"A remarkable and very moving account of the loss of his son, a father’s need to understand how and why it happened, and the relationship between a parent and child changed and deepened by war. Whatever your views about the purpose and conduct of the war in Iraq, this book deserves your attention and the acclaim it will surely receive for its heartrending testament to the awful wages of war and the invincible devotion of love."—Senator John McCain
A tribute to the “great conversation” between a father and his son, an Iraq staff sergeant who died in combat.Staff Sergeant Darrell “Skip” Griffin, Jr. was killed in action on March 21, 2007, during his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star with Valor for dragging a comrade to safety through enemy gunfire. He was also in the middle of writing a book. Tentatively titled The Great Conversation, it was an attempt to describe and make sense of the destruction he had seen in Iraq. His father, Darrell Griffin, Sr., was going to help him finish writing it when he returned home in July.
In the face of Skip’s death, Darrell, Sr. vowed to finish the book himself. He traveled to Iraq, witnessing the war close up and meeting his son’s comrades. Driven by a conviction that Americans do not know enough about the war they have been fighting for the past six years, Last Journey is a first-hand account of everyday life for soldiers in Iraq; it’s also an intimate portrait of a lost son, a meditation on faith, and finally a tribute to the lively philosophical debates the Griffins used to share. Included is email correspondence with Skip during the weeks before he died as well as original photographs from the frontlines. Passionate and inspiring, Last Journey serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of war. 24 black-and-white illustrations
