Book Announcements

a Master of Science degree from the University of Alaska, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Arizona, and a Juris Doctor degree from West Virginia University. Bayless also served in the U.S. Air Force for five years.

JE Dunn announced the hiring of Keith B. Gabriel ’12 as the diversity, equity, and inclusion manager for the Carolinas. Gabriel will be based in the Charlotte, North Carolina, office. In his new role, Gabriel will work directly with senior management and ensure that workforce, marketplace, and workplace initiatives are in line with JE Dunn’s encompassing diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. His responsibilities will include implementing initiatives that produce an inclusive, diverse culture, attracting diverse talent to the company, and facilitating inclusive business practices for minorities and women on construction projects. JE Dunn was founded in 1924 and is one of the country’s largest general building contractors. The company has 24 offices throughout the U.S. which provide construction management services.

Gabriel is a native of Charlotte and has worked in economic development for the past six years. He’s specialized in strategic planning across diverse groups, including site consultants, architectural firms, local economic developers, and engineering firms. Gabriel matriculated from Charlotte and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from VMI. He will graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan Flagler Business School with a Master of Business Administration and Management in 2022. He serves on the Keydet Club Board of Governors at VMI and the Student Advisory Board at UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan Flagler Business School. He volunteers for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; and Youth Public Speaking.

Bayless ’95

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Proof I Was Here by William Winslow ’61. Outskirts Press, 2021. ISBN: 9781977240965. Available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target.

The book will certainly appeal to those who care about dogs: Their behaviors, their importance in our lives, and their noble qualities that most of us (including the author) strive unsuccessfully to attain. For those not fixated upon dogs, most poems in this collection address family and the death of family, the Vietnam War, vintage North Carolina postcards in a Haiku format, and other mostly personal observations, including a neighborhood suicide, growing older, autumn, and rain.

About the Author: William Winslow lives with his wife, Susan Lewis, and two dogs in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Originally from Winter Park, Florida, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from VMI. He served a tour in Vietnam, for which he received the Bronze Star Medal. He earned a Master of Science degree in public administration from the University of Missouri. Winslow is a member of the Poetry Society of South Carolina and has had several competitively selected poems appear in that organization’s annual yearbooks. He is a longtime member of the Academy of American Poets.

Civilization at Risk: Seeds

of Strife, Second Edition by Ron D. Petitte ’65. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781527564541. Available via Amazon and the publisher.

A devastating human rights war has unfolded with precious few warriors to combat it, let alone stem the brutal injustice of Holocaust dimensions. If there is any scourge that puts civilization at risk, it is the malignant disregard for the human rights of millions of people who suffer slavery and inhumane treatment at the hands of fellow human beings. With 30 million people in slavery today, 30 million seeds of strife have been sown, as the souls of these victims are seared beyond human recognition.

Human trafficking cannot be combated by indifference or ignorance but by the education of people worldwide to awaken them to this 21st century scourge and instill in people across the globe the courage and determination to stand and fight this evil.

The book offers an immediate call to arms to fight the evil that the human slaver wages against any attempts to create a just and benevolent civilization. As the pen is mightier than the sword, so, too, this book cuts to the quick to confront and dispel any efforts to mitigate the horrors of the 21st century holocaust that is human trafficking.

About the Author: Ron D. Petitte, D.P.A., retired at the end of the spring 2019 academic semester from Bryan College, in Dayton, Tennessee, after 25 years of service to become a full-time writer. He was honored with the title dean emeritus—the first time a dean has been so recognized by Bryan College. Petitte served as dean of the Bryan College Honors Institute, which included the Center for Leadership & Justice. While at Bryan, Petitte served as a tenured, full professor of politics and government. A retired U.S. Army colonel with 30 years of training and service, Petitte is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute. He served as a technical advisor for 20th Century Fox on the Academy Award-winning film, “Patton.” He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at Central Michigan and Golden Gate Universities, respectively. Petitte is a recipient of the George Washington Honor Medal, awarded by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He was selected as teacher of the year by Bryan College and recognized with dual awards for his teaching abilities by the American Political Science Association and the National Political Science Honor Society. Petitte was chosen Scholar of the Year by Bryan College for “Civilization at Risk:

Seeds of Strife,” published in 2013 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in England. The second and final work in his Civilization at Risk series, “Seeds of War,” was released by CSP in 2016. Cambridge Scholars recently selected Petitte to serve as an editorial advisory board member to assist CSP in their publishing ventures. Invited to sit at the Oxford Round Table in England on three occasions, Petitte gave papers at three Oxford University Colleges as part of the round table. Petitte’s doctoral dissertation, “One Hundred Years of Leadership in Administration,” was selected for inclusion in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the George C. Marshall Research Library. Petitte and his wife reside in Dayton, Tennessee; they have four daughters, two granddaughters, and a grandson.

