i would like to introduce you to pat o'donnell. [applause] >> thank you. i'm so thrilled so many people are here tonight that i know. i really appreciate that support for me it is a really personal kind of day. about six years ago almost to the day, i returned from iraq from the battle fallujah and that's the genesis of this entire book. for me, it was a very personal battle. i was there as a volunteer. i went over as a historian, but i was in uniform and i ended up fighting house-to-house with 31 in the first platoon. it was more less a matter of survival, and, you know, it's a battle that's still lingers on for me and every member of the first platoon and, you know, whenever january rolls around or november, i just remember that day and it's something that doesn't go away quite easily, and i asked my parents not to come to the camp when i returned in january, 2005. it was sort of a weird experience. i was completely alone, and you know, when you come home from war alone, it's sort of indescribable. everybody was there with their family members and, you k