Book Review: Not Alone

By Farris Yawn

Many have the utmost respect and admiration for anyone who answers the call to serve and puts on a uniform to defend our country. There are those, however, who go above and beyond by answering that call over and over. First Sgt. Michael J. Conley is such a person.

In a career spanning 42 years, Sgt. Conley has served as a soldier, Green Beret, Ranger, and Ranger Instructor. He saw combat in Vietnam and Iraq and served in several National Guard units as well as an assignment in the Republic of Georgia. In between assignments and deployments, he also worked as a science teacher.

In his book, Not Alone, Sgt. Conley shares his lifetime of military experiences as well as the stories of some of the soldiers he met along the way. He shares his encounters with a few special dogs as well.

As the title implies, he did not go through this journey alone. In addition to his men and his family (particularly his wife), he gives the credit for his remarkable career to God. Even during the worst of circumstances, he never felt alone. He credits God for his safe return home.

Sgt. Conley has just released a revised edition of his memoir for a very unfortunate reason. As anyone who deals with bureaucracy can tell you, government records are not always accurate. Certain individuals, for their own reasons, seized upon such inaccuracies in Sgt. Conleys records to accuse him of being dishonest about his service. These attacks hurt him deeply, and he was determined to set the record straight. After considerable effort and expense, he was able to get his DD-214 corrected to accurately reflect his service. Those updated documents are now included in his book.

Spend some time getting to know Sgt. Conley in his own words. You will be glad you did.