The Frontline Generation: How We Served Post 9/11

By Mike Bazinet

Marjorie K. Eastman, author of The Frontline Generation: How We Served Post 9/11, will speak on April 29 at the Transylvania County Library, 212 South Gaston St., Brevard, presented by the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas. Eastman’s talk is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the library’s Rogow Room, is free to attend, and will include a question-and-answer period.

You may purchase Eastman’s book at Highland Books, 36 West Main Street in Brevard. She will be glad to sign your book on April 29.

Born and raised in Southern California, Eastman holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego, an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in international security from the Josef Korbel Scholl of International Studies at the University of Denver. She served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer and company commander.

Eastman’s 10 years of military service included two combat deployments, one in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the other in support of Operation Enduring Freedom In Afghanistan. She started her military career in the enlisted ranks and achieved the rare opportunity of being awarded a direct commission within her first two years of service. Her final assignment was in command of more than 100 soldiers in Afghanistan. She was named the top military intelligence company commander in the eastern part of that country for the 2009-2010 deployment cycle and was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge.

Her well-reviewed and award-winning book, The Frontline Generation, is on the recommended reading list for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Center of Excellence library and museum. Eastman is active in veterans’ affairs and is a highly regarded speaker and panelist. Her husband, Charles, served 20 years as a Ranger, A-H-64 Apache Longbow and Ah-6 Little Bird pilot with multiple deployments, retiring in 2017. She lives with her husband and son, Henk, in central North Carolina.

Writing about her work, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army retired, wrote, “An often-overlooked product of costly wars since 9/11 has been a generation of thoughtful, selfless young veterans like Marjorie Eastman. Tempered by adversity and driven by a responsibility to serve, they will shape Americas future – and we’ll be the better for it.”

The Veterans Museum of the Carolinas welcomes visitors Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Exhibits cover World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, and the war on terrorism. Tours can be customized for groups by calling 828-884-2141. For more information, call 828-884-2141 or visit www.theveteransmuseum.com.