Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 23 September 2010 — Page 10

Page 10 • The Muncie Times • September 23, 2010

From child soldier to U.S. Marine: amazing story of Congolese-born warrior

the rest of Europe, he for example, he is held up can’t get over seeing so by a “large” gun-wielding many white people in one black man who uses the place. In this ttrue story, “N”-word in ordering him Missamou tells immigra- to give over his money, tion that he is coming to But then Missamou says Sacramento, Calif., on he did not understand Valentine’s Day, to see his what the man said, but girlfriend and get engaged understood the message, to her, except he has no So, how could he then put such girlfriend. Although that message into direct the book is an interesting speech, if he did not read in some places, it is understand the language? way over-written, filled Despite this and other with a lot of details that problems, this is an inspircould be better excluded, ing book about the life and Sociologists and anthro- times of Missamou, who pologists might be inter- became a child soldier at

ested, but not most read- 11.

ers. The book uses a lot of As an ethnic civil war flashbacks, moving from loomed across his sufferhis childhood in the ing country, he began Congo to his days training using his militia connecto be a Marine in tions to ferry jewels, cash, California and being a computers and white Marine in action in Iraq, diplomats out of the The back-and-forth Congo. By 17, he was approach can be confusing rich. By 18, he was a huntto readers who are, with- ed man, his house out rhyme or reason, destroyed, his family brutransported to a civil war talized in front of him by

in the Congo, to life in his own militia.

Europe and then By 19, he'd left behind California. The chapters everything he'd ever could have read better if known, escaping to 1 he had stuck to a more Europe and, eventually, to

j chronological approach, America.

I instead of jumping from Today, Tchicaya episode to episode. Missamou is pursuing a Another disconcerting Ph.D. in education and is feature of the book is the the owner of The Warrior use of recreated dialogue. Fitness Camp, Inc., a He reaches back into the high-end personal training past and uses direct facility. He lives in Santa speech that he could not Clarita, Calif., with his possibly remember in wife and three children, such detail, without writ- For more information, ten notes. But he does visit www.thewarriorfit-

that. Another disconcert- ness.com.

ing feature is direct speech In the Shadow of Freedom from being in California,, costs $15 in the United He admits that he hardly States and $19.99 in

spoke English, having Canada,

learned French in school,

yet can recreate quotes in By T. S. Kumbula

English. In one instance,

In The Shadow of Freedom: A Heroic Journey to Liberation, Manhood, and America is a 387-page book published July 2010 by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. It is the inspiring and uplifting story of Tchicaya Missamou, who was bom in Brazzaville, Congo, in the heart of Africa, became a child soldier at 11, eventually escaped to Europe, before moving to the United States, where he became a proud U.S. Marine. The book, written by Missamou with Travis Sentell, is a story about man’s stmggle and ulti-

mate triumph against seemingly impossible odds. It is a good read, which combines Missamou’s upbringing, traditions, rituals and his emergence as a member of the U.S. military and his participation in the Iraq war. This is a story about family, relationships, being tom between commitment to one’s culture , competing with the yearn to travel to Europe and then the United States. Missamou is gung ho about wanting to come to America, to explore the dream land he has only seen on TV. Ultimately, using a fake passport, he

makes it to Switzerland, Bellgium, France, Germany and then the United States. It is a story about Missamou seeing his mother raped, in front of his eyes, by political thugs. The thugs systematically looted, robbed, raped, killed, maimed ethnic opponents, all in the name of supporting political machines. He is wildeyed on the plane when white stewardesses address him as “Sir: or serve him, by bringing him beverages and food. It’s his first trip out of his native Congo , first time on a plane and first trip to Europe. In Belgium and

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