Once a Marine

An Iraq War Tank Commander's Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery

By: Nick Popaditch, Mike Steere

Narrated by: Danny Delk

May 6, 1986: Nick Popaditch arrives at the Receiving Barracks, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California.

April 9, 2003: An AP photographer captures a striking image seen around the world of the Gunny Sergeant smoking a victory cigar in his tank, the haunting statue of Saddam Hussein hovering in the background. Popaditch is immortalized forever as "The Cigar Marine."

April 6, 2004: The tanker fights heroically in the battle for Fallujah and suffers grievous head wounds that leave him legally blind and partially deaf. The USMC awards him with a Silver Star for his valor and combat innovation.

April 18, 2004: "Gunny Pop" comes home to face the toughest fight of his life - a battle to remain the man and Marine he was.

This is the central drama of Nick's inspiring memoir, Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander's Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery. Listeners in and out of the military will stand up and cheer for this valiant Marine's Marine, a man who embodies everything noble and proud in the Corps' long tradition. Never has modern mechanized combat seemed so immediate and real, or the fight in Iraq seemed so human and worth believing in.

At first, Nick fights to get back to where he was in Iraq-in the cupola of an M1A1 main battle tank, leading Marines in combat at the point of the spear. As the seriousness and permanence of his disabilities become more evident, Nick fights to remain in the Corps in any capacity, to help the brothers in arms he so aches to rejoin. Facing the inevitable following a medical retirement, he battles for rightful recognition and compensation for his permanent disabilities. Throughout his harrowing ordeal, Nick fights to maintain his honor and loyalty, waging all these battles the same way - the Marine way - because anything less would be a betrayal of all he holds dear.

©2008 Weider History Group, Inc (P)2012 Savas Beatie LLC

Displaying USMC professionalism and values

I enjoyed reading this book, relived my time in the Corps and it was an honor to have crossed paths in Knox and 29. Semper Fi brother

Fantastic book!!!

What a Wonderful, Fantastic book !!!
Really kept my attention and interest!!! I will listen to it again !!! I would recommend anyone who is thinking about joining the military to read this book !!! Very motivating !!!

Great job from beginning to end

I like the way the story opened with the action and Nick’s story was inspiring for any person who leads a team.

Great story for the current OEF/OIF war

What about Danny Delk’s performance did you like?

He has a great voice which I could definitely see the main character having. I wonder if the reader was at one time a Marine... because he definitely sounds like he could have been.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A realistic look at the price of modern day combat

Any additional comments?

This is a great read for anyone interested in insight into what our soldiers experience coming home wounded in the OEF/OIF wars.

A great promotional book for the Marine recruits.

I bought the book thinking that I would find information about combat tank operations and training. What I found was part of the first chapter involved in combat tank operations, and the following 45 chapters, on the recovery of this soldier after a devastating injury. Finally the last 5 chapters involved a flash back view of training. If you are looking for an objective view of combat operations in the middle east, avoid this book. There are so many others which are far far better. If you seek a book about ones personal physical rehabilitation. This is for you.