Back in Action: An American Soldier's Story of Courage, Faith and Fortitude (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The inspiring true story of the first amputee to return to active duty in Iraq!

From the Inside Flap

They put a price on his head. They did everything they could to disrupt his mission. Finally, when an anti-tank mine tore off his right foot, the warriors of jihad in Iraq thought they had neutralized one of their most resourceful, determined foes.

They were wrong.

Refusing to let his injury stop him, Captain David Rozelle roared back into action, returning to Iraq as commander of an armored cavalry troop. He became the first amputee in recent military history to resume a dangerous command on the same battlefield.

In Back in Action: An American Soldier¹s Story of Courage, Faith, and Fortitude, Rozelle tells the whole gripping story: from the day he had to tell his pregnant wife that he was going to war (Valentine’s Day 2003) and deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom, to the fateful day four months later when a land mine tore off his right foot‹and beyond, through months of agonizing rehabilitation to his final triumphant recertification as "Fit for Duty."

Rozelle, who has been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart, speaks with brisk frankness about his post-amputation battles and the gritty determination that saw him through. He recounts his inspiring battle through rehabilitation, as he learned to walk with a prosthetic foot and did his utmost to prove he still had the stuff to be a soldier: completing five sprint-distance triathlons, an Olympic-distance triathlon, the New York City Marathon, and skiing, snowboarding, and mountain climbing through Disabled Sports USA.

It’s an astonishing story of courage, determination, heroism, and bedrock patriotism. "Every now and again," says Rozelle, "I would get the standard, ‘That is horrible. How do you feel about the war?’" The fearless captain would respond: "How do you feel about your freedom? If you aren’t willing to die for it, then you aren’t American."

David Rozelle was willing to die for freedom, and he is still willing to put his life on the line for it, despite the injury he has already suffered. Back in Action is a stirring reminder of the commitment every American should have to the cause of freedom, if we hope to continue to enjoy that freedom. It’s an extraordinary and inspiring story of devotion to duty overcoming all obstacles.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Regnery Publishing, Inc. (April 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895260417
• ISBN-13: 978-0895260413
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #536,470 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life on the line in Iraq - a story of triumphant recovery, February 12, 2005

By	Craig Matteson (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This is a book you will want to read in a single evening. Maybe two, at most. The life story that David Rozelle shares with us is remarkable not in its uniqueness, but in showing us how the qualities of tenacity, work, discipline, courage, and pulling together can make an ordinary life extraordinarily capable of overcoming debilitating setbacks.

Captain Rozelle's story reminds us that while we mourn the dead in any war, we should be even more vigilant in supporting the living who have paid the price of disabling injury on our behalf. We learn how careless and thoughtless we ordinary folks can be in fumbling both our awkward statements of support and encouragement and in our uncomfortable avoidances. We owe it to these fine young people to learn how to handle ourselves better and to give more of ourselves in their support.

The author skillfully shares with us how his life led him to the army and how he ended up where he did. He helps us understand the physical and political difficulties in working in Kuwait and Iraq. At the same time he is able to give us a more complete picture of why the Iraqis are grateful to us and why a minority still resist the change the Americans represent. There have been several fine books written by generals and about the war from a high level viewpoint. Captain Rozelle takes us down to the troop level and lets us see what a magnificent job our brave soldiers are doing in such tough circumstances.

The suddenness of his injury is a reminder to us all how arbitrary life can be and the permanent effects an instant can have. Captain Rozelle does not pull any punches in telling us about the pain he suffered and the difficulties he went through in recovery. He does not spare himself in sharing with us his difficulties with his pain medication as well as his doubts and fears for his future.

His wife, Kim, wrote one of the chapters and we get to learn about his injury from her point of view. It is a terrific chapter. She is very honest in telling us about her reactions to the news and how she interacted with her friends and family who tried to support her. Again, she is very open and doesn't spare herself in retelling this story.

We can all thrill to time when Captain Rozelle got his bearings and decided to not only get on with his life, but to run and ski and try to get back on active duty. He did all those things and used his own recovery to help other soldiers who had themselves suffered disabling injuries.

Oh, and the author had an interaction with both Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush. I won't spoil what each said to him, but it is very telling about the core of each of those men.

Strongly Recommended.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pride and Courage, February 16, 2005

By	FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

The autobiographical account, "Back in Action : An American Soldier's Story of Courage, Faith and Fortitude" by Captain David Rozelle is an inspiring story of courage and commitment. An ROTC officer, Captain Rozelle became commander of an armored cavalry unit in Iraq, receiving his orders to ship out to the theater of operations on Valentine's Day, 2003. Telling his wife that he had been called to duty was a hard thing to do, but not so hard as her hearing the news that he had been injured. He had only been in Iraq for four months by the time of his injury, which was sufficient time for him to become a feared adversary formidable enough for the Iraqi resistance to target him specifically as a threat.

Rozelle's descriptive work is good writing, and puts the reader in the heart of the action throughout his time, particularly concentrating on his recovery. In an anti-tank mine explosion, Rozelle lost his right foot, while sustaining other lesser injuries. His recovery time was long and painful, but the real drive in the heart of Rozelle was not just to walk again, but to be able to serve in the Army again.

Rozelle writes about the various procedures and therapies, as well as the drive to keep up his spirits, both his personal resolve toward success as well as his patriotic spirit of wanting to be of service to his country. With help from agencies such as Disabled Sports USA (whose motto is, 'If I can do this, I can do anything') Rozelle rebounded from his injuries to compete in such events as triathalons and mountain climbing. He even skis with the prosthetic leg fashioned for him.

Rozelle writes that one of his primary motivations toward a full and complete recovery was to live his life to be an example to others, particularly toward others wounded in military action. "I tried to set an example and offer hope. That is what these guys needed most."

Rozelle won both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, and continues to demonstrate the kind of courage and commitment that these awards exemplify. Rozelle is the first amputee to be sent back into action in the battle zone where he sustained his first injuries; this is the stuff of heroes.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a true hero, February 14, 2005

By	Michael Yao (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bought the book this past weekend and read it in one day. An amazing story from a true American hero. Whether you support the war or not, this book will challenge you. So much has been given by so few; for the good of us all. Next time you see a soldier on the street, thank them AND their family.