The Unexpected Storm - The Gulf War Legacy by Steven Manchester

14 Years Later, One Soldier's Story

Veterans and anyone who has ever known or loved anyone in the military will find Steve Manchester's Book, The Unexpected Storm-The Gulf War Legacy, riveting and revealing.It' s not a book for the history or war buff but women will appreciate it. Prior to reading The Unexpected Storm, I thought that I understood. We send our soldiers to war with prayers. We worry about them, pray for them and their families, and show our support. When they return, we rejoice and are thankful. And, life returns to normal.

But for our soldiers, life is anything but normal. This I learned from Sgt. Steven Manchester who now sees the world through a different set of eyes. Manchester draws the reader into a world where we care about him, his family and friends as well as his comrades in arms. As I opened Chapter One for the first time Steve was talking about being onboard the C-5A Galaxyplane that was taking his National Guard unit off to the Middle East.

He writes sincerely of his feelings toward the war and his fellow soldiers. He is open and honest. He is heart-wrenching and heart-warming. The Gulf War was the first time the American public watched on the television as soldiers were being deployed to serve their country. Everything was aired on television and the country quickly became aware of the sacrifices our men and women in uniform were making. Many were leaving spouses, children and jobs behind. In some instances both parents of children were being deployed and their children were being left with grandparents or other family members. Steven's group was no different. Many members of his Military Police (MP) Company from Massachusetts were married and had families.