Off Winchester by Paul Curs ’69. Paul Curs, 2021. ISBN: 9781639010738. Available via Apple Books.

Stewards of Humanity: Lighting the Dark-

ness in Humanitarian Crisis by Robert Séamus Macpherson ’68. Light Messages Torchflame Books, 2021. ISBN: 9781611534146 and 9781611534153. Available via Amazon, Apple Books, and Barnes & Noble.

When the world turns away from the horrors of war, genocide, famine, and natural disasters, the stewards of humanity quietly move toward the suffering. They stand as a thin line between life and death for thousands of people who will never know their stories. These stewards are neither heroes nor saints—they are ordinary people with ordinary struggles who rise to extraordinary challenges. However, they have one thing in common. They are inspirational and persuasive leaders. This is a book about people who save lives without the support of governments and large institutions by stepping outside the norms of textbook leadership and adapting “what will work” amid the chaos and incomprehensible destruction. These are the “everyday people” who never receive medals, media accolades, or public recognition. They are women and men who made a difference in situations the world ignored.

With an unflinching view into some of the worst humanitarian crises of our lifetime, the author—U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran turned aid worker—tells the stories of the people who have courageously confronted evil and injustice from Somalia to Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Throughout his narrative, he challenges us to consider our place in humanity and our own role as stewards.

About the Author: Before becoming a full-time author, Macpherson was a humanitarian aid worker and a career U.S. Marine, as well as a small business owner, serving as chief executive officer of Cosantóir Group, which focuses on organizational risk reduction and mitigation for the humanitarian community.

Previously, as a senior leader of CARE for 15 years, he directed global risk mitigation, protection, and human rights issues, in addition to leading emergency response missions around the world. In this role, he engaged with traditional actors, including the United Nations, as well as non-traditional authorities— such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Maoists in Nepal, and local militias throughout central and east Africa—to gain humanitarian access.

He has published several articles on risk reduction and response and authored two op-eds for The Washington Post, “Hope for a Changed Somalia” and “Stop the Slaughter.” He has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on “Exploring a Comprehensive Stabilization, Reconstruction, and Counter-terrorism Strategy for Somalia” and served as an advisor to the U.S. National Security Council. He is a former board member of the International Nongovernmental Organization Safety & Security Association and Global Rights, the international organization that promotes women’s human rights and combats discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Prior to transitioning to the international humanitarian field, Macpherson enjoyed a distinguished career as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. He is a former colonel with service in Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq. He earned his undergraduate degree from VMI and an advanced degree in international affairs and strategic studies from the Australian Defence University. He is the recipient of four awards for valor as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.

This book is a memoir of 50 years as a military, corporate, and airline pilot. History buffs will enjoy the flying details. Aspiring pilots looking forward to an aviation career will learn more about those three types of flying. The book has 112 short stories and 104 images to enhance the stories. The author flew on five continents. You will read about the author’s dogged pursuit of military pilot wings at VMI, his year as a combat forward air controller over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, and further assignments during 30 years of Air Force and Air National Guard affiliation. Stories also came from flying as a corporate pilot for a major international oil company based in New York and a sheik in Saudi Arabia. Airline stories as a first officer, captain, first officer (again), and check airman (for two airlines that had a contentious merger) involve career decisions and unforgettable operational situations. All proceeds go to military charity.

About the Author: Paul Curs is a member of the VMI Class of 1969. In October 2019, he received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of safe and incident-free flying. The award is the highest given to a pilot by the FAA. In his career, he piloted airplanes to 52 countries and over another 25, flew 34 aircraft variants, and operated into 94 U.S. and 88 foreign airports. As a Vietnam volunteer, Curs flew 242 combat sorties and 596 combat hours. Much of his career involved flight instruction and evaluation. He flew as a T-38 jet instructor pilot for the Air Force and an O-2A prop instructor pilot and Standardization Flight Examiner for the Air National Guard. The FAA designated him as a pilot proficiency examiner on two corporate jets and as an all-program designee on the Boeing 737 series. He is a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve colonel and retired airline captain.

Paladins: A Phantom Pilot Comes of Age by Thomas R. Shaw ’78. Thomas R. Shaw, 2021. ISBN: 9798504594248. Available via Amazon.

