Honoring our Heroes at Cross Reference Library

Taking the High Ground - This book will make you even more proud to be an American! This powerful collection of stories captures the essence Americans’ response in the heat of adversity: a new patriotism and a groundswell of faith-searching, made even more relevant in the aftermath of the horrific terrorist attacks. Taking the High Ground, by Col. Jeff O’Leary, provides uplifting accounts of God’s intervention in the lives of military people, on and off the battlefield, from the American Revolution to Desert Storm. It pays tribute to men and women from all branches of the military—ordinary people who have served their nation and God with extraordinary honor, courage and faith. High Ground captures the faith that has made America a light to the nations. And these true stories are certain to shine hope and strength for all who read it, especially in times such as these. 

Grace Under Fire - The book of its kind, Grace Under Fire is an inspiring and spiritual collection of letters and emails by U.S. troops and their families from the American Revolution through the War on Terrorism. Andrew Carroll, editor of the best-selling War Letters, went through his massive archive of seventy-five thousand previously unpublished wartime correspondences to pick out some of the most intimate, dramatic, historic, and insightful letters and emails ever written about faith. The fifty best of these are featured in this incredible book, and they emphasize how extremely important a belief in God has been, and continues to be, in the lives of U.S. troops and their families. What is especially remarkable about Grace Under Fire is the sheer diversity of the collection, which includes several extraordinary letters by two brothers who fought on opposing sides of the Civil War; a harrowing account by a WWII soldier who survived being on a ship that was torpedoed; a surprising pen pal correspondence between a Marine who fought in Desert Storm and a woman who wrote to him simply to boost his morale—and then fell in love with him; and a profound and impassioned reply to the timeless question “Where is God in wartime?” by a doctor serving in Iraq.  

A Table in the Presence - As a chaplain to the Marines, Lieutenant Carey Cash heard the muttered prayers for courage from the thousand-plus men of the “Fightin’ Fifth,” the first ground force to cross Iraqi borders during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also heard their tear-filled prayers when one of their most beloved leaders became the war’s first American casualty. But more than anything, he heard prayers for protection, whispered by each Marine as the battalion moved into the presence of enemies. On April 10, 2003, the last Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment marched into downtown Baghdad to seize Saddam Hussein’s presidential palace, only to find themselves ambushed by militants hiding in mosques, storefronts, and homes. Hundreds of troops were caught face to face with a blitz of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), gunfire, and sure defeat. Yet their reports tell a different story: a rocket splicing its way through an armored vehicle packed with marines hits no one; a Marine finds a bullet’s entrance and exit holes in his helmet, yet he has no injury; a squad of Marines watch in amazement as their enemies prepare to fire from point-blank range, then pause and drop their weapons, running away in terror; RPG, fired from only a few yards away, inexplicably swerves and misses its intended target. When the smoke of the April 10th battle cleared, only one American had lost his life. Not one Marine could deny God’s protection, not only on this day but in the months that led up to this moment as well. From a spiritual revival in the desert of Northern Kuwait, to miraculous escapes from death, to baptizing a Marine in Saddam Hussein’s palace, Lieutenant Cash recounts the remarkable events of this powerful story of God’s faithfulness.

Thank you to all of the men and women who have fought for our country. Your courage and bravery has not gone unnoticed. Through these three books, the authors illustrate that courage for their readers, giving them a behind-the-scenes look into the wonderful faith that helped push many of our soldiers through. So come on down to Cross Reference Library and check out these profound books!

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:1, 3