Ron Kaiser works to air the truth in first book ‘Herbert’s War’
Author Ron Kaiser
Local author Ron Kaiser has released a book that he promised his friend and fellow soldier years ago he would write.
鈥淗erbert鈥檚 War鈥� focuses on Tony Herbert who Kaiser says was one of western Pennsylvania鈥檚 great heroes that was forced into obscurity because he chose to speak the truth.
The synopsis reads that Herbert, the son of a coal miner from Herminie, was named America鈥檚 most decorated soldier by President Truman and was honored at the White House for his heroic actions in Korea. A high-school dropout, he managed to build an outstanding career in the military while pursuing an education, eventually graduating with a Doctorate.
鈥淏ut when LTC Herbert refused to go along with the cover-up of war crimes and a misguided war the Army, the Pentagon and the Nixon White House attempted to silence him and when that didn鈥檛 stop him they enlisted the aid of Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes and CBS.
鈥淭hat set off a chain of events that the media called Herbert鈥檚 War as this tough, heroic soldier fought for the honor and integrity of our country and all that it represents. He was forced out of the Army and was discredited by Wallace and 60 Minutes in a carefully edited and highly manipulated segment that Kaiser takes to task in his book.鈥�
Kaiser said he spent ten years writing the book which uses internal documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and from the sworn testimony of all the participants as a result of legal proceedings against CBS, Mike Wallace and 60 Minutes.
Kaiser was born in Rillton, Westmoreland County, a coal town of a few hundred. He lived with his mother, father and his dad鈥檚 parents until he was 7 and then moved to Herminie, a couple of miles down the road. That鈥檚 when he met Herbert.
鈥淭ony Herbert was a unique individual,鈥� said Kaiser. 鈥淗e was an outstanding soldier, but more importantly, he was a leader, both on and off the field of battle and a distorted picture of him was presented by Mike Wallace and 60 Minutes and that has never been challenged or made right until my book, 鈥楬erbert鈥檚 War.'鈥�
After writing thousands of commercials for over 50 years for a variety of businesses and industries including some 150 political campaigns, Kaiser knew he wanted to write a book.
鈥淗erbert鈥檚 War is not the book I wanted to write, but it鈥檚 the book I had to write,鈥� Kaiser said. 鈥淗e was my friend who served his country with honor and heroism and then that country, or more accurately, some powerful people with their own agendas set out to destroy him.
鈥淗e would not compromise his principles, and He was not going to let the Army he loved be compromised by self-seeking generals and politicians while our kids were getting killed because of it,鈥� Kaiser added.
Herbert died of cancer in a Veteran鈥檚 Home in Florence, Colorado on June 7, 2004.
鈥淚 will spend the rest of my life fighting to restore the honor of my friend and one of our truly great heroes,鈥� Kaiser said.
The author has actually written four books, but 鈥淗erbert鈥檚 War鈥� is the first one that鈥檚 been published.
His second, 鈥淪lippery Slopes鈥� is a fictional thriller that he hopes to release in 2020. The others will follow accordingly.
His first published book is available on Amazon and Herbertswar.com for $19.95.