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JOSEPH T. WARD
DEAR MOM
A SNIPER’S VIETNAM
Novel

Joseph T. Ward writes this inspiring true story on cruelty of the war in Vietnam from his perspective. From the time he makes his decision to join the Marines in the beginning of the book all the way to making it to Vietnam as a Marine Scout Sniper. Among the Joseph T. Ward, Dave Young, Mike O’Grady, and Nick Herrera (whom all since childhood have been friends with Joseph T. Ward and decided to join the Marines with him) share six purple hearts. This novel shows a particular side of one of America’s most intense wars from a point of view rarely seen.
He was honored as hero of the war and is currently still alive. His training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot was his first taste of hell with a DI whose name matches, Drill Instructor Graves. From day one Joseph was given a leader position which was never taken away and towards the end developed a strange friendship with DI Graves. By the time graduation came Ward became the most decorated soldier in his platoon for his superior achievement in almost every training event as well as his leadership skills. His shooting on the ranges proved most effective, landing him a spot in Sniper School. He was the only person (being honor man in the company) to choose where he went after graduation from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. He arrived to Vietnam after his training in sniper school and from the start he couldn’t wait to get out. After their time in the service Mike O’Grady works as a dispatcher for a concrete company, Nick Herrera is a Class-A welder with a well-known brewery, Dave young was a foreman with a large construction company.* Dave L. Young, born March 15, 1949, Died June 9, 1991.Dave’s request to be buried on the Manshantuket Pequot Indian Reservation. He is the first non-tribal member to be buried there.

Joseph T. Ward struggles to withstand DI’s in boot camp and tries to survive in harsh terrain of the Vietnamese jungles. With the letters to home

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