Returning Soldiers Speak is a moving collection of prose and poetry written by veterans of the military. Their stories are poignant personal experiences that span history from WWII to the Cold and Vietnam Wars, to the conflicts of the Persian Gulf, and even to little-known clandestine operations in remote corners of the globe. Written by veterans of every branch of the services, each writer has answered the call to defend and protect human values both great and small. To walk a moment in their shoes is to share in their hopes and fears--perhaps even to grasp from the comforts of our homes a better understanding of life itself. Their moving insights, times of mortal doubt, and their reckless courage inspires wonder, a sometimes uneasy gratitude, but a lasting sense of national worth within each of us. Their words serve both as a sedulous tribute to what individuals do in the name of our cherished freedoms and as a living testimonial to all those who have stood watch upon the terribly thin line that separates us from the world's despots.