by Rinker Buck
First published 2006
Marine Lieutenant Shane Childers leads his rifle platoon into combat on March 21, 2003. He becomes the first American combat death of the Iraq War. Award-winning writer Rinker Buck tells the story of Shane's death and examines what his life meant. Buck follows the impact on Shane's family as they receive the devastating news. He explores how the loss affects Shane's fellow Marines who served alongside him. The book reveals how the town of Powell, Wyoming embraced Shane as one of their own. Buck chronicles the Marine detail assigned to notify the Childers family and the bonds that develop between them. Shane emerges as an intelligent soldier who represented the modern volunteer military. His death symbolized sacrifice during a challenging period for America. Buck weaves together Shane's personal story with the broader meaning of military service and family devotion.
Genres: biography, american-fiction, war, military-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-devotion, military-life
Setting: Iraq, Powell, Wyoming
Period: 2003
320 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Paperbacks
Content warnings: death, war