A fine group oral history, this book allows 23 Medal of Honor recipients, shepherded by Parade
journalist Smith, to go into the complexities of their service and how it affected them. James Stockdale and Bob Kerrey are well known, but their accounts add nuance to the public record. At the other end in terms of fame are John Finn, the oldest living recipient, who won his medal at Pearl Harbor; Vernon Baker, the only African-American recipient for WW II who lived to receive his medal; and Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector and medic on Okinawa who lowered several dozen wounded out of harm's way. A nearly polar opposite to Doss is Lewis R. Millett, a warrior whose bayonet charges in Korea earned him a modest place in the history books. Almost as combative was Daniel Inouye, the senior senator from Hawaii, whose Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor many years after he won it leading his platoon with one arm nearly blown off. Famous or not, the recipients have in common not seeking heroism, but having horrific situations thrust upon them, and having the courage and determination, as well as outstanding skill with their equipment—whether rope slings, machine guns, or (in one case) a C-123 transport plane—to meet them. The single most moving account may be from Jay Vargas, who gave up a possible general's star to retire from the Marines and help his daughter with a drug problem. Heroism is a many-splendored thing. (July)
