CAPTAIN ROGER HILL, co-author of the captivating book, DOG COMPANY: A True Story of American Soldiers Abandoned by Their High Command, will speak on SATURDAY, 11/16, at 10 a.m. This is a free program.

From the publisher:
“The Army does not want you to read this book. It does not want to advertise its detention system that coddles enemy fighters while putting American soldiers at risk. It does not want to reveal the new lawyered-up Pentagon war ethic that prosecutes U.S. soldiers and Marines while setting free spies who kill Americans.

“This very system ambushed Captain Roger Hill and his men.

“Hill, a West Point grad and decorated combat veteran, was a rising young officer who had always followed the letter of the military law. In 2007, Hill got his dream job: infantry commander in the storied 101st Airborne. His new unit, Dog Company, 1-506th, had just returned stateside from the hell of Ramadi. The men were brilliant in combat but unpolished at home, where paperwork and inspections filled their days.

“With tough love, Hill and his First Sergeant, an old-school former drill instructor named Tommy Scott, turned the company into the top performers in the battalion.

“Hill and Scott then led Dog Company into combat in Afghanistan, where a third of their men became battlefield casualties after just six months. Meanwhile, Hill found himself at war with his own battalion commander, a charismatic but difficult man who threatened to relieve Hill at every turn.

“After two of his men died on a routine patrol, Hill and a counterintelligence team busted a dozen enemy infiltrators on their base in the violent province of Wardak. Abandoned by his high command, Hill suddenly faced an excruciating choice: follow Army rules the way he always had, or damn the rules to his own destruction and protect the men he'd grown to love.”

Policy and rules of engagement have already changed as a result of the experiences of CPT Hill and the men under his command in Dog Company, a unit of the 101st Airborne. He says there’s more to be done, and he’ll be here to talk with us about it. He considers himself a truth teller.

Anger often arises in those who read or hear his story, but he offers calls to action – practical ways we can each support active military and veterans.

Books will be available for sale (paperback $20, out-of-print hardback $30) and CPT Hill will be happy to sign books.

https://www.captainrogerhill.com/

Menlo fiber artist Pamela Moniz will teach a beginner’s needle felting class on December 7 from 1 until 4 p.m. at Moon Lake Community Library in Mentone. This class will introduce you to the art of needle felting with wool. You will start with a pre-made base and learn how to build a unique character face with expressive features. For those interested in learning to create larger character dolls, this is a great beginner class. The $35 class fee includes all supplies needed, including needles and a foam base that can be reused for future needle felting projects, as well as sufficient wool to complete your project. This fun class fosters imagination and humor as these little creatures come to life. The class is limited to 10 participants, so pre-registration is requiring by contacting Pamela at 240-426-8317 or [email protected]. Bring a friend and receive a $5.00 discount.

Kerry Breithaupt's dot mandala rock painting classes have been very popular, and this month she’s offering a twist—painting on glass ornaments.

Participants often comment on how relaxed they feel when dot painting. You will complete one ornament to take home. A $15 fee includes instruction, an ornament, and all supplies.

The two-hour class will meet on Saturday, November 16, at 1 p.m. at Moon Lake Community Library in Mentone. Pre-registration is required. Email [email protected].

Join Mentone papercrafter Katie Ferguson and learn how to make Christmas gift tags. Participants will make two each of four different designs in a woodsy winter theme.
The class will meet on Saturday, November 23, at Moon Lake Community Library from 1 until 3 p.m. All supplies will be provided and no prior experience is required. The cost is $10.
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Space is limited. To insure that sufficient supplies can be ordered, reservations must be made by Friday, November 8. For more information or to reserve a spot, email Katie Ferguson at [email protected]. You can see Katie’s blog at cottagepaper.com.

Stubborn Men and Parched Corn (2018) is the story of the 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. No regiment, North or South, served with more distinction on so many battlefields. Brigadier General Jerry McAbee’s great-grandfather, Private John Brown, served honorably in the regiment. This meticulously researched story covers the gruesome battles, starvation, sickness, and brutality endured by these brave, stubborn men. The story is told through firsthand accounts and personal letters of men fighting against impossible odds, fated to lose the war, but stubborn enough to keep fighting until the end. This is the story of Confederate soldiers.

General McAbee was raised in Rainsville, AL, and is a graduate of Plainview High School and Jacksonville State University. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1970 and served more than 35 years on active duty as a field artillery officer, holding a variety of command, staff, and training positions at home and abroad, including combat deployments in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. After retiring in 2005, he consulted on national security issues in Africa and the Middle East.

Stubborn Men and Parched Corn is the result of General McAbee’s lifelong interest in and study of the Civil War. He and his wife of 50 years, Margaret, live in Mentone.
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Moon Lake Community Library will host author Brigadier General Jerry C. McAbee on Monday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. Copies of his book will be available for sale ($15), which the author will be glad to autograph. Light refreshments, coffee, and tea will be served.

Enjoy playing a variety of games with your neighbors and friends (old and new) at Moon Lake Community Library on Friday, November 8. Bring your favorite game or come learn how to play a new one. Bring a finger food to share in the pot luck. Coffee, tea and water will be provided. All ages are welcome. The games begin at 6 p.m.

This Is How It Always Is, a beautifully written novel by Laurie Frankel, tells the story of a family that is, in some ways, typical—with the high energy of an all-boy household, parents’ work that never seems to be done, and a loving devotion to one another.
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Central to the story is the youngest child who, born into a family of four brothers, prefers to identify as a girl. The tale explores how these uncharted waters are handled by his immediate family and by the various communities the family lives in, from Wisconsin to Seattle to Thailand.

Interspersed throughout the book is a fairy tale that the father tells his children as a bedtime story—a tale that expands and morphs throughout their childhoods, often paralleling their own real-life challenges.

This family’s struggle is real. Their humor is real. Their fears are real. It is reported that more than 40% of transgender children attempt suicide. This story helps us understand their challenges.

Everyone is free to join in the dicussion on Saturday, November 16.