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December 17, 2021, marks the 40th anniversary of the kidnapping of then Brigadier General James Lee Dozier in Verona, Italy by Red Brigade terrorists. Dozier was held captive for 42 days before being rescued by a special operations team -- a news story that made front-page headlines around the world. At the moment news of his rescue broke, everyone was asking: How did he manage to survive this?
The source of that resilience is the compelling story that unfolds in Finding My Pole Star, an inspiring message as timely today as it was four decades ago.
Major General James Lee Dozier retired from military service after serving 35 years with the U.S. Army and NATO in the United States, Europe and Asia. In his new memoir, Finding My Pole Star, this American hero recalls the traumatic kidnapping, his military leadership career, his civilian life as a successful business executive and his active community volunteerism. He inspires us with the timeless values that have guided his life of duty, honor, country and faith -- values that can help each of us as we thrive while facing our own fears.
"This book is a must-read account of a highly accomplished and effective leader in both military and community pursuits," Rear Admiral A. Scott Logan, U.S. Navy (retired) writes in endorsing the book. "It provides a road map for all individuals who desire to develop and pursue their own life-long Pole Star as their guiding light for an ethical, meaningful and successful life of service to God, community and all mankind."
"Rock solid integrity and common-sense advice, sprinkled with a sense of humor, define this superb soldier," writes Brigadier General John "Doc" Bahnsen, U.S. Army (retired).
Among the stories General Dozier tells in this book are his journey from a tiny high school and junior college eventually to the halls of West Point; his service in Vietnam with Col. George S. Patton III, the son of the famous World War II general; his appearance on the front cover of the inspirational magazine Guideposts; and his later-in-life career in agriculture as a citrus grower in Florida.
Through it all, General Dozier tells us, he was guided by his "pole star," a reference to the ability of mariners since ancient times to navigate using the stars in the heavens to guide them. "As it gave comfort to the mariner, it is also a directional pointer to one's life and ... represents ethics, morality, and religious values and beliefs," Dozier's friend and editor Commander Douglas B. Quelch, U.S. Navy (retired) writes in the book's opening pages.
In his endorsement of Finding My Pole Star, Admiral Logan concludes simply "This is a book for these times!"
About the Author
Dozier, Major General James: - Major General James Lee Dozier is a retired U.S. Army officer who served 35 years with the U.S. Army and NATO in the United States, Europe and Asia. He was commissioned as an Army officer in 1956 following graduation from West Point. He earned a master's degree from the University of Arizona in aerospace engineering and is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. During his service in Vietnam, General Dozier was awarded both the Silver Star and Bronze Star for heroism and the Purple Heart for combat wounds. In 1981 he was kidnapped by Red Brigades terrorists in Italy and held for 42 days before being rescued. General Dozer's conduct during this harrowing period was recognized by President Ronald Reagan with several invitations to visit the White House. On retirement from active service in 1985, he returned to Florida and became a leader in agribusiness for 20 more years before retiring again in 2004. Since 1985 General Dozier has been actively involved in community groups and veterans' organizations, including the Lee County Electric Cooperative, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, the Florida Commission on Veterans Affairs, the Southwest Council Boy Scouts of America, the Fort Myers Heart Walk, Rotary Club, the Lee Coast Chapter Military Officers Association of America, Good Wheels and the local Congressman's Service Academy Nominating Committee, among others. In 2015 he was inducted by Governor Scott into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame.Quelch, Commander Douglas: - Commander Douglas Quelch is a retired U.S. Navy officer and Vietnam veteran who served on six Navy ships, commanding two of them, operating in oceans around the world. He is a graduate of Colgate University with a degree in English Literature and also holds three masters degrees in National Security Affairs, National Security and Strategic Studies, and Management, as well as a year of postgraduate study at the Defense Intelligence College in Washington DC. He served on the faculties of the Royal Naval Staff College in Greenwich, England, and the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI. Following Doug's 23-year Navy career, he lived and worked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for almost eight years as an advisor to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. He is a former president of the Lee Coast Military Officers Association of America Chapter and Foundation and volunteers weekly at the South Fort Myers Food Pantry.
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