Synopses & Reviews
Catherine Whitneyand#8217;s brother, Vietnam veteran Jim Schuler, died at just fifty-three years old, while living in a flophouse. It had been sixteen years since, in one of his drunken rages, he had last seen his family. He was one of countless veterans who never recovered from the trauma of war and the stress of returning to live in a country that didnand#8217;t care about his pain.
The story of what happened to Whitneyand#8217;s brother resonates with humanity and has a clear relevance to current national concerns. Soldiers Once puts a very human face on veteransand#8217; policies, finding in Whitneyand#8217;s personal drama a broader significance. It is both an investigation into her brotherand#8217;s loss and a meditation on the lost dreams of our military brotherhood.
Review
Kirkus Reviews, 4/15/09 Whitney persuasively argues that her brotherandrsquo;s fate is common among veterans of all agesandhellip;Whitneyandrsquo;s goalandmdash;to redress a wrong she feels she participated in against her brother and other veteransandmdash;is admirable...A poignant memoir and consciousness-raiser.andrdquo;
Publishers Weekly, 3/30/09
andldquo;[Whitney] offers her take on many issuesandmdash;such as PTSD, veterans' benefits and homelessnessandmdash;affecting American veterans of wars from WWI to Iraq and Afghanistan.andrdquo;
BookPage, May 2009
andldquo;[Whitney] reflects on the costs of war for a new generation of soldiers sent to fight wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Soldiers Once is part memoir, part meditation and a thoughtful look at the impact of war.andrdquo;
Military Heritage, 8/09
andldquo;A poignant memoir.andrdquo;
Roanoke Times, 5/24/09
andldquo;A remarkably frank accountandhellip;Should resonate with anyone who has served or had family who servedandhellip;Soldiers Once is like reveille; it is intended to make us all roll out of our comfortable cots and attend to our duty.andquot;
WNTI Radio Online
andldquo;[A] tragic and heart-breaking story.andrdquo;
Army Times, Marine Corp Times, Navy Time, and Air Force Times, 6/29/09
andldquo;A heartfelt history of the treatment of Americaandrsquo;s veteransandhellip;Poignant.andrdquo;
ForeWord, July/Aug 2009
andldquo;Whitney writes with a simple elegance that compares with Ron Kovicandrsquo;s iconic Born on the Fourth of Julyandhellip;She vividly shows how her brother was a victim, along with thousands of other vets who have died or who are living lives of slow death.andrdquo;
Augusta Metro Spirit, 7/29/09
andldquo;A stunning portrait of the life of a soldierandhellip;The author allows readers to empathize with the events of a singular person when considering the issues facing a multitude of peopleandhellip;A poignant personal story that speaks to greater issues facing today's administration as well as tomorrowandrsquo;s.andrdquo;
Veterans Reporter (Southern Nevada Edition), September issue andldquo;[A] strong, poignant read.andrdquo;
Gallup Independent, NM. 11/29/2009
andldquo;Why is it that dads and granddads are always so hard to buy for? If thatandrsquo;s your dad or grandpa, then hereandrsquo;s an easy gift.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Bestselling author Whitney buried her brother, Vietnam veteran Jim Schuler, one day before September 11, 2001. This is his story, and the story of countless other veterans, who never recovered from the trauma of war.
Synopsis
From a bestselling author, the poignant story of her Vietnam veteran brother, whose circumstances in death echo the dismal condition of countless veterans
About the Author
Catherine Whitney has ghostwritten and co-authored over thirty books, including several bestsellers, such as Where Have All the Leaders Gone? She lives in New York.