Helen Plum Library

"Senator Tammy Duckworth has logged a long list of "firsts" during her tenure as the first Thai American woman elected to Congress, including being the first woman with a disability to serve in the House and Senate. But while she dreamed of serving her country from a young age, Tammy's path was not without its challenges. In this dramatic account, award-winning creators Christina Soontornvat and Dow Phumiruk chronicle Tammy's journey. From her childhood...

From political wunderkind and former army intelligence officer Jason Kander comes a haunting, powerful memoir about politics, PTSD, impossible choices--and how sometimes walking away from the chance of a lifetime can be the greatest decision of all

Tells the story of American soldier Michael Duffy's year-long tour of duty in Vietnam, which began on the first day of the Tet Offensive of January 1968

"In over a decade of working with veterans, Johnny Joey Jones has discovered the power of battle-forged friendships. Suffering a life-changing injury while deployed in Afghanistan, he faced a daunting recovery. But coming home would have been much harder without the support of his brothers and sisters in arms. In Unbroken Bonds of Battle, Joey tells the stories of those very warriors, who for years have supported and inspired him on the battlefield...

The powerful German counteroffensive operation code-named "Wacht am Rhein" (Watch on the Rhine) launched in the early morning hours of December 16, 1944, would result in the greatest single extended land battle of World War II. To most Americans, the fierce series of battles fought from December 1944 through January 1945 is better known as the "Battle of the Bulge." Almost one million soldiers would eventually take part in the fighting. Different...

"A veteran of the Iraq War describes his struggle to heal from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and come to terms with the horrors of combat"--

Guns, Girls, and Greed is an unvarnished, behind-the-scenes, tell-all account of the scathing and dangerous life of mercenaries at war in Iraq. Experience the world of private contractors conducting high-threat missions for a nascent Iraqi government in the hopes of rebuilding after the fall of Saddam Hussein. With limited support, the men of Blackwater protected US diplomats as the country descended into sectarian violence. It was a hazardous mission...

"Crafted from hundreds of original interviews, these are brutally honest stories usually only shared among comrades in arms. In the voices of the men and women who have fought overseas, this is an eye-opening look into what wearing the uniform, fighting in combat, losing friends, and coming home is really like"--Adapted from publisher's description

"Mat Best may be the only man alive known for both crazy-intense military ops and crazy-funny YouTube videos. In Freedom On!, he uses the gallows humor and ribald sensibility that earned him over a million Facebook followers to tell his personal story of military service and the bumpy transition to civilian life and successful entrepreneurship. Beginning as a teenager in a military family dealing with 9/11, continuing through the intensity of four...

"John Kerry tells the story of his extraordinary life of public service, from decorated Vietnam veteran to five-term United States senator, 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, and Secretary of State for four years: a personal and candid memoir by a witness to some of the most important events of our recent history, including the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accords."--Provided by publisher "John Kerry tells the story of his remarkable...