Reviewed By Terri Schlichenmeyer
According to some accounts, we Americans spent well
over $36 billion on our pets last year. That’s an awful lot
of dog food, kitty litter, puppy beds, catnip toys, boxes-o-
bones, and squeaky chews.
We’re smitten with kittens, we’re doggy delirious and we’
d do almost anything for our pets. Some people, in fact,
would literally go to the ends of the earth to save the life
of a puppy. In From Baghdad with Love by Lieutenant
Colonel Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth, you’ll read
about a tough Marine who’s turned into a marshmallow
by a “soldier” on four fuzzy legs.
Jay Kopelman had been in the Marines for a long time. He served years ago, got out,
worked an assortment of unrelated jobs and re-upped after Sept. 11th. Kopelman is a
Lieutenant Colonel, and a guy doesn’t get to be a Lieutenant Colonel without knowing the
rules better than he knows his name.
Rule Number One-A clearly states: Prohibited activities for service members under
General Order 1-A include adopting as pets or mascots, caring for or feeding any type of
domestic or wild animal.
So why did Kopelman fall in love with a puppy on a makeshift base in Fallujah?
He wondered that himself.
The pup was found in an abandoned building, all alone and starving. He couldn’t have
been but six weeks old, but he already had an attitude. An elite group of Marines
discovered the little guy and brought him back to camp. Since they called themselves the
Lava Dogs, the pup got the name Lava.
Kopelman tried to distance himself from the dog, but it was hard to do when the mutt
insisted on sleeping on Kopelman’s cot and peeing on his boots. Before long,
Kopelman owned a dog and Lava owned the heart of a tough, taught-to-kill Marine.
But there was a problem: Kopelman was about to be sent home for good and there was
no way Lava could get on the plane with him. Kopelman knew that abandoning Lava in
Iraq would mean certain death for the pup. Waging a campaign of e-mails to save his
friend, Kopelman finally found a way to get Lava back to the states. But how would he
ever get him to the airport in time?
There have been dozens of books written about Iraq, the Iraqis, and the war, but this one
has a feel-good ending and it will make you smile. Consider From Baghdad with Love as
this year’s Marley & Me in camouflage. Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman tells his and
Lava’s story with humor, slight gee-whiz-what-am-I-doing embarrassment, and a whole
lotta puppy love.
Be aware that there are some four-letter words, but it’s not gratuitous and fits in with the
Marine-tough narrative.
If you’re a veteran of any war, you’re going to identify with From Baghdad with Love. If you’
re a dog lover, you’re going to want to buy it for yourself and — at considerably less than
$36 billion — it’s a wonderful gift for all your likewise doggish friends.
worked an assortment of unrelated jobs and re-upped after Sept. 11th. Kopelman is a
Lieutenant Colonel, and a guy doesn’t get to be a Lieutenant Colonel without knowing the
rules better than he knows his name.
Rule Number One-A clearly states: Prohibited activities for service members under
General Order 1-A include adopting as pets or mascots, caring for or feeding any type of
domestic or wild animal.
So why did Kopelman fall in love with a puppy on a makeshift base in Fallujah?
He wondered that himself.
The pup was found in an abandoned building, all alone and starving. He couldn’t have
been but six weeks old, but he already had an attitude. An elite group of Marines
discovered the little guy and brought him back to camp. Since they called themselves the
Lava Dogs, the pup got the name Lava.
Kopelman tried to distance himself from the dog, but it was hard to do when the mutt
insisted on sleeping on Kopelman’s cot and peeing on his boots. Before long,
Kopelman owned a dog and Lava owned the heart of a tough, taught-to-kill Marine.
But there was a problem: Kopelman was about to be sent home for good and there was
no way Lava could get on the plane with him. Kopelman knew that abandoning Lava in
Iraq would mean certain death for the pup. Waging a campaign of e-mails to save his
friend, Kopelman finally found a way to get Lava back to the states. But how would he
ever get him to the airport in time?
There have been dozens of books written about Iraq, the Iraqis, and the war, but this one
has a feel-good ending and it will make you smile. Consider From Baghdad with Love as
this year’s Marley & Me in camouflage. Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman tells his and
Lava’s story with humor, slight gee-whiz-what-am-I-doing embarrassment, and a whole
lotta puppy love.
Be aware that there are some four-letter words, but it’s not gratuitous and fits in with the
Marine-tough narrative.
If you’re a veteran of any war, you’re going to identify with From Baghdad with Love. If you’
re a dog lover, you’re going to want to buy it for yourself and — at considerably less than
$36 billion — it’s a wonderful gift for all your likewise doggish friends.
| Tail From The Frontline: A Marine, War & A Dog |
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