Everday Hero Introduction

Growing up, I read comic books about superheroes with secret identities that fight crime and save the world from the forces of evil. They would have super powers, and flashy costumes, and would rescue the innocent people, and would defeat the villains. I think is how I explained to my young son, why Daddy was going off for such a long time. I was off to save the world. Sure, I was no Superman, or Captain America, but I was an average Joe, doing what had to be done, for my country, and for myself. My only super power was that I had a legion of other average Joes doing the exact same thing.

This is the story of a Reservist soldier in the United States Army called up for duty to support their country in a time of need to travel half a world away. A Reservist is a citizen soldier that you might normally see working as a carpenter, truck driver, office manager, grocery clerk, white-collar and blue-collar men and women. They typically train one weekend a month, two weeks a year, for an event they do not wish to encounter, though they are not afraid of it either- WAR. They may have fear in their hearts and uncertainty, but these citizen soldiers are dedicated to their country and do what is right for them, and what is right for others. They may not totally agree with the purpose they are fighting for, but they are fighters. They are soldiers. They are not second-class soldiers because they are not active duty; they are simply soldiers. They are no more, or no less important than their active duty counterparts. Each play a vital role in the success of the mission at hand, and they are in your own neighborhood. Each one is, the “Everyday Hero”. They are not heroes because they go to war, they are heroes because they are parents, sons and daughters, spouses, friends, and co-workers who strive everyday to do the very best they can, for themselves, their family, and their country.

This novel is not designed to be political, or to determine what is right or wrong with America and its leaders, but rather an in-depth look at these everyday heroes. This story is fiction, but it based off my personal experiences in Iraq, and the experiences of other everyday heroes whom I have interviewed through my travels and various positions as an Army Reservist Officer. It also gives perspective to how some Iraqis feel by our presence, and whether they were better off without American intervention. It is based on the cornerstone, that any reader is able to pick up this literary work, and enter the mind of the soldiers that have been, and currently are serving their country in a place far from home.

Although this book is based off of experiences from Iraq and Afghanistan, it could fit almost any war. This book is about the soldiers and the emotions of the soldiers poured out, and not just the war. War has existed since the dawn of time. It has evolved from simple weapons like pikes and swords, to nuclear bombs and stealth jets, but the soldiers and their inner souls have remained the same.

This sadly, is no comic book. No flashy uniforms, no immortal beings with an enigmatic origin, no super human strength, and definitely no super powers. In real life, heroes bleed. In real life, heroes die. It is one thing to “save the world from the forces of evil” when you possess such super powers and are invincible; it is another, when you have none, and do what you can to get by. You have your mind, your wits, and above all, you have your “Everyday Heroes” beside you. Your mission is simply to live another day to keep saving the world.