TIGER FORCE by Michael Sallah & Mitch Weiss

During the Vietnam War, TIGER FORCE was the code name for an elite platoon of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry. The 45-man volunteer force was organized in 1966 to “out-guerilla the guerillas” and soon became one of the war's most highly decorated units, paying for its reputation with heavy casualties. But for seven months, beginning in May 1967, the TIGER FORCE unit descended into a moral abyss. Operating in enemy country, the platoon engaged in activities that defy our comprehension today.

Two of the key players, Ken Green and Sam Ybarra, were from Globe and San Carlos, Arizona, respectively. Green was killed in Vietnam on September 29, 1967, which friends claim threw Ybarra over the edge, vowing to avenge his friend's death. He died in 1982 on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, reportedly contrite and depressed over his role in the war.

The army mounted an investigation, eventually deciding that "nothing beneficial" could result from prosecuting platoon members. And so, the story remained the stuff of rumor until reporters Michael Sallah, Mitch Weiss and John Mahr started interviewing former TIGER FORCE members. The resulting newspaper series won a Pulitzer Prize in 2004, and forms the basis of an outstanding book of the same name.

In TIGER FORCE: A True Story of Men and War, Sallah and Weiss have crafted a compelling, chilling story. The narrative is drawn from interviews with victims' families and over 40 former members of TIGER FORCE, as well as a previously suppressed document from the original army investigation. The authors visited the sites of many of the atrocities, pinpointing them through old radio logs. The result is one of the most important books on the Vietnam War.

$15

GHOST WARRIOR by Lucia St. Clair Robson

In GHOST WARRIOR, Lucia St. Clair Robson tells the story of Lozen, the sister of Chiricahua Apache chief, Victorio, who called her his wise counselor and his right hand. He said she had the strength of a man and was a shield to her people. Even in a society possessing extraordinary courage, endurance and skill, Lozen was unique. In the Apaches’ thirty-year struggle to defend their homeland, the people came to rely on Lozen’s strength, wisdom, and supernatural abilities. Because of her special gifts, Lozen was the only unmarried woman allowed to fight alongside the warriors. After her beloved brother, Victorio, died, she joined Geronimo's band of insurgents, where she continued her courageous battle to defend her people.

Robson says,”…even in the worst of times, individuals with extraordinary strength of character appear and leave a legacy that persists. The Apache Wars certainly qualified as the worst of times. Many of the leaders who waged those battles are now household names, but one who isn't so well known was just as exceptional as any of them. Besides having the power to heal, Lozen was believed to possess the gift of Far Sight - the ability to sense the presence of enemies before they came into view. She was also reputed to have horse magic that made her an excellent horse thief.”

Reading about the things Lozen and her people endured puts our own everyday problems into stark perspective. It strikes me as amazing that the spirit of a woman who died 120 years ago can influence our lives even today.

$15