These memoirs by U.S. military veterans offer a broad range of experiences in war – and returning home after. Pick up one of these memoirs to experience veterans’ stories of combat, crisis, and camaraderie in their own words.
Check the Veterans Day shelf on cloudLibrary for more memoirs you can listen to or read on your phone or tablet.
A Dog Named Beautiful: A Marine, a Dog, and a Long Road Trip Home by Rob Kugler
Lost in grief after a year of service overseas, Rob found comfort in his chocolate lab, Bella. But after Bella is diagnosed with cancer that requires amputating one of her legs, Rob and Bella hit the road. Together, they criss-cross the country, meeting many people who are eager to make friends with a three-legged dog.
Eat the Apple: A Memoir by Matt Young
Matt Young joined the Marine Corps at eighteen and was deployed three times to Iraq. Visceral, self-lacerating, and ultimately redemptive, Young’s memoir lays bare Marine Corps culture, the absurdities of 21st-century war and a young man’s honest but misguided motivations.
The Education of Corporal John Musgrave: Vietnam and Its Aftermath by John Musgrave
Like all his friends, John Musgrave grew up anticipating the day he could enlist to serve his country as his father had done. In this deeply profound memoir, Musgrave takes the reader through boot camp, daily life in the jungle of Vietnam, and through an injury that nearly took his life. We also see Musgrave return home to a society deeply divided about the war and his slow realization that Vietnam War veterans had been betrayed by the government they served.
Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD by Jason Kander
Jason Kander, a former Army intelligence officer-turned-politician, explores his decade-long battle with depression and PTSD after his time in Afghanistan. This hopeful memoir shares how his family supported him through the challenging treatments that helped him to heal.
No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen
Join Owen and his fellow SEAL team members as they prepare for the biggest mission of their lives. This memoir chronicles the assault, from the very beginning to the radio call that confirmed the death of Osama bin Laden. The book also examines the War on Terror and several missions that illustrate the work of a SEAL and the way that team evolved in the aftermath of 9/11.
Once a Warrior: How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home by Jake Wood
After returning home from two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jake Wood watched his unit lose more soldiers to suicide than combat. After the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, Jake convinced fellow veterans to join him on a mission to provide aid. In the years since that first mission, Wood founded the disaster response organization Team Rubicon, which provides a lifeline back to purpose for thousands of U.S. veterans.
Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations by William H. McRaven
Admiral William H. McRaven’s memoir shares amazing stories from his time as a Navy SEAL and commander of America’s Special Operations Forces. McRaven was involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.
Shoot Like a Girl: One Woman’s Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front by Mary Jennings Hegar
After being commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, MJ Hegar was selected for pilot training by the Air National Guard, finished at the top of her class, then served three tours in Afghanistan flying combat search and rescue missions. Back on American soil, Hegar took on her greatest challenge: to eliminate the military’s Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which barred female armed service members from officially serving in combat roles, despite their long-standing record of doing so.
