"In a true war story, if there's a moral at all, it's like the thread that makes the cloth. You can't tease it out. You can't extract the meaning without unraveling the deeper meaning. And in the end, really, there's nothing much to say about a true war story, except maybe 'Oh.'"

- Tim O'Brien, How to Tell a True War Story

The War in Iraq exemplifies American foreign policy in the Post 9/11 world. Some say this war is just and some call it a fabrication to further the political ends of the United States. This argument will never be solved. Its proof rests solely in the belief system of the individual viewing the problem. Author Damon DiMarco understands this principle. When asked to talk about his forthcoming book HEART OF WAR: Soldiers' Voices From The Front Lines In Iraq, he refused to state an opinion on the war.

"That's not why I wrote it," he says. "I wrote it to let the people who were there speak for themselves."

DiMarco's first book is Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11. In some circles it's come to be regarded as the definitive human history of 9/11, the most far-reaching spoken word time capsule of the day that changed America forever.

"I hope this book remains in print for a very long time to come, because everyone should read it. Our children should read it. With regard to 9/11, we - as a people -cannot allow a myth to take root. We must ground ourselves in our pain if we have any hope of moving forward. And move forward we must."

- Tom Kean, Chairman of the 9/11 Commission

(from the foreword to Tower Stories.)

"Writing Tower Stories was very educational for me," says DiMarco. "It allowed me to become personally involved with this huge event that's made such a difference in all our lives. I went in seeking answers but found only questions. As it turns out, the questions were immensely satisfying. I think that book succeeds because it creates a dialogue between the reader and the people who were there, a conversation that will defy time and revisionist history. I became so enchanted with the process that I wanted to repeat it with soldiers who've served in Iraq."

HEART OF WAR: Soldiers' Voices From The Front Lines In Iraq collects frank interviews with American veterans of the War in Iraq. Their stories are, by turns, strange, shocking, sad, euphoric, humbling, and thought-provoking. "For me, the beauty of getting stories straight from the horse's mouth," says DiMarco, "is in the details. The peculiars. Every soldier's voice is different, and the way they tell their singular experiences inevitably sheds light on the overall conflict. Plus I feel that the people in our armed services are a blessing. They serve a proud tradition that shouldn't be taken for granted. They deserve to have their voices heard."

DiMarco says he's mindful as ever of allowing different viewpoints in the book's roster of participants. "That's a rule," he says. "Agitprop writing doesn't appeal to me. Creating a forum does. It's one of the reasons I had these websites designed as they are. Register. Log on. Share what you know. Meet people. Agree and disagree. That's one of the guiding principles of our country, and one I believe we should all be thankful for."

HEART OF WAR: Soldiers' Voices From The Front Lines In Iraq from Iraq will be released from the Citadel imprint of Kensington Books in early 2007. The book will feature full color photographs, many of which were taken by the soldiers interviewed in the book.

- Madoc Morrow, special to Tower Stories, Inc.
   February 4, 2006