"Lest We Forget" is a short story with a powerful message. Many father's had served in war, witnessing death and destruction firsthand, asked to perform impossible tasks, always living in harms way and then surviving that part of your life. Many had prayed to their God during that time, setting pacts and negotiating for things in the future. Surviving the war without shedding blood doesn't necessarily mean that a person is unscathed. Those invisible wounds have brought down the strongest of soldiers over time, many feeling guilty for not dying with their friends, causing them to suffer a life of guilt and despair.

Now your daughter enlists into the military and is deployed to Iraq. You worry about her and feel helpless that you are unable to protect her. How far would you go? What are your options? Could you make the same choice?

"Lest We Forget" keeps one thinking long after putting the book down. Is any of this possible? Great job John Cassell!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel ( )