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Zusatztext “In 8 Seconds of Courage! written with Tom Sileo! Groberg takes readers through the many faces of war! from mundane assignments! to the reality of cheering for the gruesome death of your enemies! to the surreal notion that one misstep can cost lives." Informationen zum Autor Flo Groberg was medically retired from the US Army in 2015. He is now director of veterans outreach for Boeing, where he leads community engagement in the eastern US. Prior to joining Boeing, he served in a similar capacity for LinkedIn. He lives in Washington, DC. 8 Seconds of Courage is his first book. Tom Sileo coauthored two previous books about military heroes, including one about Flo Groberg, 8 Seconds of Courage . Currently a contributing senior editor at The Stream , Tom also spent eight years working in local and national newsrooms, including CNN. He lives in Delray Beach, Florida. Klappentext In an inspiring story of valor and the making of a hero, Florent Groberg—who grew up in France and emigrated to the US—becomes the first immigrant in forty years to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor after he tackled a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. Florent “Flo” Groberg was born in the suburbs of Paris and moved to the US with his family in middle school. He became a naturalized citizen in 2001. After attending the University of Maryland, he joined the US Army and twice deployed to Afghanistan. In August of 2012, Flo was guarding a high-level US-Afghan delegation and noticed someone suspicious: a local man stumbling toward his patrol. Flo reacted quickly and ran to tackle the man—who was wearing a suicide vest. Four people died in the subsequent explosion, but many others were spared. Flo himself spent the next three years undergoing surgeries at Walter Reed Medical Center, and in 2015 he was given the nation’s highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor—the first immigrant to be so recognized since the Vietnam War. What prepares a soldier for those critical moments in combat? 8 Seconds of Courage tells Flo’s story from his childhood in France to his decision to enlist and the grueling training he underwent at US Army Ranger School. As a field commander on the front lines in Afghanistan he formed close and lasting bonds with his fellow soldiers. It was this powerful sense of responsibility that compelled him to take action to save lives, even at the risk of his own. “Flo’s incredible tale of bravery and service is also a stark reminder that for many of our warriors, coming home is not the end of the fight. Flo finds a way to live…Truly an inspiration” (Jon Stewart). In his own words, Flo provides that essential insight into his selfless act while remembering his four fallen brothers in arms. 8 Seconds of Courage is a story of heroism, sacrifice, and camaraderie in wartime. Leseprobe 8 Seconds of Courage 1 TOY SOLDIERS I had never thought about quitting anything until the United States Army Ranger School’s “Mountain Phase” in the rugged hills of Dahlonega, Georgia. By the fortieth day of Ranger School in October 2009, my lifelong dislike of hiking had turned into pure hatred. I had to get through only twenty-one more days to earn the Army’s coveted Ranger tab, but after six weeks of constant fatigue, I was just about finished. Like most of my fellow soldiers, I had lost around twenty pounds due to strictly imposed food limits, and hadn’t slept more than four hours a night since Ranger School began. For me, those challenges were nothing compared to hiking up and down Ranger Camp Frank D. Merrill’s ruthless cliffs. The mountains of North Georgia were my kryptonite. On the fortieth nigh...
Über den Autor / die Autorin
Flo Groberg was medically retired from the US Army in 2015. He is now director of veterans outreach for Boeing, where he leads community engagement in the eastern US. Prior to joining Boeing, he served in a similar capacity for LinkedIn. He lives in Washington, DC. 8 Seconds of Courage is his first book.Tom Sileo coauthored two previous books about military heroes, including one about Flo Groberg, 8 Seconds of Courage. Currently a contributing senior editor at The Stream, Tom also spent eight years working in local and national newsrooms, including CNN. He lives in Delray Beach, Florida.
