Harm's Way Trilogy (Paperback or Softback)

Harm’s Way Trilogy are American combat stories told as narrative poems in honor of the fallen and their friends.

BEDFORD AMERICA, FIRST AT OMAHA BEACH — The dramatic sacrifices made by the young men of Bedford, Virginia, A Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Regiment, 29th Infantry on 6 June, 1944, D-Day, at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France.

BATTLE OF TARAWA — Fought by the Marine Corps in the Central Pacific in November 1943. Their first amphibious assault against a heavily defended beachhead.

THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN — The first major battle of the Civil War; the bloody opening act of four years of horror, 21 July, 1861.

BEDFORD AMERICA “….reminds us of a time when ordinary men from small town America met the challenge of a lifetime with uncommon courage Tom Pettit tells their story with feeling and reverence.” —David Armstrong, PhD (Brigadier General USA, Ret)

BATTLE OF TARAWA “……I’ve read TARAWA – powerful!” —General Joe Hoar USMC (Ret)

THE TRILOGY – the three works taken together “Tom Pettit first produced the poetic narratives offered in HARM’S WAY as dramatic stage presentations replete with period music and visual imagery. The versions here are finely honed after years of communicating with live audiences in various venues. Pettit is a talented writer with a passion for his subject. His own love of country led him to select moments in the American story worthy of special commemoration. These battles contribute to the living memory of a military tradition that inspires many young Americans to put themselves in Harm’s Way.” —Ward McAfee, Professor of History, Emeritus, California State University, San Bernardino

Tom attended Kansas University where he edited their 1958 yearbook "Jayhawker". He graduated first in his class from the Navy's Hospital Corps School. He spent a 40 year career as a marketing executive in consumer products, starting with Procter and Gamble. He is a member of Mensa. With his wife, Lynn, he has lived in Palm Springs, CA, for 40 years. They have two adult daughters and two adolescent cats.