For Country: My Little Bit Twenty-One Months of Service by Donald G. Bartling

The Synopsis:

A study of history shows us that a nation is only as strong as the will of its citizens to fight for it. America has been tested many times over in its relatively short history. From the Revolutionary War on down to the present conflicts in the Middle East, the majority of the American citizens were willing to place their lives and futures in danger to preserve and build the future of this Nation.
Even when the requirements of the military required the use of conscription in order to meet the needs of the day, most citizens were willing to shoulder their responsibilities and deliver the results that were of benefit to all Americans. Many times they have assured a future for this Nation by rising to the occasion. This is especially true today as the burden is falling on an entirely “volunteer force.”

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Review:

“…a nation is only as strong as the will of its citizens to fight for it.”

“This is especially true today as the burden is falling on an entirely ‘volunteer force’.” -Donald Bartling, For Country: My Little Bit Twenty-One Months of Service

For Country is a detailed account of Bartling’s enlistment in the military that illustrates the reality of being drafted for the Korean War, trained, deployed and returned home.

I really enjoyed reading this short recount of the author’s personal history and the many details that he included. He makes it easy to visualize the conditions he endured with his brief stories, starting with the day he received the notice that he was being drafted, to the completion of his tour in Korea.

In this book, he includes scans of documents and letters that really pulled me into his stories. It was incredible reading the official documents that carried so much weight in altering the lives of so many Americans. There are also pictures all throughout the book to provide visual for his stories as well.

He does use the slang and lingo of the military OFTEN however, and honestly, if my boyfriend and sister weren’t currently both in the military, I’d likely not have understood a lot of what he was talking about. And even with my connections to the military, a lot of the abbreviations and names went right over my head.

But overall, I really enjoyed For Country and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for your service Mr. Bartling, even if it was a “little bit”, you still served bravely and we will forever be grateful for the sacrifices you made. God bless you.