Gus Helmer is the last white seal hunter. Helmer is an old man now and leans against the bow of his small boat with both hands grasping the rail and waits for the disturbance in the water to subside and end the rocking of the boat. He peers into the water below. The black shape of a huge killer whale passes just under the skiff, its outline distinct against the white clam shells that cover the bottom of the bay. He can only wait. He thinks back on his life with a mixture of joy and sadness and sweet nostalgia- "How did I come to this great land and live so full a life?" And he remembers. Helmer recalls his time in the trenches of the "Great War" and the months in hospital in France with his friend Mick. From there they embark on a lifetime of adventure which makes them a part of nearly every great event of the untamed Yukon Territory and the great land of Alaska. They meet the giants of the land who defined heroism, and hardship, and sacrifice. They did it all and never a single time realized that they themselves were also giants. This is Gus Helmer's story. "Dale Hanson is many things--an accomplished artist, a lifelong outdoorsman, a Special Forces combat veteran--and an Alaskan by choice. The Last Seal Hunter , his first novel, draws upon these experiences to craft a masterpiece of descriptive writing in the literary tradition of Jack London and Robert Service. This story of a Great War veteran in the Old Alaska wilderness rings stark and real and abounds with Hanson's brilliant visualizations. I am proud to have known him in combat, as a fellow Green Beret, and today, as a fellow writer and fine novelist." --Maj. John L. Plaster, author of SOG: The Secret War and Secret Commandos "With a gripping style that beckons memories of Call of the Wild , The Last White Seal Hunter , Dale Hanson's varied life experiences -- from veteran to artist--and love of Alaska and the Yukon imbue this historical fiction novel with a texture and gritty realism that make it a fascinating read." --John Stryker Meyer, author of SOG Chronicles , Across the Fence , and On the Ground Dale Hanson is an accomplished sculptor who has led a life of adventure and enjoyed numerous accomplishments. He is a black belt martial artist, an author, a pilot of fixed wing and glider airplanes, has flown aerobatics and is a Special Forces underwater diver. He is a disabled veteran and a member of MENSA. During the Vietnam War, Dale was a highly decorated Green Beret who served three years as a commando in the famous SOG program, whose mission involved extremely dangerous raids far behind enemy lines. This unit received more decorations and suffered higher rates of casualties than any American unit since the American Civil War. On one of these raids, Dale earned the first of several purple hearts as his right hand was mangled by a burst of machine gun fire. It is ironic that he became a sculptor, a field in which one's hands are so critical. The artistic fruit of those hands today can be found in collections of thousands of people throughout the world. Signature to his work is a strong emphasis on artistic composition, grace, and flowing lines, combined with attention to detail. In haiku, Dale has expressed his artistic talent in perhaps the most disciplined of written forms. With great economy of words, the writer of haiku is challenged to express concepts and insight as seen in everyday observations. In his work, Dale skillfully points out from the commonplace that which one may have missed and then makes application to life.