Author Description

Americans have always romanticized space travel. We are a people who, good or bad, have ever had their eyes on the horizon, and when we conquered our own horizons, we turned to the horizon of space. We have elevated intrepid astronauts to the status of American heroes, and as a nation we mourned the loss of the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia. Astronauts, however, are not our only national heroes; they are preceded in that honor by the Marines. Marines have a credo, Semper Fidelis. It means “always faithful,” and Marines have honored that credo throughout our nation’s history. They have remained faithful to their mission, to their country, and to each other. It is easy to admire such men, which is why we so love stories about Marines; they embody the faith, nobility and honor to which we all aspire. In this volume of stories, the Marines were sent to space to do what Marines do. And some of them made it home to tell their stories and figure out what's next.