Lucky Enough

By Eddie Beesley and Rhonda Rein

Book Overview

A true story of an Oklahoma boy who joined the Marines and was injured in Vietnam. He was one of the first above-the-knee, double amputees of the war. His story recounts the hope, faith, gratitude and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966327675
• ISBN13: 9780966327670
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: River Road Pr
• Length: 100 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Hope Rises Out Of Despair . . .

I read "Lucky Enough," Eddie Beesley's autobiographical account of his time in the jungles and hell of Vietnam with my heart in my throat and sweat in my eyes. The sweat in my eyes is a reference to a quote in the book, "Marines don't cry, but sometimes their eyes sweat." So many accounts of the tribulation and suffering and bravery and loss of life and limb has been written about that ungodly war that the politicians would not allow them to win, but "Lucky Enough" is so heartbreakingly personal. You follow Eddie as a young man from Oklahoma to the awful hell in Southeast Asia. You meet his buddies, you feel his desires and his expectations, and finally you are with him when he steps on the land mine which will take both his legs off at the knees. This is not a self-serving book about Eddie's bravery, either in the war, or back home getting his thoughts around the fact that he would never walk again without help. This is a book of courage, understated, a love of God, and the desire to not give up. The not giving up is partly the Marine that he became and partly because of who he was before he joined the Marines; a good man who just wanted to do what was right. If you never read another book about Vietnam, please read this one.

Love and Compassion

The book stirred so many emotions in me that I had to take time to digest my feelings. The main emotion that I kept feeling was Love. Love of family. Love of Country. Love of competition. Love of his Brothers-in-Arms. But most of all Love for his wife. That kind of Love is rarely found in print. I applaud Ed for his courage to write this book and to put in print his feelings and his emotions. I applaud him even more for all the things he has done in his life and for him sharing a piece of himself with so many others. This book is a must read, especially for Veterans of all ages.

Inspirational

"Marines don't cry, but sometimes their eyes sweat." While reading "Lucky Enough" by Ed Beesley I found my eyes sweating. His story about his life up to the present is truly an inspirational read. And the old saw that "Behind every great man is a great woman" rings true when you think of his beloved wife Connie. She has always been a steadfast believer in Ed. Together they made life worth living...not only for themselves, but for many, many others. Thank you Ed Beesley for sharing your memories by telling us all that you have been "Lucky Enough."

He has been my hero my entire life.

"Some things you choose, other things are chosen for you". This quote is on the cover of his book and until you read the book and see his life so bravely laid out on the 100 pages, you cannot possibly imagine how profound that statement really is. He was wounded 2 months before I was even born and yet he has been my hero for my entire life. How can that be when I only just a month ago received his book in the mail? Because he is everything I have always wanted to be. When the chips are down, have you ever wondered what sort of person you really are? I have. Have you ever wondered if you would tuck and run or stand and go the distance? Mr. Beesley was wounded on August 31, 1965, subsequently losing both legs and has since "gone the distance", went through recovery, rehab, got married had children and grandchildren and made a real life- some of which those of us without wounds have never accomplished. But those may not have even been his toughest hurdles. He had thought long and hard about visiting the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, perhaps even fearing what he might feel when he actually touched it and felt its presence. It might seem odd to some that a man who was such a strong young Marine and such a proud man that the Wall would be his tumbling block. He had been through so much and not only endured, but prevailed! But it indeed was. I am not a veteran and I cannot tell you the powerful experience it is to see the sea of names as far as the eye can see. It is not a presence to see as much as it is to feel. I cannot imagine how powerful it probably is for a veteran and particularly for someone who has already sacrificed so much. He faced the stone monument to life and death the same way he faced his wounds- with great honor and spirit that few possess, but with stuff that seems to be remarkable possessed by so many Marines. These are the reasons he has been my hero, even before I read his book. He has risen to every foe. It is not a long book, only 100 pages, but you don't feel as if he has left things out in order to save space or spare his feelings. He has told his story in the powerful way that some epic novels require 5 times the space. There are times when you close your eyes and you see into the past and when you open them a tear will fall. You will probably wonder if you would have been able to do what he has done. Many could not. You will feel sad that so many men and women have suffered so much and feel even more touched when you realize his book is not about what the world owes him, though we clearly do, but about his journey, plain and simple, to where he is today. It is a place of envy for most of us. It would be so much easier to be bitter and angry and to spend your life in regret. I don't know if I would or not. But he is a Marine, to the core. The author is a man of strength and honor and great insight. He lost his legs to a war in a time when few appreciated or respected his sacrifice and yet he still stands taller than almost any

Inspirational - Lucky Enough

"Eddie Beesley's book, "Lucky Enough", is an incredibly sensitive and remarkably revealing testament of his life's early travails...his desire to excel...his unwavering personal pride...and his relentless quest to overcome unthinkable adversities...adversities he didn't choose. An inspirational read for all...a must read for those who think that their lives have been rough. ~ Lloyd A. King - Combat infantry squad leader - Vietnam - 101st Airborne Division - Author of "From 'Nam With Love"