Anatomy of a Marine - Paperback

by Kathryn Anne Frey (Illustrator), Gary L. Smiley (Author)

Anatomy of a Marine is a narrative fiction book which details the mental and physical struggles of a former Marine who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Within this book you will embark into the abyss of a troubled mind and experience the obstacles that one man must endure in order to survive the demons within his two worlds, both past and present. Throughout the course of this book this man is tormented by the effects of PTSD, which slowly bleeds into his life and begins to unravel everything he has worked so diligently to protect: his family, friends and career. But at work he is deemed a threat to the workplace, where his mental state is constantly under scrutiny by everyone who vowed to help him. And at home, friends and family begin to ostracize him due to his erratic and unpredictable behavior, as he searches for that one bright spot somewhere in all the darkness. But the real question here is- why? In the most pivotal moment in this book, this former Marine is required to attend an inquiry with his doctor from the Veteran's administration to examine his mental stability. In this meeting his doctor asks him to give detailed information about his PTSD and how it has disassembled his life. Then, he is to also give a detailed history of his problems at work, and finally an exhaustive account of his most traumatic experiences in the Marines. There's only one problem. Even though he needs help, he is not thrilled about exposing the demons of the present and the ghost of his past, just to have those memories torment his life like that of a terminal disease.

Author Biography

Gary L. Smiley was born on July 3rd, 1954 in Nashville, Tennessee. He grew up on a farm in the rural south where he attended school and worked on the family farm. After school, and at the age of 18, he joined the Marines for more than six years, serving the majority of his tours in the Philippine Islands. As an infantryman (Grunt), Gary participated in several search and rescue operations, which would include, the recovery of four dead naval officers following an enemy ambush. He then participated in the recovery of the dead and wounded following a downed F-4 fighter jet that crashed into a barracks killing six other Marines. He also participated in the Fall of Saigon where hundreds upon hundreds of refugees were sent to Grande Island in the Philippines struggling to escape the horrors of their fallen country. Less than two years later, a CH-53 Sea Stallion transport helicopter crashed in the mountains of the Philippines killing some twenty-two of Gary's fellow Marines. During the process of saving a wounded Marine from the edge of a high cliff, Gary slipped and fell some distance suffering several injuries and a broken back. Even though wounded himself, he refused to leave the crash site till all the dead and wounded were evacuated. Due to his injury, Gary was eventually retrained in nuclear, biological and chemical warfare until his release from the Marines with a medical discharge. After the Marines, Gary attended college on the G.I. Bill receiving a bachelor's degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Over the years he worked several jobs trying to find his place in society as he battled his constant back injury and the onset of post traumatic stress. As Gary continued to battle the concrete jungle, he eventually sat down to put his military experiences on paper. Gary has written a three books trilogy on his experiences in the Marines: Anatomy of a Marine (Now on Amazon), The Breach, and Voyage of the Damned. The latter two books are to be released by the end of 2014.