Sir

I have been a huge fan since reading a Hymn Before Battle. Since then I've looked forward to each of your new releases for the interesting stories you tell.  It was great timing for me when Watch on the Rhine was released at the same time I had R&R from Iraq.  It helped kill the days waiting in Kuwait for my return flight to Samara.

I enjoyed the council war books, but even more so after October 14th. Or more accurately: After November 15, when I woke up from a coma at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I found I had a lot in common with Herzer.  Missing a right arm below the elbow and an eye (I managed to pull a Nelson - thank god I didn't loose the testicle too), I asked my father to get me all the council war books and because I still couldn't see, demanded he read them to me.  And while Herzer is a fictional character, he offered me a role model to help me through months of rehab (along with the fore mentioned Nelson). 

I just wanted to write you and say thank you for that. In regards to Herzer's amputation, I wanted to, with the up most respect, offer some feed back/advice.  First, I was relieved when he turned down the offer to have his hand grown back.  Certainly, given the opportunity to have my hand back I'd take it, but it's nice to have a hero so easy to identify with.  Now to the nit-picky:  In one scene you have him doing push-ups on the hook.  This would be almost impossible, the hook would be terribly hard to balance on and the energy transfer makes the balancing even harder.  Which brings up the second point: terminal devices.  Something to think about is what Herzer could use beyond a hook.  For example,  I have several types of hooks, a pad (designed for push-ups), arms for swimming and kayaking, and a boxing arm that needs some more design work (energy transfer problems). Sir, thank you again for writing such great stories for soldiers.  If you have any questions about wrist/lower arm amputations that I can help with please contact me.

v/r

Jason Scott
CPT, Armor
3-69 AR BN

"After some correspondence with Captain Scott and the acting publisher for Baen books, Toni Weisskopf, Baen is shipping "two of everything" to the physical therapy section at Walter Reed and has added them to their monthly book distribution. As to myself, my heart is more than full of words but none seem quite right. Thanks about all I can say. Ringo, wordless, what a concept."