"I love to take a photograph, so mama don't take my Kodachrome away"

"No pictures, sir. Please put the camera away."

The guard's admonition did not surprise me. I'd been snapping pictures with my cell phone camera in the lobby of The Random House Publishing Group for several minutes. The space is anchored by a large security desk surrounded by walls of enormous glass-enclosed bookcases that, given the vintage of some of the contents, may have included every book ever published by Random House.

In a year, my book would be slid in among the thousands. Having just returned to the lobby from meetings upstairs, I could not resist the temptation to record the scene for posterity. I had, after all, just become the newest author in the Random House Group.

Wow.

Pippy Longstocking and me. Now THAT will impress my three daughters.

The day dawned at the legendary Algonquin Hotel, home to visiting authors for nearly a century. I'd stayed there before - perhaps with hope that some of the fairy dust would rub off on me one day.

In the previous month it had.

I met my agent at her 62 Bleaker Street office, a classically preserved Louis Sullivan treasure from the 19th century. I later met my publisher for the first time 60 blocks uptown, across from the Random House corporate headquarters. He subsequently took me through the office and introduced the individuals who had acquired Loon and will publish it next year. It was a dream. The praise for the book was without condition.

Among the players was the head of publicity. We talked about Terry Gross, Oprah, and Imus.

We talked about a book tour.

He said I needn't be concerned about going to (for example) Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They no longer invested in whistle-stops for turn outs that drew less than 10 people.

Wayne Wood is from Cedar Rapids. Woody was the most severely wounded survivor of the Battle for LZ Loon. He received the Last Rites of the Catholic Church three times and survived. He returned to Cedar Rapids to marry Jan, his high school sweatheart. They now have children and grandchildren.

Cedar Rapids?

I'd begin in Cedar Rapids.

Woody Carbaugh was from Thurmont, Maryland. Joe Klein was from Highland Park, New Jersey. Cliff Eaton was from Cortland, New York. Jim Barbour was a 19 year old PFC from New Rochelle, New York. George King, a 19 year old PFC from Clatskanie, Ohio. Tom Morrissey was from Dover, New Hampshire.

They all were killed during those three horrific days in June 1968. They were joined by several dozen others.

Where to start?

Take some pictures, Jack.

Mark the moment.

Know that now - thanks to my agent, thanks to Random House, and thanks to so many supportive friends - what happened outside of Khe Sahn, Vietnam during those three days in June 1968 will never be forgotten. Years, decades, a century from now, a new Random House author will note my weathered book behind the glass case as he too proudly joins the legendary house that told the world about the Charlie Company Marines of LZ Loon.

Thank you for visiting.

Jack