This is the fictional story of Nate Carson, a VMI graduate and young Marine pilot and

naval aviator just starting his military career in the early 1980s. Nate suffers a trauma during flight training that provides him the opportunity to find himself in the process of learning to fly and fight the F-4 Phantom. The book includes ripping and realistic flying sequences and immersion into the challenges, dangers, camaraderie, and hilarity of squadron life as it was nearly a half-century ago.

The book includes a section that exposes the reader to terminology, equipment, and jargon used by the brave pilots and radar intercept officers who flew this historic aircraft. Former Phantom pilots and RIOs will recognize and relive their own experiences and the places they worked and played. Those looking at this world from the outside will learn what it was like for those who experienced it.

About the Author: Thomas Shaw is a 1978 VMI graduate and a former U.S. Marine Corps Phantom and Hornet pilot. After 20 years of service, he retired as a lieutenant colonel and worked for another 20 years in the private sector and for veteran support nonprofit organizations. He flew 37 F/A-18 Hornet combat missions in Desert Storm and earned a Single Mission Air Medal (with Combat “V”), four Strike/Flight Air Medals, and a Navy Commendation Medal (with Combat “V”). He was also awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for his subsequent tour with the USMC Aviation Doctrine Division. Now fully retired, he and his wife, Pam, live on a small ranch near San Antonio, Texas, where they spoil their rescued dogs and their grandchildren.

Ancient of Genes by Dan Gallagher ’81. ISBN: 9781737649-03, 9781737649410, 9781737649427. Available via Amazon.

Cloning sheep and chimps was only the beginning. Using fossil gene redemption, geneticist Kevin G. Harrigan experiments with genes from a frozen “Ice Man.” His work prompts Ishmail Mon, Iraqi leader, to provide resources for exciting new research that enables Harrigan’s team to regenerate extinct “cryptids” and human subspecies from the ice ages. But FGR can be the basis for genetic weapons of mass destruction, and U.S. intelligence and defense leaders must act.

Radically distinct from “Jurassic Park,” the book shows new megafauna regeneration methods by which the only prophecy held in common among major religions and mythical traditions could manifest: Some form of regeneration of human ancestors and megafauna. Once considered junk DNA, personality genes and other traits archive in lineages. These genes await a virus vector that targets meiosis to re-express them in all subsequent generations. This can start a resurrection cascade, enabling Mon to ruin enemy genomes, improve his allies’ genes—and inherit the Earth. Harrigan’s frightening choice can lead to redemption—or the terrifying sunset of humanity! This is Book 1 in the Ancient Beacon series.

About the Author: Dan Gallagher graduated third among economics majors and simultaneously completed the modern languages curriculum at VMI. He served in the infantry, then as a reservist in a special forces support role, next as a training company commander, and later in a classified Army Research Institute role. Gallagher completed his Master of Business Administration degree at the College of William & Mary in 1986. He and his wife, Laura, married in 1988, loved raising their four children, and assisted both Boy and Girl Scouts through their church. His professional designations included Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter (1989), Certified Financial Planner® (1992), and Certified Business Intermediary (2002). His 30-year practice encompassed group and individual benefits, money management, financial plans, business valuation and brokerage, commercial realty, and counseling. He has given numerous seminars at major employers and other entities. He is the author of a novel, a licensing manual, and numerous articles in journals, such as Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Financial & Estate Planning, and Charlotte Ventures. He recently completed the University of North Carolina graduate teaching program and retired from financial services to work professionally as a writer and educator.

The Encounter: Abiding with

God for 40 Days by Jack E. Ditt Jr. ’83. Jack E. Ditt Jr., 2020. ISBN: 1655733338 and 9781655733338. Available via Amazon.

The book is about a most radical 40-day season where the author needed no sleep nor food, only a desire to experience and reciprocate the overwhelming love that he felt from his heavenly father. He experienced firsthand what it means to be a son of God on planet Earth, serving his father with radical, seemingly normal, yet crazy supernatural exploits. He then shares how this experience catapulted him into everyday abundant life occurrences and finally explains theologically speaking what occurred to him during the initial encounter and the many ways that his father has communicated with him. A parallel theme to this story is the importance of having an earthly shepherd and the significance of the meaningful relationships and interactions with our true family of God as we walk out our days on Earth as it is in heaven.

About the Author: Jack E. Ditt Jr. is a former U.S. Air Force aviator and captain. He had a radical transformation after attending the Methodist Church most of his life. He lives with his wife, Stacey, in Shreveport, Louisiana, where they own the Eagle Financial Management Services investment management firm. He matriculated from Annville, Pennsylvania, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and business from VMI. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Louisiana Tech University.