Heroic Sacrifice

Code Name: Johnny Walker – Johnny Walker and Jim DeFelice (William Morrow)

For years we have heard about sacrifice in times of war. By in large we in the United States have been spared from making major sacrifice due to the commitment of members of our military forces and their families. Because the battle against Islamic terror has been thankfully focused off of our shores thus far our sacrifice has been minimal.

Imagine if the conditions were exactly opposite of what they are and the battle was being waged in your country and the sacrifice you were asked to make put not only your life but the lives of your family in harm’s way. Now kick it up a notch and plunge yourself into the middle of the action with some of the most highly trained, highly motivated operators in the world, the Navy Seals.

That is the story detailed in Code Name: Johnny Walker by Johnny Walker and Jim DeFelice. “Walker” and DeFelice were brought together after the later heard some details of his story from SEAL sniper Chris Kyle during some of the writing sessions for Kyle’s bestselling story American Sniper. “Walker” was desperate to try and find a way to support his family in the early stages of the Iraq war. He was rejected for a position as an interpreter, but soon found himself thrust into the middle of a situation between members of the U.S. military and a handful of Iraqis. With a cool demeanor, “Walker” defused the situation and with the recommendation of those members of the military soon found himself, being tagged with the scotch inspired moniker.

From that point “Walker” became one of the go to “terps” and a favorite among Navy SEAL Operators. The book details his cool customer demeanor in numerous high pressure situations; the volume of which got ratcheted up given the speed that the special operators worked at. Kyle, the late sniper legend, along with many others credit “Walker” with not only helping to defuse tense situations, but also saving many U.S. lives.

His is a true story of not only heroism, but one of sacrifice. What makes a story of sacrifice even more valiant, is the fact that it is made without concern for the negative impact it might have, but for the positive one it will have. It makes for a truly great story.