Steel Will , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Shilo Harris , Overby Cox Robin

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192 pages

English

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On February 19, 2007, SSG Shilo Harris was patrolling an infamous southern Iraqi roadway when his Humvee was struck by an IED. Moments later, three members of his crew were dead and Shilo had sustained severe burns over 35 percent of his body, lost his ears and the skin off his face, and lost much of the use of his badly mangled fingers. This fiery moment was just the beginning of an arduous road laced with pain, emotional anguish, and much soul-searching. For forty-eight days Shilo lay trapped in a medically induced coma as his wife, unable to ease his suffering, had to come to grips with a man utterly changed.This is the story of a young boy raised in a small Texas town under the heavy yoke of a father struggling with the personal aftermath of his service in Vietnam. This is the story of the first human being to participate in extracellular stem cell regeneration to regrow lost body parts. This is the story of the survivor not only of an explosion but of more than sixty surgeries to restore both form and function to his broken body. This is the story of the wife who stood by his side, made hard decisions, and continues to support her husband through his struggles with PTSD. This is the story of a God who reshapes us into the people he wants us to be. And in that way, this is the story of all of us. Anyone whose life has been touched by tragedy and loss, especially military families dealing with PTSD, TBI, amputations, and other realities of wartime service, will find strength, encouragement, and inspiration in this moving memoir.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Memoir

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	02 septembre 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441220608
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0490€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

