This story is based on actual events in the CBI, China, Burma, India, theater of war, especially a part of northeast India. Tibet, also, is part of the story, as it was in Tibet that seven tons of U.S. currency was dropped; money meant for the newly formed Free China Air Force, which included part of what had been the, “Flying Tigers.” Now, two mercenaries have put together a crew, and they’re bringing the fortune out. Through a grave mistiming, they’re trapped on the Brahma Putra river, a river that is born twelve thousand feet up in the Himalayan Mountains. It is a raging thing, and they can see no way to let go of it. It’s a raft ride like none ever seen, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, and by some miracle, some of them survive. But there’s a traitor in the crew, and others waiting. Worse yet, the C.I.A., the KGB, and Naval Intelligence are after them, not for the money, oh, no. It’s for something vastly more important; a few pieces of paper filled with equations that will forever change the world, or destroy it!

CHOOSE VIRTUE ALWAYS Time-tested principles for succeeding in life through the understanding and development of character, virtues represent the moral excellence of a person. From discipline to prudence, fortitude to faith, the warrior virtues presented in these pages are guaranteed to transform your life to one of meaning and purpose. The Warrior’s Book of Virtues uses the battle-tested principles of the United States Marine Corps to help everyone live their best life in easy and practical ways. Don’t settle for less, and don’t make excuses for yourself. Become inspired to achieve your full potential and complete every objective you set. Adapt and overcome.

The former French colony of Acadia—permanently renamed Nova Scotia by the British when they began an ambitious occupation of the territory in 1710—witnessed one of the bitterest struggles in the British empire. Whereas in its other North American colonies Britain assumed it could garner the sympathies of fellow Europeans against the native peoples, in Nova Scotia nothing was further from the truth. The Mi'kmaq, the native local population, and the Acadians, descendants of the original French settlers, had coexisted for more than a hundred years prior to the British conquest, and their friendships, family ties, common Catholic religion, and commercial relationships proved resistant to British-enforced change. Unable to seize satisfactory political control over the region, despite numerous efforts at separating the Acadians and Mi'kmaq, the authorities took drastic steps in the 1750s, forcibly deporting the Acadians to other British colonies and systematically decimating the remaining native population. The story of the removal of the Acadians, some of whose descendants are the Cajuns of Louisiana, and the subsequent oppression of the Mi'kmaq has never been completely told. In this first comprehensive history of the events leading up to the ultimate break-up of Nova Scotian society, Geoffrey Plank skillfully unravels the complex relationships of all of the groups involved, establishing the strong bonds between the Mi'kmaq and Acadians as well as the frustration of the British administrators that led to the Acadian removal, culminating in one of the most infamous events in North American history.

From Young Braves to Mighty Warriors is my best recollection and story of how we, as a community, a school, and a group of determined and dedicated young men, overcame incredible obstacles and challenges to build a powerful football program that won the Group A Virginia High School League State Championship in 1970 and four consecutive Region C championships in the six short years that I had the privilege of serving as head football coach. This book is also a tribute to the mental toughness and dedication to a common cause of hundreds of young men who proudly wore the orange-and-black for the Chilhowie Warriors from 1966 to 1973.