By Rich Fisher
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwgs/local-kwgs-870243.mp3
Tulsa, Oklahoma – On our show today, we speak with Captain Shannon Meehan, U.S. Army, and Prof. Roger Thompson of the Virginia Military Institute. They have recently co-authored a book called "Beyond Duty: Life on the Frontline in Iraq." (They'll be discussing and signing this book tonight at Steve's Sundry, at 2612 South Harvard.) Meehan was a leader of a tank platoon for the storied 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army. He graduated from VMI with distinction, having also studied at Oxford, and earned the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and other military honors while serving in Iraq --- and he's also a former pupil of Thompson's. As detailed in "Beyond Duty," Meehan (then a lieutenant) was serving during the "summer of the Surge" in 2007 when he ordered the destruction of a dwelling in Iraq that ended up killing eight innocent Iraqi civilians. This book, therefore, deals with the grief and guilt that our soldiers routinely confront as a direct consequence of serving their country.