"I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world!" -General of the Armies, Douglas MacArthur; Korea, 21 September 1950. The Chosin Reservoir, one of the most harrowing battles of modern warfare, was one of the toughest tests passed for the greatest fighting force the world has ever known: The United States Marine Corps. For Joe Lynch, the greater test would be the fifty-two year battle with PTSD that followed. When Joe landed in Korea with the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade on August 2, 1950--his nineteenth birthday--the North Korean People's Army had all but secured victory in their unprovoked invasion of South Korea and their desire to unite the peninsular under communist rule. But the Fire Brigade, as these Marines were known, weren't going to let it happen. Follow Joe through the most famous Marine Corps battles during the opening months of the Korean War in this gripping and heartfelt personal account of a gruesome war. The grueling Pusan Perimeter, the unlikely and perfectly executed Inchon Landing, the hard-fought but swift repatriation of Seoul, and the inhuman Chosin Reservoir Campaign are recounted in vivid prose through this young Marine's eyes. There is no glorification of war, only of the courage displayed and the heartbreak experienced by men who, only months before, couldn't find Korea on a map. Thrust into battle undermanned and poorly equipped, the Marines, led by the likes of Generals Lewis B. (Chesty) Puller, and Oliver P (O.P.). Smith, proved their worth and saved a nation. Deposited back into civilian life, this Marine would carry the weight of war for over five decades. His medals for bravery, both in Korea, and later with the New York City Police Department, merely masked his personal struggle to reunite with his former happy and carefree nature, and to prevent his death... by his own hand. Joe's heroism in Korea pales in comparison to the courage he displays in sharing this personal and revealing account of courage, tragedy, and improbable triumph over the demons of PTSD. But his story is not his alone. His is the story of combat veterans of WWII, Vietnam, and every war before and after. It is the shared story of the uncounted hidden heroes among us who fight their own daily battles of survival. One reader says: "This book should be required reading in every high school in America." The Bed I Made was awarded first place in the prestigious 2016 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition. Fans of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemptionby Laura Hillenbrand, Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrificeby Adam Makos, This Kind of War: The Classic Military History of the Korean War by T. R. Fehrenbach, and On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle by Hampton Sides, will love The Bed I Made. "I don't think I've ever enjoyed a book more. Partly because I have seen the effects of PTSD on veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Partly because I saw a lot of my father in it. And partly because it was so well written and compelling." -- Brigadier General Jerry C. McAbee, USMC (Ret.) "The Bed I Made is so many things: Coming of age, disappointment, success, terror, relief, and resolution. The vivid descriptions and heartfelt paragraphs make this a page-turner." -- Royal Palm Literary Awards This is a very personal story for my father to have shared with me and, in turn, the reader. It is his wish that, through his story, others will recognize that hope always exists--we just need to recognize it when we see it. The bravery my father displayed, earning him medals for valor, both in Korea and on the New York City Police Department, pales in comparison to the courage he now displays in sharing his story with the world. Allow me to share a reader review. Susan is the mother of two Marines: "This is a very powerful book, well worth the read. Every mother who has a Marine should read Chapter six, even if you don't read another word. I cried all the way through it. I think you will too. Every wife who has a Marine that saw combat should read this book. You will finally understand; you will never look at your Marine the same." "Hope is not something that you conjure up in your own mind. Hope is an inspiration you get from the people you are around. Hope has to be shown and seen. Hope is something that is developed, that's learned. You must see the opportunity for hope." Ravenell Williams, IV The rekindled hope that Joe Lynch found as a young Marine when he ran away from his Brooklyn, NY home at the age of sixteen was short-lived. Over time, all hope was dashed and replaced by fear, uncertainty, and self-doubt. Joe's destiny was to fight the gruesome Korean War battles of Pusan, Inchon, Seoul, and the storied Chosin Reservoir for more than fifty years after the cannons of his beloved 11th Marines fell silent in Korea. Hope f