The gripping memoir of Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart recipient SEAL Lieutenant Mark L. Donald
As A SEAL and combat medic, Mark served his country with valorous distinction for almost twenty-five years and survived some of the most dangerous combat actions imaginable.
From the rigors of BUD/S training to the horrors of the battlefield, Battle Ready dramatically immerses the reader in the unique life of the elite warrior-medic who advances into combat with life-saving equipment in one hand and life-taking weapons in the other. It is also an uplifting human story that reveals how a young Hispanic American bootstrapped himself out of a life that promised a dead-end future by enlisting in the military. That new life begins with the Marines and includes his heroic achievements on the battlefield and the operating table, and finally, of his inspirational triumph over the demons caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that threatened to destroy him and his family.
Review
"Although he doesn't like the term, Mark is a true American hero. Battle Ready is a well-written journey from training to combat to recovery."
βHoward Wasdin, New York Times bestselling author of Seal Team Six
β Battle Ready is a compelling account of a remarkable Americanβs journey in the military. Mark Donaldβs journey is unique and contains many lessons in life for everyone to reflect upon. There is no bravado and self-serving intent in this book. It is written from the heart from an American hero, and that alone makes it worth reading.β
βWade Ishimoto, Former Senior Advisor to Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations / Low Intensity Conflict
About the Author
MARK L. DONALD,**** the son of a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer and a Mexican mother, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps before transferring to the Navy to train as a Corpsman. He subsequently completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and served in SEALs until 1996 when he was selected for the Intra-service Physician Assistant Program. He graduated from the University of Nebraska and was commissioned a Medical Service Corps officer. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, he was assigned as operational medical support to special operations where he served in a number of capacities until his retirement. Donald was awarded the Navy Cross, the highest medal awarded by the Department of the Navy, for extraordinary heroism while engaged in enemy action against Al Qaeda fighters in southern Afghanistan. He lives in Chesapeake, Virginia.
SCOTT MACTAVISH is an author, filmmaker and veteran of the United States Navy.