Tag: when heaven visits

My Right Hand

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

No! I can assure you…

she absolutely does not want me to write this blog or be the focus of any attention whatsoever!  So, please don’t tell her. I’d rather take the heat after she sees it than give me “therapy” for a few days or more beforehand.  Content to remain behind the scenes, she is an expert at critiquing my writing, and does so frequently!  My favorite comment from her “writing therapy” is the following line. 

“Jerry, did you pay any attention, whatsoever, during English class in college? You use improper tenses, and only get away with numerous misspelled words thanks to the spell check feature on your computer. You can come up with words, even spell check doesn’t know.  What grade did you get in English?” 

“I got a C and that was a gift from the teacher. Laura, I didn’t enjoy English. I enjoyed engineering classes, design classes, and the classes for my Engineering diploma. English and world history were required subjects thrown in to torment engineering students.

 Besides, I knew I didn’t need to pay much attention, since I planned to marry someone who did pay attention in English. You did!”

She just smiles and walks away. 

We have finished book 2, Angels on the Battlefield (naming one of the books was the only thing she asked for).  I expect Angels, with its 30 stories, to publish in the fall of ’21. 

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If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. *A portion of all book profits is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 1,000 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can also click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

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*Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found under the Resources tab of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

Top: Jerry and Laura hold his first book, When Heaven Visits. Above: Laura poses with an aircraft carrier.

 

The Power of the Short Story

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

In 2011…

Julian Stood wrote an informative piece of work entitled, Small can be beautiful. Why short, powerful stories can be more effective than novels in the learning process.

Stories and storytelling sit at the very heart of effective communication. Stories build rapport and empathy, creating and sharing ideas of shared understanding. They give understanding and knowledge in a structured and predictable way.

Our friends at Readers Digest built an impressive following based on the premise of the effective tool of communication we know as the “short story”.

I will share with you the powerful words my friend Les Stobbe said to me nearly three years ago. He said, “Jerry, I believe a book of combat survivor stories, some of them near death accounts, each story written in a format of say, 1,000 to 3,000 words can be a powerful means to inform and give honor to these heroes. Will you consider bringing these stories to light?”

My dilemma was simple. Comfortable in retirement, the first thoughts popping into my 72-year-old mind, were: “you are 72. What in the world are you thinking? Beginning a new career at the age of 72 may well be viewed by some as total lunacy!”

My dear wife Laura, ever helpful, wisely offered, “you are an engineer, have little concept of how to write, and even less experience in writing. Why would you ever consider that? Besides, you got a ‘C’ in English in college.”

Her true words rang in my ears, but I did have a lasting thought. Laura did pay attention in English class and got a good grade. Perhaps she can help me.

As I drove home, Les’ words rang in my ears. Then the thought hit me—where will I find a book of combat survivor short stories? Well, I do have one story of near-death survival—my own. That’s a start. With ideas floating in my head, brilliance attacked me.

“I will ask Rita, my friend from church. She works at the VA. I’m sure she knows some veterans with stories”.

God’s providence is so wonderful. A couple of days later, Rita offered: “well my cousin Ryan served in the Army Green Berets. He shared his story with us at the family reunion. It was exciting, to put it mildly. Let me ask him.”

Ryan’s story, The Ambush, the lead story in book one, was so good it snagged a publishing contract, and I was off and running, but that’s another story for a future blog. 

                                    ********

If you enjoyed this blog and want to help the author, please like our post on social media and share it with your friends!

Be among the first 1,000 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. Contact me for details by clicking the button below. I promise the cost will not break your spending allowance.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can also click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

As a reminder, we donate a portion of all of our proceeds to two veteran causes.  Details of these two wonderful causes are described under the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

Above, Jerry Barnes, Author of Combat Survivor Stories

From Catholic Priest to Infantry Officer (John’s Story)

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Pinned down…

by blistering machine gun fire near Quoin Loi, Vietnam, our platoon fought for their lives as I grabbed the radio to call in fire support.

Our commanding general roared overhead in his helicopter, hurling orders to units on the ground, dominating the net, making it virtually impossible for me to put through an urgent plea for artillery support.

Let me be brutally honest. In the midst of battle, combat will make one say things they would otherwise never dream of.

The general bellowed: “why doesn’t someone call in artillery support?”

“If you would get off the “bleeping net”, someone will, I frantically responded.

“Roger that”!

A few seconds later, artillery rounds from the good guys silenced Charlie. My radioman said: “Lieutenant, do you realized who you just yelled at?”

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You can read the rest of this terrific story and learn how John, in seminary to become a priest, ended up in the Army. Simply, order our book: When Heaven Visits, dramatic accounts of military heroes from Amazon, or order a signed copy from me (Jerry Barnes, the author). Click the “contact us” button and select “purchase a signed copy” from the drop-down list in the subject line and I will send you the details. If you choose the Amazon route and provide an Amazon rating for the book, shoot me an email at combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com and I will send you a $3.00 discount coupon for our next book, Angels on the Battlefield.

Above: Photo of John with a copy of When Heaven Visits, which includes his story.