About two weeks before Christmas I was talking with a friend of mine who is a Colonel in the army about what life is like for the troops in Afghanistan. The words “bearable” and “boredom” kept popping up. Col. Rich said that, for the troops in his former command, books and magazines were worth their weight in gold.
So this got us thinking, and as the conversation continued we came up with the idea of supplying books for every member of his old unit, Charlie Company of the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion. But not just a big box of books, we wanted something special for the troops. Each book was to be unique — signed by the author specifically for that soldier. 32 soldiers, 32 books, 32 inscriptions.
So I sent out a message through Facebook to a number of writers. Some are close personal friends of mine, some are casual acquaintances I’ve met online and through conventions, and some are writers who, quite frankly, don’t even like me. But within minutes the replies came — “You bet” or “Count me in” and the subtle response of the magnificent John Skipp, “Fuck yeah!”
Within 48 hours I had commitments from 32 authors, and within 72 hours, the first book arrived. Over the next few weeks books arrived at my house for the troops, all with notes for the soldiers thanking them for their courage and service.
On Superbowl Sunday I tagged and boxed the books and gave them to Col. Rich. Right now they are in transit to the men and women of Charlie Company, somewhere half a world away. So I offer a deep and sincere thank you to the following authors who said “Yes, for the troops.” They surely represent everything that is right within the genre; and for all those reading this, you should support them and pick up two or three of their titles.
So thank you Kim Paffenroth, Cody Goodfellow, Harry Shannon, Nate Southard, Michael Laimo, Maurice Broaddus, Bob Freeman, John Skipp, Steven Shrewsbury, Gene O’Neil, Scott Nicholson, Tom Piccirilli, Brian Knight, Mike Oliveri, Gord Rollo, Lee Thomas, J. F. Gonzalez, Mort Castle, Kelli Owen, Brian Keene, Mark Rainey, Nate Kenyon, Sephera Giron, M. Stephen Lukac, Bryan Smith, Elizabeth Massie, and Weston Ochse. (And a second thanks to Brian Keene for letting me borrow his blog and one to Brian Knight for finding a few extra “RARE”ities!)
And though I normally wouldn’t speak for the horror genre, in this case I will by saying to the men and women of Charlie Company, thank you. Thank you for your courage and bravery. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Thank you for the commitment to liberty that allows us writers the freedom to do what we do. We write about a lot of heroes in our books, but you are truly our heroes.
Thank you.
Drew Williams
Thank you , Drew . What a wonderful thing to do. One of our girls is in Afghanistan right now .
Thank you so much for doing this for our troops, and for all the contributing writers. That’s a beautiful thing.
Wow, what a wonderful way to show your support for the troops. My husband will be going back this year to Afganistan for his second tour, and it absolutely lifts my spirits to know that we still have this kind of caring for our soldiers…Thank you all so much.
Well, I can’t speak for the whole Army, either, but from my own experience–That’s Fucking Awesome, and thank you. I’m sure those heroes are going to have a great time with those signed books.
I started my writing career while on a FOB in Afghanistan, and a few months after I began making friends in the horror community, Ms. Fran Friel, a lovely person and outstanding Stoker-Nominated author, conducted a similar drive to send books for me. I got a box of probably twenty or so books later that month. I read my first books by Gord Rollo and Stephen Mark Rainey that way, amongst others, and I’ll never forget that amazing display of generosity.
Now that I think of it, that just tips the iceberg of my experience with horror in the military, as an author AND as a Soldier. Thou hast inspired bloggery. Thanks for that, too.
That’s a really good idea. Golden Apple comics in Hollywood has a jar to collect donations that go towards buying comics and shipping them to military personnel over seas. I think more comic shops should do the same. Everyone can spare a buck or two to throw in the jar.
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Afghanistan is where my dad is right now. You guys went above and beyond and it’s amazing.
My cousin’s husband served in Afghanistan, and I told him about this. He thought what you guys did is awesome.