An authoritative resource by a military historian profiles approximately 400 men and women who fought and gave their lives to preserve American freedom, in a volume representing top citation recipients in all military branches. Simultaneous.

Encyclopedia of American War Heroes

History

Norton, Bruce H.

Military

FACTS ON FILE+

Letters from a Yankee Doughboy: Private 1 St Class Raymond W. Maker In World War I

Letters From a Yankee Doughboy is a collection of more than 125 letters written by Private 1st Class Raymond W. Maker, to his sister, Eva, a county nurse living in Framingham, Massachusetts, describing his everyday service in combat during World War I. These letters, edited by Private Maker's grandson, Major Bruce H. Norton (USMC retired), are accompanied by 365 pocket-diary entries that Raymond religiously kept throughout the year 1918. Private Maker was assigned to Company C, 101st Field Signal Battalion, as a wireman, whose duty was to repair and replace the communications lines that were destroyed by artillery and mortar barrages during the horrific battles that took place between German infantry forces and the 26th Yankee Division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), in France, from October of 1917 until the end of the war. Assigned to the 104th Infantry Regiment, Private Maker saw the very worst of ground warfare. He fought at the Battle of Belleau Wood, was gassed by German artillery forces at the Battle of Château-Thierry, and was wounded by artillery fire outside of Verdun, just one day before the Armistice was signed. The themes of his letters will vividly evoke memories in the tens of thousands of men and women who have served their country and their friends and loved ones. As a postscript, toward the end of the war, Raymond took the key to the North Gate of Verdun as a battlefield keepsake and mailed it home to his sister, instructing her to keep that key, as someday it will be of value. On November 11, 2018 the centenary of Armistice Day the author returned that key to Thierry Hubscher, the Director of the Mémorial de Verdun, to be placed on display in that great Museum, closing a 100-year chapter in Raymond's life.

Biographies & Memoirs

Academica Press

Stingray: Force Recon Marines Behind the Lines in Vietnam

Americas

Quadrant Books

"The story of Sergeant Major Maurice Jacques is the story of a true warrior. With close to fifty months of combat in Korea and Vietnam, he's one of that rare breed, men who have looked the Devil in the eye—for a long time—and never blinked!"—LtCol. Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) COMBAT AND DEATH, SACRIFICE AND HONOR Maurice Jacques served for thirty years with the U.S. Marine Corps, nearly six of them in combat. As an accomplished infantryman, parachutist, recon patroller, marksman, combat swimmer, and record-setting drill instructor, Jacques personifies the hard-fought, hard-won legacy of the Marines. With the help of Bruce Norton, he recounts the lessons learned in blood and the courage tested under fire—from the razor-backed hills and icy cold of Korea to the steamy, Vietcong-infested jungles of Nam. In this tough, gripping narrative, he reveals the emotion and chaos of close combat and the sacrifice and valor that have made the Marines legendary worldwide. During his long, dynamic career, Jacques held the position of regimental sergeant major in three different commands and was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. Maurice Jacques is a true warrior, as distinctive and exceptional as the Marines. He was expected to train harder, fight harder, sacrifice more, and is forever proud to be part of the pain, the pride, and the triumph that is USMC. "Doc Norton . . . has done it again. This time, Doc has helped his old diving partner, retired Sergeant Major Maurice Jacques, turn out one of the finest military autobiographies you’re ever likely to read . . . You'd be foolish to pass this one up."—Ken Miller, vietnamgear.comMajor Bruce H. “Doc” Norton, USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine Infantry Officer, a military museum director, and an adjunct military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines. Doc has a son, Bruce H. Norton II, and a daughter, Elizabeth A. Norton, who reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

Sergeant Major, U.S. Marines: The Biography of Sergeant Major Maurice J. Jacques, USMC

Jacques, Maurice J

Leaders & Notable People

“Searing . . . An inspiring story.”—Publishers Weekly
“This is the . . . powerfully told story of an exceptionally determined human being.”—Booklist
On September 21, 1962, U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Donald N. Hamblen’s life changed forever . . . 
During a routine parachute jump, strong winds drove Hamblen into high tension wires at the outskirts of Camp Pendleton, California. Doctors were astounded that he had survived, but five days later his leg had to be amputated five inches below the knee.
For most people, this would be the end of the story. Hamblen could have retired on medical pension, but for him, leaving the Marines was not an option. He fought to remain in the Marines, passed all of the arduous physical tests, and within eleven months was going to the field, parachuting, and scuba diving with First Force Recon Company.
With more than two years in the super-secret Studies and Observation Group (SOG), he is one of the few Americans who can document having fought repeatedly in North Vietnam, and by his extraordinary example, he served as an inspiration to other badly wounded soldiers. This is his incredible story of courage, spirit, and self determination.
“I have been associated with countless service personnel during my lifetime and Sergeant Hamblen tops the list of selfless, dedicated, all-American tough Marines. Words are inadequate to portray his life as fully as he has lived it, but his biography will serve as an inspiration and be a worthy model to be emulated by all who would aspire to be among the few good men—the Marines. As one of the ‘Godfathers’ of the Marine Corps deep reconnaissance, it has been a privilege to have known and served with Woody Hamblen. Semper Fidelis.“—Herman Nickerson, Jr. Lt. Gen. USMC (Ret.)
Major Bruce H. “Doc” Norton, USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine Infantry Officer, a military museum director, an adjunct military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines. Doc has a son, Bruce H. Norton II, and a daughter, Elizabeth A. Norton, who reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

