Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander's ... (ISBN 1932714472)

The one true "Gunny":
Pick up this book, read it and understand one thing. You have just met a living legend. The book is written like Gunny Pop is standing in the same room you are or sharing a canteen cup of coffee with you on the outskirts of Fallujah. As a Marine, GySgt Popaditch is still the standard we all attempt to attain. Three years later and he is still talked about and used as a model for leadership, training, and the application of the Marines Corps Core Values. His book describes exactly what thousands of books have attempted to tell. What the Marine Corps and its Marines are about. As an avid reader of history I have never read a book that puts you in the turret of an M1A1 Main Battle Tank one minute and the home of the Marine in another. In the book you will stand next to Nick as he goes through boot camp, fights his first battle, meets his wife and negotiaties the path of his life. It has opened my eyes to an understanding of what those left behind endure, like April endured. How in the midst of everything going on with her family, April thought of the young Marines and what they were going through. Read the book and meet the Gunny Pop that everyone looked to regardless of rank and see his dedication, bravery, knowledge and esprit de corps that are still felt in the Fleet to this day. Additionally, you will get an understanding of the workings of the Medical Evaluation system that servicemen and women deal with and the path families will have to negotiate together as a team. So, whether your a military book reader or not there is something for everyone in the pages. Semper Fi, Nick and April. It's an honor to know you better.

Once A Marine:
Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander's Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery Great courage to tell it like it happened.I would serve with this Marine anytime. Great example of a True Marine. I was an USMC instructor in the Korean War and knew that great Marines start in Boot Camp and set their sights on what they want to do and get it on. Semper Fi!

OUTSTANDING -- on many levels:
As a Navy Officer who first enlisted around the same time that GySgt Popaditch did -- and later had the honor of being attached to a USMC unit in Operation Enduring Freedom -- this book moved me. GySgt Popaditch captures the real stuff of service in the military: the transformation from civilian to warrior, the honor of service to the nation, what it means to put country ahead of self, the extraordinary professionalism, selflessness and sacrifice of the men and women of the USMC, and much, much more. His self-effacing and humble narrative also details the important story of our war wounded, and what they must endure to carry on with their lives. It is moving, it is inspirational, and it is a reminder of the heroes amongst us -- heroes like GySgt Popaditch and his family, who give us everything, but ask for so little in return. The Department of the Navy, which includes the proud warriors of the USMC, lives by the credo, "Honor, Courage, Commitment". GySgt Popaditch is the living personification of this credo. This is a story you rarely hear, the story of the best that the Marine Corps can be, the USMC at its finest. OOH-RAH, Gunny! Civilian, military, Devil Dog or otherwise -- this one is a MUST READ.

It's about Dharma:
By an odd coincidence I began reading Once a Marine at the same time I was reading Gandhi's autobiography and the Bhagavad Gita. I was immediately struck by an essential similarity between Nick Popaditch and Mohandas Gandhi. Why? Because Popaditch understands, as Gandhi understood, the paramount importance of duty. And duty (dharma) is, of course, an essential element of the Bhagavad Gita -- "But if you will not wage this war prescribed by duty (dharma)," Krishna says as Arjuna expresses trepidation before the battle of Kurukshetra, "Then, by casting off both duty and honor, you will bring evil on yourself. And all creatures will recount your dishonor which will never pass away; and dishonor to a man well trained to honor is an evil surpassing death." Krishna elaborates that man has a duty to act in accordance with his destiny, and though he may strive for spiritual enlightenment, the duty to act is absolute. Once a Marine is in my opinion a book about dharma, something sadly lacking in our whining, self-indulgent and spiritually impoverished country. I would make it required reading for all college freshmen, all journalists, all members of the House and Senate (combat veterans excluded), and the President-elect. Notes: Winthrop Sergeant's literal translation of the Bhagavad Gita with grammatical commentary (available from Amazon) is the best available, but cannot be understood without commentary, for which R. C. Zaehner's translation (out of print but readily available from abe.com) is best. Gandhi's autobiography is of course available from Amazon. And of course Once a Marine is available from Amazon, too.

Integrity...:
Integrity is a Marine Corps leadership trait, and GySgt Popaditch has got it. I have read & heard dozens of first person accounts/bios of men at war and this book is among the best and comes across as the most honest. Told in a direct, no-nonsense yet humorous manner it was easy to read and hard to put down. GySgt Popaditch, his family, his unit, and the United States Marine Corps are all heroes in this book, it is a motivating read. I highly recommend it.