Looking for Eddie

Book excerpt: A blend of biography and military history, Looking for Eddie recounts the life and death of U. S. Marine Corporal Edward Joseph Couchon, Jr., a charismatic young man of exceptional promise and deep religious faith. He died in May 1945 in the last battle of the Pacific War, leading his men against a heavily defended Japanese strongpoint in southern Okinawa. Recovered from obscurity, Eddie's life and sacrifice serve as a timely and poignant reminder of the immeasurable costs of war. After four years in the Marine Corps that included two tours in Vietnam, Norm Schroeder became an FBI agent and a state prosecutor. He then moved to the private sector to lead the security programs of several multinational corporations. He lives in Maine.