Description: A nominee for the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross, Sgt. Bellavia tells the raw, compelling story of how he miraculously survived a brutal tour of duty in Fallujah, Iraq. b&w photographs.
Brief description: Staff Sergeant David Bellavia spent six years in the US Army, including some of the most intense fighting of the Iraq War. He has been awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his actions in Iraq, and nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross. In 2005 he received the Conspicuous Service Cross and was inducted into the Veterans Hall of Fame. In 2019 he was awarded The Medal of Honor, the nation's highest medal for valor in combat that can be awarded to members of the armed forces. He lives in western New York.
Review Quotes: "Staff Sgt. Bellavia brings it. This is life in the infantry, circa right now. They used to say that the real war will never get in the books. Here it does, stunningly. You may not agree with it, or like what he has to say. Read it anyway -- and then sit silently for an hour or so and contemplate what he has done on behalf of his country."
-- Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq and Making the Corps