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by Ssgt Jacob Parkinson (Author)
Former Marines Doherty, James and Parks nestle soundly around a campfire deep in the wilds of Northern Idaho; set to reminisce on long forgotten memories spent together with their fellow Grunts, their brothers of 1st Squad, 2nd platoon. Brothers too busy or haunted to join the three for this secluded reunion. Each infantry Marine struggles with his own harassing demons, one more than the other two but when the three former infantrymen are thrown into chaos, their reunion becomes a battle for their lives. The outcome will test the very limits of 1st Squad's brotherhood, loyalty, and an undeniable bond formed on the battlefields over twenty years earlier.
While not shying away from the complexities of combat and the scars it can leave behind, The Last Letter provides vivid insight into the bond shared by combat Marines, a bond that says they'll fight for each other, they'll die for each other, a bond that may very well last beyond death. Although this book is a fictional narrative, the experiences, guilt and emotions shared by the characters throughout the novel are based on real world applications from the author's turbulent pas.
About the Author
SSgt. Jacob Parkinson was born on an Air Force base in northern California, moved to Texas at age 4, joined the United States Marine Corps at age 21. While serving with India Co ⅗, a boat company; a then Sgt. Parkinson and fellow squad leader, each lost half their squads, during the April 8, 2000 MV-22 Osprey crash in Marana, Arizona, on a first use infantry deployment of the experimental aircraft. Sgt. Parkinson would go onto serve one combat tour to the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, dubbed The Red Triangle, from 2004-2005 as an infantry squad leader, Bravo Co 1/23. At the time, Sgt. Parkinson and his squad, would stand defiantly against the cowardice of their platoon commander, outside of Fallujah, zero-dark-thirty. That moment will seal the concrete bond formed by 1st squad that lonely, infamous, November night for an eternity. SSgt. Parkinson graduated company honorman from bootcamp (#1 out of 500), meritoriously promoted twice, recipient of several certificates of commendations and awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with V for decisive actions taken towards the enemy during combat operations in the Anbar Province. Upon leaving the Marines, SSgt. Parkinson used his military benefits to achieve a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Rhode Island 2020.
