New Memorial Day Must-Read: Powerful Tribute to the Realities of War and the Strength of the American Spirit

THIS TROUBLED GROUND by Les Carroll

COLUMBIA, SC, UNITED STATES, May 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Americans reflect this Memorial Day on the sacrifices of those who served, retired Air Force Lt. Colonel Les Carroll offers a deeply resonant and unforgettable novel that honors their stories through the lens of military fiction. His powerful debut, THIS TROUBLED GROUND, is a timely, emotionally charged tribute to the realities of war and the lives forever changed by it.

Drawing on his remarkable career as an Afghanistan campaign veteran, award-winning military journalist and documentary filmmaker, Carroll has crafted a novel that merges the visceral truth of deployment with the emotional toll of homecoming and remembrance. With more than three decades of experience chronicling the lives of U.S. service members — both in combat zones and at solemn ceremonies like the dignified transfers at Dover Air Force Base — Carroll writes from a place of rare authenticity.

Set against the backdrop of the Afghanistan War and the sacred grounds of Dover, THIS TROUBLED GROUND tells the story of an Air Force officer seeking meaning in the chaos of conflict and the heartbreak of loss. When his life intersects with a grieving mother’s search for answers after her son is killed in combat, their shared journey becomes a powerful meditation on duty, grief and the cost of freedom.

Readers and military leaders alike have praised THIS TROUBLED GROUND as one of the most emotionally impactful war novels in recent memory:

“I wailed when I was there, and I sobbed again reading this book.” — Diane Rawl, Gold Star Mother of 1Lt. Ryan Rawl, killed in Afghanistan, 2012

“Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.” — Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Barry K. Coln, U.S. Air Force

“A must-read that breathes life into the phrase: 'All gave some, and some gave all.'” — Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Calvin H. Elam, U.S. Air Force

Reviewers are calling it “life-changing,” “unforgettable” and “a cathartic experience” that captures the quiet heroism of service members and their families.

THIS TROUBLED GROUND honors the sacrifices of those who served and opens a conversation about the price paid by the few for the freedom of the many. For this Memorial Day and beyond, it is essential reading that offers both tribute and truth.

Building on the emotional depth and moral complexity of THIS TROUBLED GROUND, Carroll’s next novel, CHARLIE MINTO’S PYRAMID SCHEME, is set for release later this year. In it, a retired Marine sniper takes justice into his own hands after his sister is murdered by a cartel-connected gang. Teaming up with fellow veterans, he launches a covert mission that blurs the lines between retribution and redemption. With the same authenticity and emotional insight that defines his debut, Carroll continues to explore the cost of duty — this time through the lens of action, justice and personal reckoning.


THIS TROUBLED GROUND is available on Amazon and other popular retail outlets where books are sold.


AUTHOR BIO

Les Carroll grew up in South Carolina, served in the Air Force and Air National Guard for 28 years, and retired in 2013. He served two tours in Afghanistan and one tour at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover Air Force Base. THIS TROUBLED GROUND was created out of those experiences. He is an award-winning military and civilian journalist and acclaimed documentary filmmaker.

His documentary BRINGING THE FALLEN HOME aired nationally on PBS affiliates in 2014, and statewide in South Carolina every Memorial Day weekend since 2014. He wrote and published three books in the mid-1990s. Learn more at www.lescarroll.com.

Les Carroll
Les Carroll, Author
lescarroll1960@gmail.com
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