One Tough Marine: The Autobiography of First Sergeant Donald N. Hamblen, USMC

Hamblen, Donald N

The quiet of the night was again shattered by the thunderous roll of incoming artillery shells, spaced five seconds apart, ripping the jungle to pieces, as huge chunks of earth and vegetation blew skyward under the brilliant flashes of orange and white explosions . . . The possibility of encountering more NVA troops moving through our area was high, as we had pushed a very great stick into their nest. But our demonstrated ability to find the enemy and wait for the most opportune time to hit him, while remaining totally undetected, gave us reason to be pleased. It also gave the NVA reason for concern. 
In Force Recon Diary, 1970, Bruce "Doc" Norton offers a harrowing sequel to his best-selling Force Recon Diary, 1969, continuing the true story of a navy corpsman who became a Force Recon Team Leader behind enemy lines in the jungles of Vietnam. In the midst of a war set deep in the jungle, the Force Recon Marines often found themselves lacking food, drinkable water, explosives, or even enough radio batteries. Armed with only their own courage, skills, and loyalty to their brothers in arms, the Marines used stealth and cunning to survive in the harsh conditions of Vietnam, where one mistake could prove fatal not just for an individual Marine, but for the entire unit.
Major Bruce H. "Doc" Norton,USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine Infantry Officer, a military museum director, an adjunct military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines. Doc has a son, Bruce H. Norton II, and a daughter, Elizabeth A. Norton, who reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

Force Recon Diary, 1970: A True Account of Courage in Vietnam

Generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas, that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.” —Gen. John A. Lejeune
Suddenly, from both sides of the road, came a steady stream of tracers from enemy machine guns. Bullets hit Hawkins’s truck and practically shot the engine right out of it. The vehicle stopped dead. Before he could try to get it off to the side of the road, all hell broke loose. 
During his thirty-three years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Len Maffioli saw combat in World War II, the Korean War, and the war in Vietnam. Maffioli was only eighteen when he stormed Saipan on D-Day in 1944. Shortly after, he was involved in combat operations on Tinian and Iwo Jima–and that was just the beginning of a long and distinguished career. In Korea, he was captured by the Chinese Communist Forces and endured icy prison camp conditions so appalling that four out of ten POWs died. Yet Maffioli not only survived, he escaped and earned himself the Bronze Star. He went on to see combat in Vietnam and serve in many posts and stations around the world, distinguishing himself not only as a combat veteran, but as the very definition of a “Marine’s Marine.”
Vividly depicted by the deft hand of experienced author and Vietnam combat veteran Bruce “Doc” Norton, Grown Gray in War is the story of a man who could be anyone’s father, brother, or son, a man who served in a series of wars that changed the Marine Corps and the nation forever. 
Major Bruce H. “Doc” Norton, USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine Infantry Officer, a military museum director, and an adjunct military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines. Doc has a son, Bruce H. Norton II, and a daughter, Elizabeth A. Norton, who reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

Grown Gray in War: From Iwo Jima to the Chosin Reservoir to the Tet Offensive, the Autobiography of a True Marine Hero

Maffioli, Len

In 1966, the Marine Corps introduced a bold, new concept to the battlefield. Little did the designers of that concept realize that it would change the way wars are fought, and the Corps, from that day forward.One of the most influential strategies of the Vietnam War, the Stingray Patrol comprised seven to ten marines in small teams, inserted by chopper deep in enemy territory. Surrounded on all sides by North Vietnamese Army troops and Viet Cong guerillas, these small, high-effective teams brought death and destruction to the enemy without ever going head-to-head in a gunfight with them.Like today’s Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and Marine Force Recon units that operate behind enemy lines using laser pointers and satellite communications, these Stingray Patrols helped target the enemy for artillery and air strikes . . . with devastating accuracy and effect.Force Recon Marine and team leader Bruce “Doc” Norton participated in many Stingray missions and, now, through interviews, eyewitness accounts, and declassified documents, he takes the reader behind enemy lines, telling the full story of Stingray’s origins and operations.Stingray is the definitive history of these units and missions.Major Bruce H. “Doc” Norton, USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine Infantry Officer, a military museum director, and an adjunct military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines. Doc has a son, Bruce H. Norton II, and a daughter, Elizabeth A. Norton, who reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

Stingray: Force Recon Marines Behind Enemy Lines in Vietnam

Asia

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Books by Norton, Bruce H.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Norton, Bruce H.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Encyclopedia of American War Heroes

Letters from a Yankee Doughboy: Private 1 St Class Raymond W. Maker In World War I

Letters from a Yankee Doughboy: Private 1 St Class Raymond W. Maker In World War I

Stingray: Force Recon Marines Behind the Lines in Vietnam

Sergeant Major, U.S. Marines: The Biography of Sergeant Major Maurice J. Jacques, USMC

One Tough Marine: The Autobiography of First Sergeant Donald N. Hamblen, USMC

Force Recon Diary, 1970: A True Account of Courage in Vietnam

Grown Gray in War: From Iwo Jima to the Chosin Reservoir to the Tet Offensive, the Autobiography of a True Marine Hero

Stingray: Force Recon Marines Behind Enemy Lines in Vietnam