A Great Book By a New Bedford Marine Corps Veteran [OPINION]

Donat "Dan" Le Blanc has written a powerful and honest book about his life as a Marine who served in Vietnam and barely lived to tell about it. Don't skip it.

Go out and get the newly released book Deckhouse: My Story.

I won't ruin this incredible reading experience by telling you too much about it now. This is a short book and it is well written. I finished it in an evening and I haven't stopped thinking about this man's life, courage, and sacrifice since I laid it down on the table and exhaled.

Le Blanc wanted to be a United States Marine as far back as his early teenage years. His desire to serve in the defense of his country is the same dream of millions of young Americans. Without those young Americans, we would have been conquered by our enemies. In fact, without those young Americans, we would still be British subjects.

Dan shares extremely personal details of his childhood and his relationship with his parents. He develops the story of his father's experiences in World War II and what his father experienced in a way that makes the reader wish Dan's father was still available to write a book.

Anybody who has ever been through the U.S. military will appreciate Dan's recollections of his training. The chapter on escape and evasion training is worth the price of the book alone. The chapter "Welcome to Vietnam" is how everything changed for the young Marine. He describes how he watched the bullet that nearly killed him traveling towards him before impact.

He nearly died, he lost an arm and lost friends in Vietnam. His story of life after the Marines is an inspiration. He has given that honest and important story to his country, too.

Dan Le Blanc has written a book that everyone should read. It is appropriate that he released it just before the celebration of our nation's Independence Day.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.