Earned in Blood: My Journey from Old-Breed Marine to the Most Dangerous Job in America
"A frontline view of a tough-as-nails life—by a man who came out the other end smiling . . . An impressive, riveting, and harrowing addition to the history of the Pacific Theater." —The Charleston Gazette“T.I. Miller is as fine a Marine as ever put on the uniform. In training and in combat, he was my mentor, my example, and my inspiration.”—R.V. Burgin, author ofIslands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific“At the end of this book I am left with a profound respect for this man, and filled with awe and gratitude. The levels of horror that he . . . endured in the name of service to country, home, and freedom is simply unimaginable.”—Marcus Brotherton, bestselling author ofA Company of Heroes"A dramatic and compelling story, one every American should read and ponder."—Homer Hickam, authorRocket BoysandOctober Sky"Thurman Miller brings alive the humanity of those who fight our wars and the inhumanity of the wars in which they fight."—Lt. Col. Dick Renfro, U.S. Army, Ret."InEarned in Blood, Thurman Miller takes us through his hard but rich Appalachian boyhood, his harrowing experience as a Marine in the battles for Guadalcanal and New Britain, and his lifelong struggle with the aftereffects of all he gave to serve his country.  In addition to recurring bouts of malaria, he suffered flashbacks so powerful that, when working as a coal miner, he saw his dead buddies piled up on the conveyor belt.  Only the sheer strength of his spirit, the support of a loving family, and the reunion with his brother Marines made Mr. Miller’s survival possible.  His heart-searing story reminds us that a grateful nation is never grateful enough."—George Ella Lyon"Thurman Miller, now in his 90s, tells the iconic story of his generation: Living off the land on a hillside farm in West Virginia during the Great Depression, fighting in the South Pacific during World War II, returning home only to face the difficult life of a coal miner. But at the heart of this searing, honest book is the terrible combat on Guadalcanal and New Britain, and the Marines of K Company, locked in a primal struggle with their Japanese counterparts. Even as he documents the horror, Miller never loses sight of the humanity of all concerned."—Denise Giardina, award-winning author ofStorming HeavenandEmily’s Ghost