Merriam Press Military Monograph 15. Second Edition (January 2012). What is the definition of a "hero" in contemporary American society? What qualifies as a "heroic" act? What is the proper way to honor those individuals on whom we bestow the title of "hero"? With U.S. military personnel at war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, these questions take on greater relevance today than they did in the years that immediately preceded the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Although acts of valor take place daily on the battlefields of the Global War on Terrorism, the United States is struggling to find the right answers to these questions about heroism in the 21st century. In Here Rests in Honored Glory, Andrew DeKever, a veteran of the Iraq War, tackles these very issues. Chronicling the lives of ten recipients of the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for combat heroism, DeKever breaks ranks from similar books by focusing more on describing the men behind the uniform rather than on the few minutes of valor that immortalized them in the pages of American military history. As a result, Here Rests in Honored Glory reminds its readers that true heroes are ordinary men and women who, under the most horrific of circumstances, are able to dig deep and find the raw courage necessary to be brave "above and beyond the call of duty" towards protecting other people and serving a cause greater than themselves. By telling the ordinary lives of these extraordinary heroes, Here Rests in Honored Glory serves as a powerful reminder that all people, no matter what their background, possess the same potential for courage and self-sacrifice-attributes that should be devoted towards improving the nation these men risked and sacrificed their lives to protect. From the Preface by Michael J. Durant, Chief Warrant Officer 4 (ret.), U.S. Army, author of "In The Company Of Heroes" and "The Night Stalkers" "Gary Gordon's selfless actions and personal sacrifice, the sacrifice of each of the heroes chronicled in this work, and the sacrifices of countless others throughout our nation's history, can never be repaid, only honored. In researching each of these heroes and capturing the details of each of their lives, Andrew has done just that. I now understand not just what Gary Gordon did, but who he was. I can appreciate what drove him to serve in the Special Forces units he volunteered for and what drove him without hesitation to sacrifice his life for my crew. Through this work, Andrew has honored Gary and all of these men, their families, and their comrades. By helping us all understand the people behind these incredible stories, he's done this nation a great service." -Michael J. Durant Chief Warrant Officer 4, U.S. Army (Ret.) Contents: Preface by Michael Durant; Prologue; Chapter 1: History of the Medal of Honor; Chapter 2: The Civil War; Second Lieutenant Robert Buffum; Brevet Major John T. Rutherford; Chapter 3: The Indian Wars; Private Enoch R. Weiss; Chapter 4: The Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection; Artificer Joseph Nolan; Chapter 5: World War I; Private First Class Parker F. Dunn; Chapter 6: World War II; Private First Class John D. Magrath; Second Lieutenant Harry J. Michael; Chapter 7: The Korean War; Staff Sergeant William G. Windrich; Chapter 8: The Vietnam War; Private First Class Daniel D. Bruce; Chapter 9: Somalia; Master Sergeant Gary I. Gordon; Epilogue; Acknowledgments; Medal of Honor Citations; Bibliography; About the Author. 27 photos; 8 illustrations.

In the autumn of 1993, American special forces were dispatched to the famine-stricken land of Somalia. Their intervention in this war-torn country was the most dramatic US military action since Vietnam. A routine mission went horribly wrong when Michael Durant's Black Hawk helicopter was shot down over Mogadishu and he was quickly surrounded by Somali troops and taken captive. The brutal torture he underwent was made all too clear to the world when his coerced statements were broadcast on live television and his battered face appeared on the cover of magazines around the globe. Michael Durant's ordeal was first described in Mark Bowden's international bestseller Black Hawk Down and the critically acclaimed film of the same name. This, his first-person gripping account tells of bravery under fire, torture, imprisonment, and the terrifying day by day reality for a soldier, unarmed and helpless in enemy hands, fighting to survive.

Revealing never-before-told stories with the incisive thought and emotion of one who was there.

"The author does not pull any punches...his story, is one of great bravery, of going to hell and making it back."

--Indianapolis Star

His battered face appeared on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report to the shock and horror of all Americans. Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant was shot down and taken prisoner during America's biggest firefight since the Vietnam War. Published in the tenth anniversary year of the Somali conflict, this gripping personal account at last tells the world about Durant's harrowing captivity and the heroic deeds of his doomed comrades. And, as readers will discover, Durant proves himself to be nothing less than a hero.