Valor

The stories in Valor capture very powerfully the extraordinary courage, selfless service, and sacrifice that our young men and women have demonstrated repeatedly in the wars of the post–9/11 period. Valor’s accounts of extraordinary heroism in Iraq and Afghanistan reinforce the increasingly widespread conviction—with which I strongly agree—that the young men and women who have served our country ‘downrange’ in the past decade truly are America’s New Greatest Generation.
— General David H. Petraeus, US Army (ret.)


Valor is an absolutely gripping foray into the realities of modern warfare. This book, the best collection of war stories from the all-volunteer military, is a priceless oral history. In its pages, Mark Lee Greenblatt offers us a glimpse into the lives of men who choose to move to the sound of the guns. The heroes in Valor show the highest form of love for their fellow soldiers and Marines. While our society too often raises self-interest to a high art form, Greenblatt helps show us the moral superiority of a truly selfless citizenry.
— Thomas A. Kolditz, Brigadier General (ret.), US Army; professor emeritus, US Military Academy West Point; and author of In Extremis Leadership


It’s obvious from these incredible stories that we certainly do still have the spirit of Audie Murphy in our military. The daring accounts featured in Valor give us strength and hope for our future as a nation.
— Sammy L. Davis, Sergeant First Class (ret.), US Army, Medal of Honor Recipient


Valor is composed of stories where the rubber meets the road in combat. The warrior ethos—never leave a buddy behind, do anything and everything to protect your brother warriors—is undeniable in each man’s story. This book serves as a reminder that, amid the glamour of today's technology, the individual soldier, sailor, and Marine remain the linchpin to our success on the battlefield today.
— H.C. “Barney” Barnum Jr., Colonel (ret.), US Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Recipient


I was privileged and honored to lead US troops in combat in both Iraq and in Afghanistan, and saw the best of them every day under the most demanding conditions in our military history. They were—they are—America’s new Greatest Generation, and they were precious to me beyond words. I’ve stood next to their broken bodies as they desperately clung to life. I’ve walked innumerable sets of their honored remains onto the backs of our transport aircraft for the flight home to heartbroken families and a grieving nation. Sadly, little of the literature of these wars has celebrated the individual heroism of these young actors in their moments of truth . . . until now. In Valor, Mark Lee Greenblatt has honored this incredible service, and, in doing so, has performed a great service for America. In his words, crafted with marvelous eloquence, Mark has captured the raw, gut wrenching emotion of battle and its aftermath in all its forms; and in doing so, has erected the ultimate monument to America’s veterans, including the fallen, the wounded, and their precious families. We owe him; indeed all America owes him, a great debt of thanks.
— General John R. Allen, US Marine Corps (ret.), commander of US and coalition forces in Afghanistan 2011–2013


Military heroes will always be a part of America, but they are increasingly unknown to the public. They continue to do amazingly brave things as if they were all in a day’s work. As Greenblatt has shown, humility and valor seem to coincide when the stakes are mortal. Heroes don’t only save lives and accomplish seemingly impossible feats at great risk to themselves—their stories can also inspire us to face lesser dangers and fears in our own lives.
— Howard T. Prince, II, Brigadier General (ret.), US Army, recipient of a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts; University of Texas at Austin


What Mark Lee Greenblatt has deftly shown are genuine reflections of what ordinary men accomplish when placed under extraordinary circumstances. Valor has established, in my mind, that these men have proven themselves as the new greatest generation.
— Jim Livingston, Major General (ret.), US Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Recipient


With these dramatic accounts of heroism—in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq and in a daring rescue of a civilian from a storm in the Atlantic—Mark Greenblatt gives us a close-up view of the uncommon valor that is common among America's military today, as it has been throughout our history. Such heroes are often reluctant to discuss their remarkable deeds, but Greenblatt has managed to persuade some of them to talk not only about what they did, but about their emotions at the time, why they volunteered for this dangerous duty, and—most awe-inspiring—what makes a person risk his own life to save another. Valor is an eloquent tribute from someone who grew up hearing tales of Audie Murphy and the Second World War to the heroes of another Great Generation.
— Ambassador Paul Wolfowitz, former deputy secretary of defense

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