Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog
By Mike Dowling
September 16, 2021 – 5:30 Library 3rd Floor Conference Room (L301) or on Zoom
Animals have played an important support role in the military for millennia. Dogs in particular have been valued for their keen sense of smell, their scouting ability, intelligence and loyalty. This gripping true story tells the story of Sergeant Mike Dowling and his military working dog Rex who were part of the Marine Corps military K9 teams sent to Iraq, the first on the front lines of combat since Vietnam. It was Rex’s job to sniff out weapons caches, suicide bombers, and IEDs.
Exciting News! The author will be joining us virtually for this discussion
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
Oct 21, 2021, – 5:30 Library Conference Room (L301)
This biting satire of commercialism and celebrity culture tells the story of a protagonist thrust into the limelight after his squad returns from Iraq. The book was critically acclaimed, and was the winner of the National Book Critics’ Circle Award and a finalist for the National Book Award. However, the author Ben Fountain is not a veteran, and many military readers have criticized the book as a civilian take on military experience that doesn’t ring true.
Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez and Judith Schiess Avila
Dec 2, 2021, – 5:30 Library Conference Room (L301)
Chester Nez was an American veteran of World War II and the last surviving Navajo code talker. The Navaho code is the only spoken military code never to have been deciphered. This memoir describes Chester Nez’s work in the Marines. It also covers his early life; losing his mother at the age of three, and being sent at eight years old to a school run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs where he was given a new name, and discouraged from speaking his native language.
About the IU South Bend Veterans Book Club
The Veterans Book Club is open to everyone interested in veteran’s experiences, stimulating discussion and good books. We usually have a group of 10 -15 participants, both veterans and civilians, including students, faculty, staff and members of the community. We’ve explored a wide gamut of genres including novels, memoir, short stories, poetry, philosophy, in-depth journalism, graphic novels and history.
For more information contact Rhonda Culbertson (rculbert@iusb.edu, 574-520-5598) Free copies of the book are available for each book club meeting.
The book club is supported by a generous gift from Jerry and Dorene Hammes.
IU South Bend Veterans Book Club 