Written By S. Vincent Anthony
Book 1: The Patriot’s Reckoning | Book 3: The January 6 Deception
In the fading light of an August evening in 2025, Liberty Falls, Pennsylvania, hummed with the quiet rhythm of a Rust Belt town reclaiming its spirit. Thomas Harlan, the 78-year-old Vietnam veteran whose shrapnel-scarred leg bore witness to the Tet Offensive of 1968, sat on his porch swing, the creak echoing like distant gunfire. The nation had shifted under Donald Trump’s second term, inaugurated in January with promises of renewed strength, but shadows from the past lingered. Benghazi—the name stirred a deep-seated rage and sorrow in Thomas, a betrayal etched into America’s conscience. On September 11, 2012, amid the chaos of post-Gaddafi Libya, terrorists assaulted the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, killing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone “Rone” Woods and Glen “Bub” Doherty. What started as a commemoration of 9/11 devolved into a night of flames and failure, revealing gaps in security, intelligence, and leadership that eroded public trust to historic lows—Gallup polls showed confidence in government dipping below 30% in the aftermath.
Thomas had dissected the events in heated debates with his son David, the history teacher, poring over clippings from Politico, The New York Times, and declassified reports. The attack, orchestrated by Ansar al-Sharia militants, was no spontaneous riot but a planned onslaught, despite initial administration claims linking it to an anti-Islam video. Over 200 security incidents plagued Libya in the year prior, including 50 in Benghazi alone, yet requests for bolstered protection were denied. By 2025, perpetrators like Ahmed Abu Khattala had been convicted—sentenced to 22 years in 2018, with a resentencing in 2024 affirming his role—but justice for systemic U.S. failures remained elusive. No high-ranking officials faced charges, though reforms followed.
In Liberty Falls, Thomas mentored veterans like his nephew Sergeant Mike Harlan, drawing parallels to Afghanistan’s echoes from Book One. His granddaughter Emily, now 13 and curious about “forgotten heroes,” sparked community vigils where neighbors shared stories of sacrifice. As Trump’s administration vowed accountability in global affairs, Thomas pondered: Benghazi was a mirror to America’s vulnerabilities, a call for vigilance amid division. In this town of faded flags and resilient hearts, the story wove personal grief with national reckoning, kindling hope that truth could mend the fractures.
Never Forget
Coming Soon…