Courage in Combat: Stories by and about Recipients of the Nation's Highest Decorations

Published in conjunction with the Legion of Valor of the United States of America, this is an anthology of pieces about courage in combat, including stories by and about recipients of the United States’ highest decorations: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, and the Air Force Cross. The subjects of the stories are both notables and the forgotten, from Karl Marlantes to Jim Webb, to sergeants, generals, and a President. There are corpsmen, civilians, engineers, “grunts” and paratroopers, men and women, a mess attendant, aviators, spies and prisoners of war, a cavalry scout, and candidates for sainthood. This book discusses the nature of courage, explores the different ways in which courage is shown through personal stories and reflections, and celebrates the courage shown by these recipients, most of whom would say, “I was just doing my job.”