In October 1967, eighteen-year-old Patrick Bradley enlisted in the US Army and was later deployed to Vietnam to map mobile POW camps to determine a pattern for rescuing prisoners. Combat left him physically and psychologically wounded, as it does many veterans, and Bradley struggled to adjust when he returned home. He seemed destined for military prison after an altercation in which he broke a superior officer’s jaw, but his life changed forever when a psychiatrist recommended a unique path for healing.
Thanks to a program sponsored by the Canadian government, Bradley traveled to Canada to study bald eagles and document their behavior. He found himself recovering while living alone in the wild with minimal supplies or human contact. At the same time, his work was paving the way for groundbreaking research, including the discovery of a link between the use of the pesticide DDT and a decrease in southern bald eagle populations. Later, he forged a successful career training and managing wild animals and committed himself to helping other wounded warriors by cofounding the Avian Veteran Alliance, a nonprofit that pairs veterans suffering from PTSD and physical injuries with injured birds of prey.
The Eagle on My Arm tells Bradley’s inspirational story for the first time. This moving account reveals how a soldier became a dedicated healer, using his years of study and solitude to face his demons and turn his pain into a lifelong passion for helping others.
Tabella dei contenuti
1. Foreword by Jack E. Davis
2. Foreword by Floyd Scholz
3. Introduction
4. The Unlikely Healer
5. Prison or the Canadian Wilderness
6. Survive of Die
7. The Search for Peace and the Bald Eagle
8. Back to Civilization
9. From Reptiles to Red-Tailed Hawks
10. Back to the Eagles
11. Go West, Young Man
12. The Short, Unhappy Life of a High Roller
13. Carol
14. The Art of Training Wild Animals
15. PTSD Diagnosis
16. Skyler’s Demons
17. Bay Pines VA Hospital’s Gamble
18. Avian Veteran Alliance Takes Flight
19. Telia’s Transformation
20. Joe, the Combat Medic
21. Steve Got His Wings
22. Wild Birds of Prey in Captivity
23. The Healing Power of Owls and Hawks
24. A Star is Born
25. Love Birds That Met the President
26. New Adventures
27. Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Circa l’autore
Dava Guerin is the author or coauthor of six books, including Rebuilding Sergeant Peck, Vets and Pets, and Unbreakable Bonds. She is a communications consultant and freelance writer and previously served as communications director for the US Association of Former Members of Congress in Washington, D.C. She is an active supporter of Barbara Bush’s Foundation for Family Literacy and the Gary Sinise Foundation. She lives in Sarasota, Florida.Altri ebook dello stesso autore / Editore
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