© 2014 by Shilo Harris
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-2060-8
Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan .com .
To protect the privacy of those who have shared their stories with the author, some details and names have been changed.
“Staff Sergeant Harris has made a choice not embraced by veterans of wars past to talk and talk and talk about what he’s experienced—a soldier turned messenger. He leaves crowds standing at attention, as he honors his friends who have fallen.”
— August Skamenca , reporter, CBS News
“After eight deployments in the War on Terror, I can speak to the challenges of the modern battlefield. Like Shilo, I know the combat of recovery from catastrophic wounds. I know the grief of losing comrades in arms despite your best efforts to protect them. And like Shilo, I know something about medals. Service to our country is what we do, who we are. In Steel Will , we see what happens to an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. We see what happens when an ordinary man rises above a bleak prognosis, when an ordinary family surrounds their hero with love and hopefulness, and when an extraordinary, miracle-working God places his hands on the one he loves.”
— SFC Leroy Petry , United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
“This book should be required reading for every American, especially our youth. Shilo Harris is a true patriot and an American hero. This book embodies the essential spirit of America by reminding us that being a hero isn’t always judged by your accomplishments. It is often judged by your sacrifice so others can have their accomplishments under a blanket of freedom.”
— Ric Savage , former professional wrestler, television host
“SSG Shilo Harris, in his writing, has exposed his soul like no other author. His life is open and raw, revealing his unwavering faith, his clear understanding of the risks of war, and its heartbreaking impact on all those who are touched by it. He questions whether his actions really made a difference, but his faith and God’s omnipresence within allow him a sense of peace and well-being. Shilo was a soldier and remains a soldier, injured and recovered, with an enduring commitment to serve as best he can even though the battlefield has been altered. Steel Will is a book that will emotionally rip you apart but will have you cheering at the end. A definite read!”
— Fred Gregory , Air Force Vietnam vet, astronaut, NASA Deputy Administrator
“This book is an honor to read! Shilo’s heroism and life story are truly an inspiration to all. Shilo makes me proud to be an American. I highly recommend this book to all who value freedom!”
— Eric Turner , rock guitarist, founding member of Warrant
“I’ve seen and done a lot of things in my life. US Army. Ranger. Special Forces. Golden Knights. A midair parachuting collision at 150 mph killed my partner instantly and severed both my legs. I thought my story was tough. But reading Steel Will put me in the fire, in the coma, and on the rocky road to recovery. When the last page was turned, I felt honored to know the man of Steel Will , Shilo Harris.”
— SFC US Army ( Ret ) Dana Bowman , HALO for Freedom Warrior Foundation
“SSG Shilo Harris, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers like him, put themselves in harm’s way and in God’s hands for the cause of freedom. For these warriors, uncommon valor is the benchmark. To be sure, Shilo’s story is dramatic. But the focus of Steel Will is clearly a call to action to support America’s troops, their families, caregivers, and our nation. God bless our military and God bless America.”
— COL Don “ Doc ” Ballard , US Army (Ret), US Navy Corpsman, USMC DOC, Medal of Honor recipient 1968
“As a combat veteran and fellow wounded warrior, Shilo Harris’s account of his life, combat, military career, and horrific wounds is one of hope, inspiration, and the overcoming spirit I have built my life around. It is a journey into a soldier’s life abruptly plunged into the depths of human misery and despair, but through love and faith, he finds the ‘steel will’ to push against all odds and set the example for his family, his fellow warriors, and everyone around him. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great story and motivation to overcome the adversity we all face in life.”
— Jason Redman , US Navy SEAL (Ret), author of The Trident : The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader
For the caring and daring soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Dedication 7
Foreword by K. Michael Conaway 9
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 13
Glossary 15
1. Metallica 19
2. Going Home 25
3. Briefly a Child 29
4. Old Boys, Young Men 35
5. Lost and Found 39
6. Nine Eleven 44
7. Tour of Duty 47
8. Soldier Boy 53
9. Time Travel 57
10. Band of Brothers 60
11. Mission Ready 67
12. Army Strong 72
13. Going Back 76
14. Home Is Where the Army Sends You 82
15. Ali Baba in Babylon 85
16. Triangle of Death 94
17. Scouts Out 104
18. Fear and Trembling 110
19. Death and Dying 114
20. Gehenna 118
21. Awake, Alive 123
22. Shared Sorrow 127
23. Baby Steps 132
24. Reunited 136
25. Starting Over 142
26. Buck Fever 151
27. Yardsticks 155
28. Family Legacy 157
29. Big Bad Wolf 163
30. Rest for the Weary 167
31. Going on a Bear Hunt 172
32. In or Out? 182
33. My New Reality 189
34. A Future and a Hope 192
35. Traumatic Stress 199
36. Uncle Sam’s Kids 212
37. Thanks Living 217
38. Home Sweet Home Once Again 221
39. Mending and Healing 229
40. A Love Story 235
41. Courage 240
Never Forgotten 245
Building Bridges to Open Hearts: Recommended Organizations and Ministries 249
A Final Note 259
Recommended Reading 261
Bibliography 263
Photo Insert 267
About the Authors 283
Back Cover 238
Foreword
I first met Shilo while changing places at a talk radio program in Brownwood, Texas. He had just finished up a segment of the show and I was the next person to be interviewed. This chance encounter has led to a relationship that has blessed my life.
His story is very compelling. His unflinching, stark honesty about his life experiences, good and bad, makes the tale even more impactful.
During my nine-plus years serving on the House Armed Services Committee, I have encountered many men and women who have volunteered to protect America and her interests from the worst of humankind. I have marveled at the strength of our warrior families to endure multiple deployments and the related hardships.
I thought I had an understanding of the price they and their families were paying for that service. After reading Shilo’s and Kathreyn’s story, I am embarrassed to discover how little I really know. My praise of their sacrifices was always heartfelt and sincere, but after the glimpses into reality Shilo has provided us, I grieve at how little I have actually done to make their roads just a little bit less difficult.
Shilo is clearly a man of tremendous faith. Reading his story blessed my life, and I know it will touch the life of anyone who reads it.
K. Michael Conaway US House of Representatives Texas, District 11
Acknowledgments
You know who you are. Too numerous to name. Our lives would be incomplete without you. We are grateful beyond words.
Introduction
I ron and carbon are sifted out of dirt, heated upward of 400–500 degrees Fahrenheit, and then held at this unbearable temperature until the nanotubes diffuse to form a new crystal structure. As it cools, the mixture essentially heals, and becomes converted over time to a substance we know as steel. Ancient peoples in India, three hundred years before Christ, produced steel. By the ninth and tenth centuries, this metallic fusion became charcoal. Modern economies smelt iron ore in a blast furnace to make steel. Munitions experts around the world have long used tempered steel to make weapons of war. And I have come to know, too well, what tempered steel does to a man, a woman, a family.
I am a man who has lived through hell. It is hard to share this experience. The carnage. The devastation. The loss. But I will do it. Because I will always know the smell of C-4, the echo of end-of-life screams, the whiteout of the blast, the grease of blood on fragments of limbs, the metallic taste of ash on a bit-through tongue. I will always know the horrors of war.
So I will tell you what an explosion does to you on the outside. And I will tell you what an explosion does to you on the inside. I will describe panic like a tsunami in your blood vessels. I will utter the painful realities of post-traumatic stress. And I will demonstrate what it means to live fearlessly, with a clear understanding of the Grace that can redeem mayhem.
For a long time I struggled with how to share this story of love, and loss, and love again. I must start at the worst part, when steel, embedded in my bones, changed me from the man I was into the man I was meant to be.
Glossary
ADVON advanced echelon unit typically deployed or redeployed as one of three groups; advance party or ADVON, main body, and rear unit, or REARVON.
AIT advanced individual training; generally NCO or drill sergeants provide specialized training in a soldier’s MOS (military occupat