Military Servicemember Books

Military-Writers.com is a website committed to listing military personnel who have authored books.

William Gately is a Vietnam veteran and former vice-cop from the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, DC). In 1970, after a three year enlistment in the Marines and tour in Vietnam he took the oath of police officer in the nation's capital. For the next eight years he served as a member of the Metropolitan Police Department. On June 17, 1972, William Gately was assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department tactical unit that surprised the Watergate Burglars. After leaving the joined the U.S. Customs Service, eventually rising to the rank of assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Customs in Los Angeles.

William Gately co-authored Dead Ringer: An Insider's Account of the Mob's Colombian Connection. According to publisher’s weekly, “Gatley, an employee of the U.S. Customs Service; Joe Caffaro, a Sicilian-born businessman with Mafia ties; and Leo Fraley, an American career criminal who became involved in Colombian drug-smuggling--these men are an unlikely trio to be the subjects of the same book. Yet all played major roles in court cases which tied the Medellin drug cartel to the mafia in Sicily and thence to the U.S. mafia.”

William Butler was a police officer for the Gilmer Police Department (Texas). In addition to his law enforcement career, William Butler is a former member of the United States Army. During his more than seven years as a soldier he attained the rank of sergeant (E5) and his duty stations included: Fort Sam Houston (Texas); White Sands Missile Range (New Mexico: and, two overseas tours. One of his military assignments overseas was as a patrol officer assigned to the Allied Checkpoints Bravo and Charlie in Berlin, Germany.

William Butler is the author of I Remember Tomorrow. According to the book description, “In an attempt to rebuild her life, Jeanette relocates to a quiet little town, after spending ten years in the military and suffering a failed marriage. But Jeanette is a precognitive; able to see the future.”

Douglas J. Vaughn graduated with honors from the New York Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. He is a former United States Marine and Vietnam veteran, having served as a forward observer for artillery, naval gunfire and air strikes. He spent most of his thirteen-month tour in Vietnam just below the Demilitarized Zone near the Cua Viet River with the 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion where he served with Ron Kovic, the author of “Born on the Fourth of July.

Douglas Vaughn is also a veteran of the New York Police Department. While assigned to the 48th Precinct in the South Bronx, he gave technical advice to Paul Newman during the filming of “Fort Apache The Bronx.” He also worked in the 20th Precinct on Manhattan’s upper West Side and in the Highway Patrol Unit. Douglas Vaughn He spent his final years with the Police Department planning escorts for dignitaries and was forced to retire in his twentieth year due to an injury incurred while escorting former President George H.W. Bush. He is also one of the 200, or so, officers who has been awarded the Police Combat Cross since its inception in 1934. This second highest Department award is given for “exemplification of extraordinary bravery in armed combat.”

Douglas Vaughn is the author of From the Heights. According to the book description of From the Heights, it “begins in the New York City of the 1930’s and takes the reader to the war in the Pacific and the secret workings of the OSS in Italy and Switzerland during World War II. It is a story of the privileged that summer in South Hampton and the poor who swim in the Harlem River. It is a story of social climbing and empire building. It follows the lives and loves of two generations and delves into the inner workings of the New York Police Department and battles fought by United States Marines in Vietnam.

Military-Writers.com currently lists 41 current or former military servicemembers and their 86 books.

Failure Equals Death, and other stuff

Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former servicemember.

August 20, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 700 state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three police officer authors: John Hefley; William Butler; and Ric Robinson.

Since 1999, John C. Hefley has been the Chief of Police of the Village of Big Bend Police Department (Wisconsin). John Hefley is also the author of Failure Equals Death. According to the book description of Failure Equals Death, “Young girls are being murdered. The members of the Special Investigations Unit are responsible for identifying the killer and stopping the deaths. They find nothing that links the victims. Worse than that, no physical evidence is found at the crime scenes and there is no sign of forced entry or burglary. This is the most challenging investigation this elite unit has ever encountered. There is only one certainty: they cannot fail because failure equals death.”

Ric Robinson, a 21 year veteran of law enforcement, was a state trooper with the West Virginia State Police. During his law enforcement career, he “investigated virtually every heinous crime.” During his law enforcement career with the West Virginia State Police was the director of Media Relations. In that assignment, Ric Robinson became an integral part of thousands of interviews, not only throughout the State, but for Dateline, 60 Minutes, Nightline, Larry King Live, COPS, and many more. After early retirement, Ric Robinson “took his unique talents to legendary radio giant WLW. As a daily host, his life experience, knowledge and aggressive style made Ric a popular entertainer, covering all of today's hottest topics.” Ric Robinson is the author of Cop: The Truth Behind the Badge.

According to the book description of Cop: The Truth Behind the Badge, it “knocks the politically correct crowd back on its heels with the truth about racial profiling, serial snipers, illegal immigrants, guns, drugs, and more. Nationally recognized police expert, talk radio host and teacher, Ric Robinson, delivers a powerful reality check with real cop stories about "scum-sucking slopeheads and their lying, thieving lawyers. Ric sets the record straight regarding homeland insecurity, misuse of power and justice denied.”

William Butler was a police officer for the Gilmer Police Department (Texas). In addition to his law enforcement career, William Butler is a former member of the United States Army. During his more than seven years as a soldier he attained the rank of sergeant (E5) and his duty stations included: Fort Sam Houston (Texas); White Sands Missile Range (New Mexico); and, two overseas tours. One of his military assignments overseas was as a patrol officer assigned to the Allied Checkpoints Bravo and Charlie in Berlin, Germany.

William Butler is the author of I Remember Tomorrow. According to the book description, “In an attempt to rebuild her life, Jeanette relocates to a quiet little town, after spending ten years in the military and suffering a failed marriage. But Jeanette is a precognitive; able to see the future. It scares her and causes her to question her sanity. Matters are complicated further when she meets the man of her dreams and what follows is a series of events that threaten to push her over the edge. Now she must deal with new challenges in her career, struggle with ever increasing psychic abilities, and come to grips with her feelings for a man she wants to love but fears she cannot.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 715 police officers (representing 330 police departments) and their 1533 police books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.