Local Marine Corps veterans hold 9/11 tribute, panel discussion on their books

A panel discussion with several Marine Corps veterans, titled “Outside the Wire: Stories from Front Line Combat Veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan,” is set for Sept. 11 at Sunshine Brooks Theater in Oceanside.

The event is a tribute to 9/11 and the service members who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades.

“We’re hosting this event on an important day of Sept. 11 and invite the local community to hear from three U.S. Marine veteran authors who have been stationed at Camp Pendleton,” said Marine Corps veteran Amy Forsythe, one of three authors on the panel.

The veterans speaking on the panel include retired Maj. Fred Galvin, author of “A Few Bad Men,” Forsythe, author of “Heroes Live Here” and retired Maj. Scott A. Huesing, author of “Echo in Ramadi.”

The veterans are slated to share their stories from the front — how they fought, what they faced and how they came back home to write about their perspectives on war in their books.

“The books are about our Marines and the sacrifices they’ve made in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during this 20-year span,” Forsythe said.

Gavin describes his book, “A Few Bad Men: The True Story of U.S. Marines Ambushed in Afghanistan and Betrayed in America,” as “the incredible true story of an elite team of U.S. Marines set up to take the fall for Afghanistan war crimes they did not commit — and their leader who fought for the redemption of his men.”

Forsythe, says her work, “Heroes Live Here: A Tribute to Camp Pendleton Marines Since 9/11,” is “a pictorial book that showcases the memorials and tributes on Camp Pendleton over the past two decades and honors the sacrifices of Marines who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Huesing says his book, “Echo in Ramadi: The Firsthand Story of U.S. Marines in Iraq’s Deadliest City,” “recounts the summer of 2006 when Marines from Camp Pendleton were patrolling the streets of Ramadi in a visceral, gripping portrayal of modern urban combat. Bound together by brotherhood, honor, and the horror they faced.”

The panel discussion will be moderated by Robert Young Pelton, author, journalist and documentary film director.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 at Sunshine Brooks Theater, 217 N. Coast Highway. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Attendees can buy the featured books and meet the authors after the panel discussion. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Temecula-based nonprofit Save the Brave, which connects veterans through various outreach programs to help them overcome post combat stress.

Tickets are $20 at bit.ly/3QzsY7E.