REVIEW by Col. George Fenton, Ret. United States Marines, for Combat and Campus: Writing Through War
8 July 2021
Dear Annette,
Your story is a sad one on many fronts, yet the narrative is touchingly descriptive, conveying a
heart-felt soul-torn story of a young American whose life was defined, harrowed, and ripped by
war, and whose own spirit and self-worth were trivialized by an ill-informed, spineless group of
national leaders. The war traumatized his life when he fought in it, drained his life while he
lived, and it took his life when he died. I sensed your brother’s disillusionment loud and clear;
and your style of writing made that sense very personal even though I never knew him. As a
fellow warrior of the same generation, I empathize with his stories, observations, and emotions.
I once saw a VietNam era photograph of a battle-worn Marine (maybe he was a soldier) whose
helmet cover bore the words, “Freedom has a flavor the Protected Will Never Know.” This flavor
runs deep throughout the book. It’s a hard, cold, heavy burden that fully taxes the physical, the
emotional, the spiritual, and the rational aspects of the human being. Those who have been in
conflict truly understand. Others just don’t know. Never will. Grievously, this bitter flavor is
timeless and thrives in every war. War is hell, and your brother lived it first hand. I should hope
that no American, or any human being, should suffer the fate of war. But war is as old as the dirt
under our feet and will likely be with us for eternity.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer thanks and recognition to Peter and all soldiers, sailors, airmen, and
Marines who have stepped up overtime to man the ramparts ensuring our freedoms and our
way of life. There is nothing shallow or ill in serving our nation as a member of the Armed
Forces. Very few are able, much less capable of doing it. These men and women are the
backbone of our nation. God bless them, and those of us who reap these freedoms should be
forever thankful.
I commend you for publishing his letters and complementing them with your own prose sharing
the ever-so-important home love while living those very freedoms he was sent to protect.
Perfect bookends. Combat and Campus: Writing Through War provides an unblemished look
into the mindset of America during one our most tumultuous periods of our national existence.
Should you see fit, you may post any part of this personal letter with the reviews you have
received.
Most Respectfully,
George P. Fenton
Colonel USMC Retired | USMA POTC ‘74