My brother, James J. Hill, flew with Bill Mullen. Late last year he read Every Effort and passed it on to me. In addition to being a story about betrayed soldiers and deceived familes, it is a story about what went wrong in the U.S. Government.

After reading the book, I have been able to reflect upon and talk about my time in Vietnam more than I had in the previous three decades. Yet even now, I do not think I comprehend, let alone appreciate, what Barbara Mullen Keenan and all the other loved ones of men as brave and faithful as Bill Mullen were put through. I was a soldier at war. But Mrs. Keenan - and thousands of other wives, parents, children and siblings, involuntary participants all - were at the mercy of politicians and bureaucrats. Bravery and heroism are much more often the result of circumstance than of intentions or planning. Her courage, loyalty, and steadfastness over the years, even decades, have been extraordinary. America owes Mrs. Keenan a great debt.

Her efforts to get help for the prisoners in Laos and Vietnam have been valiant. Beyond that, her willingness to openly discuss the inattention and callousness of government and citizenry towards the fate of Bill Mullen and the other prisoners, how it infuriated her sense of decency and tormented her soul, is a lesson for men and women everywhere. Clearly, there is need and justification for secrecy in military confrontation. However, denying the public the opportunity to participate in a decision to commit American forces by hiding the reasons, the objectives and above all the risks, is not only immoral, but a path to disaster. A string of politicians from Kennedy to Nixon, their advisers from McNamara to Kissinger, and scores of underlings were certain that they knew everything, but they were afraid to tell the American public anything. That was the source of the fiasco we call Vietnam. If we do not acknowledge her experience, if we do not heed her message, the tragedy of those forsaken men will be repeated.

After reading "Every Effort" as a requirement for a high school class, I was surprised on how the story affected my emotions. I immediatley felt the pain that Barbara and her family had experienced. This book depicts the raw truth of how a family suffers when a loved one is sent to war. Barbara Mullen was an extremely strong woman who supported her two small children during a time in her life where her future held too many unknown answers. This book not only held the truth, but it also demonstrated how a strong person can move on after a devastating experience. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested not only in the Vietnam War, but also in the experiences that unravel in the families of soldiers.

In 1961 1st Lieutenant William F. Mullen was instrumental in teaching me to fly at Pensacola. He was only four years older than me, but he was the greatest teacher I have known in any field. Aviation has been my life, but I would never have earned wings without Bill Mullen's kindness, devotion and skill.

In 1966 I learned that he had been downed in Laos.

When the POW's were returned, I sadly noted that Bill Mullen was not among them.

Very recently I learned of this book - Every Effort - written by the wife who did everything humanly possible and much, much more to find him.

I love books. I read all the time. My favorite author is Shakespeare. I have never read a more powerful or more moving tale than "Every Effort" - and it is devastatingly true.

If this is the best America can do for good Marines - true heroes - like Bill Mullen, then we are in deep, deep trouble.

A great, great book. Someday when people can face these truths with less pain, this book will become a classic.

I am scheduled for a Permanent Colostomy in less than one week. Even though I had searched the Internet for helpful information, this book has been a tremendous source of help. It has greatly reduced my apprehension.

The authors are to be commended on they way that they have presented this information. It answers ALL of the questions that I had and more. I highly recommend this book.

This excellent book (half the royalties are donated to the United Ostomy Association) is written by a colostomate and an ET nurse and is characterized by numerous first person experiences and insights. Covering numerous topics from the typical descriptions of, different ostomies and surgeries to traveling with an ostomy, considering work situations, remaining active with exercise, children with ostomies, sex and emotional adjustments, etc., this book is written with a good sense of humor and a very down-to-earth attitude. Filled with lots of good resources, Mullen and McGinn do a great job explaining the role of the ET nurse and the role of the Ostomy Association in education of the ostomate and the public at large. A fabulous book and a must for the reference shelf.

This book is one of the few available specifically for people with ostomies. This book guides you from the ostomy surgery to dealing with social situations. I don't have an ostomy, but it gives useful advice and assurance, particularly in helping people know what to expect before and after an ostomy.