In the Army, men and women are trained to be physically fit, disciplined, and calm under pressure to handle the rigors of a soldier's regimented lifestyle. Training that should lend itself To The unforeseen demands of a combat zone. However, For one soldier in Iraq in 2004, nothing could have mentally prepared him for one dark flight over Iraq. It all started as a simple four-day vacation pass; a brief escape from the mental and physical demands of modern warfare and a chance to fly out of Iraq for some well deserved R&R. It was supposed to be the perfect chance to catch up on his personal time. This lone Army Captain would soon be tested like never before when the plane that he was being transported to his R&R destination in suddenly changed course. Although he found that his flight was rerouted to pick up human remains, he didn't yet see that his outlook on life was also about to alter course. The time he would spend in the back of a cargo plane with three flag-covered caskets would take him from being inconvenienced and angry, To honored and inspired. With his deep and insightful writing style, readers will experience the heartfelt gratitude, pride, and undying patriotism experienced by American soldiers that are bonded by war. This is not the typical 'shoot-em-up' warrior novel. On the contrary, it is far deeper than that!

The title of this book reflects a time in my life when I was surrounded by death and the possibility of not making the return journey home from combat in Iraq in 2005–2006. I felt a deep obligation to tell my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Chrisraine, about the boy that I was and the soldier that I became should I not make it back home to tell her in person. This book chronicles my childhood beginning with my first indelible memory at age four, describing the people, places, and events that molded me into the man and soldier that I became until my son, Christophe, turned four years old. Valley of the Shadow was an easy choice as the title for me because of the biblical and literal connection to me as I experienced combat and lived in a space and time defined by death and the will to overcome that fear. That shadow was ever present, and I fought hard and willed myself not to be engulfed by it. I was much more to my family than a soldier, and I wanted my daughter to know the boy that I was and what made me into the soldier that I became. This journey was filled with periods of joy and great happiness as well as uncertainty and sadness as a boy and much the same as a soldier. I excelled at the things that I applied myself to but was always challenged to perform in order to continue receiving the pleasures of everyday life or to survive a day in combat. So both my childhood and my profession were valleys oftentimes reflecting low points and high points with a sense of duty to survive and overcome the day at hand.

This is the story of Abu Ghraib that you haven't heard, told by the soldier sent by the Army to restore order and ensure that the abuses that took place there never happen again. In April 2004, the world was shocked by the brutal pictures of beatings, dog attacks, sex acts, and the torture of prisoners held at Abu Ghraib in Iraq. As the story broke, and the world began to learn about the extent of the horrors that occurred there, the U.S. Army dispatched Colonel Larry James to Abu Ghraib with an overwhelming assignment: to dissect this catastrophe, fix it, and prevent it from being repeated. A veteran of deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a nationally well-known and respected Army psychologist, Colonel James's expertise made him the one individual capable of taking on this enormous task. Through Colonel James's own experience on the ground, readers will see the tightrope military personnel must walk while fighting in the still new battlefield of the war on terror, the challenge of serving as both a doctor/healer and combatant soldier, and what can-and must-be done to ensure that interrogations are safe, moral, and effective. At the same time, Colonel James also debunks many of the false stories and media myths surrounding the actions of American soldiers at both Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, and he reveals shining examples of our men and women in uniform striving to serve with honor and integrity in the face of extreme hardship and danger. An intense and insightful personal narrative, Fixing Hell shows us an essential perspective on Abu Ghraib that we've never seen before.

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Ernest Taylor II is retired after working forty years as a Chemical Engineer in Houston. He got his decree from Stephen F. Austin in Nacodoches Texas. He is from a small town in East Texas called Lufkin. His father was a dentist. His mother Zoe Taylor, was one of the first women to graduate from Stephen F. Austin. He was the middle child having an older sister and a younger brother. He grew up middle class America in the 1950’s and had a good childhood. He wanted to share his experience in war of the “ day to day “ life of a soldier so it’s not about any heroic wartime feats. Ernest would say all soldiers who go to war for the US are heroes. Ernest lives in Bellville Texas with his wife Brenda and their pets. He enjoys volunteer work , gardening, and hunting. He has two sons and a step daughter and son and lots of grandchildren.