Ward F: Sequel to The Cross of Gallantry. Cet article n’est pas disponible.Ward F: Sequel to The Cross of Gallantry

In Patrick Blake’s first book, The Cross of Gallantry, he provides a vivid “you are there” experiences of young Frank O’Brian, from the challenges and rigors of his Marine Corps boot camp and infantry combat training, through the fierce close combat he and his fellow Marines of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment experienced in 1967-68 along Vietnam’s DMZ. At the end of The Cross of Gallantry, Frank is seriously wounded during a close-quarters firefight with a North Vietnamese infantry unit, and he is medevacked to the hospital ship, USS Repose.Ward F continues the story of Frank O’Brian and other Marines wounded in combat on the DMZ. It details Frank’s journey from the recovery room on the Repose to the endless hours of treatment by Navy doctors, nurses and corpsmen on Ward F at the US Naval Hospital, Pensacola, Florida. The story provides a vivid, gripping account of wounded Marines struggling to recover from life-changing injuries, while at the same time coming to grips with an anti-war movement spreading across the country and the tragic deaths of Dr. Martin Luther King and Senator Robert Kennedy. Ward F also is a salute and heartfelt “thank you” to the Navy medical teams who cared for wounded Marines and helped them recover from not only wounds to their bodies, but also the traumatic impact to their minds, hearts and souls. The Vietnam War may be the most written-about conflict in American history. But The Cross of Gallantry and Ward F provide readers with a truly unique level of insight, first from Marine grunts engaged in combat operations against North Vietnamese infantry units along the DMZ, and then from those same Marines who were severely and are now fighting to recover from wounds of war that last a lifetime. Visit The Cross of Gallantry Website for artifacts, research and photos. www.thecrossofgallantry.com