Donny OMalley - EMBARRASSING CONFESSIONS OF A MARINE LIEUTENANT : operation branding iron, 2.1a

Praise for Embarrassing Confessions of a Marine Lieutenant from the People these Books Should Be Written for Enlisted Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors

Greatest fuckin work of literature ever produced. I laughed harder at the preface than I have in the two years Ive been out. This book is a great pick-me-up with a serious message. It shows me Im not alone in the world and Im not the only one who thinks and acts like I do. Like a Marine! Keep up the good work!

Enlisted Marine

I would recommend this to my entire Familyand I think this sums up the irreverence and humor you need to process the things you need to do in combat and bring everyone home! It has always been hard to describe my experiences to someone that hasnt Been There. I know I had a long transition back to relative normalcy (still a ways to go).

Enlisted Soldier

I almost wanted to re-enlist after reading this.

Enlisted Marine

As much as I want to say dont read this book, OMalleys willingness to expose the male brain at war, with pure, unadulterated honesty shrouded in explicit sexual delusion, gives Embarrassing Confessions of a Marine Officer a unique and never-before reading experience or perspective for the reader. It is a first of its kind, and I think, albeit, complicit and entirely inappropriate as a whole, OMalleys end goal of helping those who have suffered the ugliness of war and subsequent suicide causalities can and will benefit from the humor he intended his readers to enjoy through his complete transparency. He is a pioneer of sorts into the land of veteran suicides in his attempt to bring awareness and help to those in need. So for that reason, I can stand behind his first published achievement. I will also add that the gay chicken chapter had me laugh out loud several times, and let it be noted that I found the need for male affection and companionship in such grisly environments somewhat tender and enduring. Im looking forward to reading his blog and contributing to his organization.

Cool Civilian

Thanks for the laughs. Screw you for making me remember that we were fd up all the way back to Vietnam.

Enlisted Marine

If Generation Kill had been written by Sterling Archer. Anyone whos a fan of the show Archer will know what I mean. Those who have served as a combat Soldier or Marine will (at least privately) acknowledge that this work is in many ways a refraction of our own deployments. This is easily the only book on modern warfare in existence that is completely raw and open about the types of twisted thoughts that go through the minds of those asked to do the insane, under asinine conditions, while trying to keep from going completely mad. I read this in a single afternoon, and only momentarily paused from laughing my backside off, as Capt. OMalley punctuates each chapter with the name of a Marine who committed suicide. Having recently lost my best friend (a fellow Soldier) to suicide, this resonated with me. Those looking for a book on self-righteous heroism, or patriotic garble that will somehow justify what we had to do, look elsewhere. Rather, this is an expose on all of the gritty, raw, inappropriate, and downright raunchy thoughts that went through our minds constantly, yet were too embarrassed to admit. Make no mistake, this book is extremely vulgar and will doubtless make many uncomfortable. It is also a quick read, which I breezed through in a few hours, while all-the-while hearing the story told through Sterling Archers voice in my head. The story is less of a narrative about a combat mission in Afghanistan, but rather a confession of every embarrassing thought and action, told in sordid detail, that will resonate with most combat veterans. Part of the appeal is that it comes from an officer, proving that they are human (and in many ways just as or more jacked-up) like the rest of us.

Enlisted Marine

I admire the bravery to put aside political correctness and to shed light on a disgusting issue arising in our generation of Marines. This book captivates its veteran audience by nostalgia, and its civilian audience by, presumably, nausea. Thanks.

Enlisted Marine

This is the real deal, and OMalley is the platoon leader every grunt wants to have. Hes the natural leader the brass hates, but the first one they look to when the shit hits the fan. As funny as it is, the ugly truth of suicide among combat vets comes through in a very sobering way. Thanks, Lt. Dan, for holding the flank.

Enlisted Soldier

Outstanding book. As a former Marine Sergeant from over 30 years ago, I laughed and chuckled all the way through the book. Capt. OMalley really brought back some memories of crazy stuff we pulled. Should be a must-read for all new Lts in TBS...wont ever happen unfortunately. Officers need to learn and remember their main job is to take care of your Marines. They will make you a rock star and kill lots of turds.

Enlisted Marine

This book is hands-down one the best I have ever read regarding life in the Marine Corps, combat, and Afghanistan. I laughed so hard it hurt on many occasions, and above all, this book is going to save lives. 22 U.S. veterans a day kill themselves due to PTSD-related issues. The author issues several calls to action for the reader, and the country, to work against this...There is NO doubt in my mind this book will save lives. If you are a veteran, know a veteran, are interested in war, combat, the Marine Corps, the military, or especially are a guy with combat experience, this book will change your life. Huge thanks to the Author for this work.

Enlisted Marine

This book was effing hilarious, and I even woke up the wife a few times. This is the perfect insight into the mind of a Marine. Its not all chess and fighting lava beasts! The memorial pages are very poignant, and the orders are so damn funny. On a serious note, Im a USMC vet and have had some mental health issues not related to combat, and on the day I read this book, I was on a bit of a downward swing. After reading it though, my mood was immediately lifted, which I think was the intent of Donnys book.

Enlisted Marine

Mr. OMalley does a fantastic job mixing in some honest-to-goodness humor to get this point across. I have absolutely no doubt that serving under Mr. OMalley was indeed an experience of a lifetime. As a prior enlisted man, I would have been honored to go into battle with him because of his down-to-earth leadership style. I guarantee you Mr. OMalley had the respect of his men. For most of the book, Mr. OMalley uses sexually graphic self-deprecating humor to get across his real messageat least 22 veterans commit suicide every day.

Enlisted Sailor

This book is an excellent window into the mind of a male in a combat zone. True, gritty, raw, and hilarious. If you have ever been lucky enough to enjoy the thrills of a sexually deprived combat zone, this book will bring back memories of smashing off knuckle babies in a plywood porta john and playing spades and gay chicken in between firefights. This book is like herpes, once youve read it you cant unread the stories and it sticks with you. Be a bro and give it to someone you love, or just want to hook up with for the night. On a serious note, it also brings to light the very real problem of veteran suicide and presents a simple and realistic solution to the problem. Hopefully the right person reads through this book and puts this plan into action.

Enlisted Marine

Your book does something that Ive never seen another book do before: it takes a look inside the mind of someone whos actually been there honestly. We dont always think about some noble Bing West/Jim Webb stuff. Sometimes we play the beat off or pass out in the porta john game. We are not our fathers generation, when killing was seen as the antithesis of humanity. We truly are Generation Kill, and this book takes the most unfiltered, truthful, straightforward look at the actual thoughts of a grunta boots-on-the-ground gruntthat I have ever read. Not only is it the most honest account that Ive read this far in my life, but the style makes you forget about the horrible reality of war with its irreverent take on things. And THATs how the mind of a grunt functions. We have to find the humor during war, or we might go nuts. Gay chicken is something Ive never seen addressed in any other book, but its an infantry staple. If you cant hang, if you cant get at least a little gay, you might be too uptight to fight a war. We all get gay and shit because of the close bonds we form and our love of one another. As the Dominican grunt said to you, Donny, you get infantry Marines on a level no other officer does, or maybe would admit to.