrenching book.

It brought this Navy vet who served during the Viet nAM War to tears.

Since we are all involved in this war, perhaps it is our responsibility to not just listen to the media spin, but to also hear the truth shared by the heroes and masterfully communicated by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jim Sheeler. We learn that there are many faces of courage, and we might do well to give thanks for our freedom and appreciation for those who serve.

I am not done reading this, but it is truly heartbreaking what has happend to these people. The story of the corpsman really got to me because he had so much life and was willing to give so much. His family and the sargent he saved will have a very special bond. Major Beck seems like a wonderful Marine willing to do what it takes, and the families themselves just make me wish I could reach through the pages and hug them. RIP to the ones lost and thanks for giving up everything for the U.S.