For Love of a Soldier: Interviews with Military Families Taking Action Against the Iraq War

by Jane Collins

Overview

For Love of a Soldier contains the stories of 29 people whose family members_spouses, siblings, children_are serving or have served in the American military during the Iraq War. The families tell their stories and explain why they believe that taking action to end American military involvement in Iraq is the best possible way to support the troops who are so dear to them. The passionate and articulate individuals whose interviews make up the body of the book include: spouses and parents of soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, a couple with eight children and grandchildren who have served or are currently serving in Iraq, the parents who have formed an organization of anti-war families, parents whose children have been killed or maimed in the war, and parents whose children have committed suicide after returning home from the war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739123737
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/11/2008
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.52(d)

About the Author

Jane Collins is a writer and researcher who has contributed to Against the Vietnam War: Writings by Activists and Against U.S. Foreign Policy Post-9/11, both edited by Mary Susannah Robbins.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Acknowledgements Chapter 2 Introduction: Love the Soldier, Hate the War Chapter 3 1 Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson Chapter 4 2 Dinah Mason Chapter 5 3 Jessica White Chapter 6 4 John Fenton Chapter 7 5 Sarah Tyler Chapter 8 6 Sarah Fuhro Chapter 9 7 Tiki Fuhro Chapter 10 8 Stacy Bannerman Chapter 11 9 Michael Perkins Chapter 12 10 Anne Sapp Chapter 13 11 Claire André Chapter 14 12 Nan Beckwith Chapter 15 13 Anne Chay Chapter 16 14 Melida Arredondo Chapter 17 15 Bob Watada Chapter 18 16 Denise Thomas Chapter 19 17 Larry Syverson Chapter 20 18 Pat Alviso Chapter 21 19 Laura Kent Chapter 22 20 JoAnn Gross Chapter 23 21 Stacy Hafley Chapter 24 22 Linda Waste Chapter 25 23 Joyce and Kevin Lucey Chapter 26 24 Brenda Hervey Chapter 27 25 Tim Kahlor Chapter 28 26 Catherine Smith Chapter 29 27 Gilda Carbonaro Chapter 30 Conclusion: The Damage Done, and How to Heal It Chapter 31 About the Author

What People are Saying About This

Charles B. Strozier

For Love of a Soldier collects stories of Americans who love their country and sent their loved ones to fight for it.
It is the moving story of the absolute intriguing ordinariness that motivates our loved ones to join the military and fight in far-off lands.
But most of all For Love of a Soldier is the pained story of military families who detest the war in Iraq and feel nothing but disdain for our leaders who have taken us into it.
This wonderful book should be read by all Americans.

Daniel Ellsberg

Family members of soldiers in Iraq speak here—often out of anguish and with breathtaking candor—in hopes that others won't have to, as one puts it, 'know what it's like to have someone [they love] in harm's way for no good reason.' Their moving stories demonstrate what it means to have a personal stake in the outcome of the current administration's war, showing the steps that ordinary Americans have taken to bring an end to the fighting and to bring their loved ones home.

James Skelly

If you want to know what families experience when their children go off to war, read this book! These are your neighbors—'people just stepping out of their regular lives to make a point.' Listening to them will help put war in its human context, something many in Washington seem incapable of.

Editorial Reviews

Family members of soldiers in Iraq speak here—often out of anguish and with breathtaking candor—in hopes that others won't have to, as one puts it, 'know what it's like to have someone [they love] in harm's way for no good reason.' Their moving stories demonstrate what it means to have a personal stake in the outcome of the current administration's war, showing the steps that ordinary Americans have taken to bring an end to the fighting and to bring their loved ones home.

Daniel Ellsberg

Jane Collins provides those interested in antiwar activism and the recent military operations in Iraq with an insightful, personal account of one portion of the antiwar movement in the United States....For those seeking to gain further insight into current streams of antiwar activism or the effects of military service on loved ones who remain at home, this is also of great value....Collins has created is a wonderful primary source in print for scholars of antiwar activism.

Peace & Change

If you want to know what families experience when their children go off to war, read this book! These are your neighbors—'people just stepping out of their regular lives to make a point.' Listening to them will help put war in its human context, something many in Washington seem incapable of.

James Skelly

If you want to know what families experience when their children go off to war, read this book! These are your neighbors--'people just stepping out of their regular lives to make a point.' Listening to them will help put war in its human context, something many in Washington seem incapable of.--James Skelly, senior fellow at the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College and former US Navy officer who refused to

Family members of soldiers in Iraq speak here--often out of anguish and with breathtaking candor--in hopes that others won't have to, as one puts it, 'know what it's like to have someone [they love] in harm's way for no good reason.' Their moving stories demonstrate what it means to have a personal stake in the outcome of the current administration's war, showing the steps that ordinary Americans have taken to bring an end to the fighting and to bring their loved ones home.--Daniel Ellsberg, author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers

Jane Collins provides those interested in antiwar activism and the recent military operations in Iraq with an insightful, personal account of one portion of the antiwar movement in the United States....For those seeking to gain further insight into current streams of antiwar activism or the effects of military service on loved ones who remain at home, this is also of great value....Collins has created is a wonderful primary source in print for scholars of antiwar activism.--Peace & Change, April 2010

From the Publisher

For Love of a Soldier collects stories of Americans who love their country and sent their loved ones to fight for it. It is the moving story of the absolute intriguing ordinariness that motivates our loved ones to join the military and fight in far-off lands. But most of all For Love of a Soldier is the pained story of military families who detest the war in Iraq and feel nothing but disdain for our leaders who have taken us into it. This wonderful book should be read by all Americans....

Charles B. Strozier

Jane Collins provides those interested in antiwar activism and the recent military operations in Iraq with an insightful, personal account of one portion of the antiwar movement in the United States....For those seeking to gain further insight into current streams of antiwar activism or the effects of military service on loved ones who remain at home, this is also of great value....Collins has created is a wonderful primary source in print for scholars of antiwar activism.

April 2010 Peace & Change