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From Baghdad, With Love:
A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava
by Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth

After continuous months of seeing the death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq continue to rise I began to subconsciously block out anything that had to do with the so-called “War on Terrorism”. Yet some how, some of the statistics and events still managed to filter their way into my mind. One thing that I was not aware of however, was the story of a marine trying to bring home the dog he loved. I honestly do not recall any mention of this in the newspapers nor did I catch it on television either. After finishing this book I honestly felt as though I had missed out on something special by not having been aware of this when it occurred.

During the first week of the U.S. invasion of Fallujah, Iraq the members of the First Battalion, Third Marines, also known as the Lava Dogs, were securing a building to be used as their base of operations while stationed in Fallujah. They circled the building and as they heard shuffling and clicking noises inside they could only come to one conclusion – the building was occupied. It would have been the safer, and the more logical, choice to toss in a few hand grenades to clear the building before entering it. For whatever reason, they decided against and entered with their guns trained on the source of the noise. It would be the first glimpse the marines had of a small puppy soon to be named Lava. Fed on MREs, de-wormed with chewing tobacco, and bathed in kerosene to de-flea him, Lava was a source of comfort for the marines stationed in Fallujah, a reminder that despite their training and expectations, they were still human.

When I first picked up From Baghdad, With Love I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The summary intrigued me, and yet I hesitated over the book. Did I really want to willingly read literature about the war in Iraq, something that was and is such a touchy topic? Despite my hesitation, I am glad I gave this book a chance – it was well worth it.

The author, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman, does a remarkable job relaying the events leading up to the safe arrival of Lava on American soil. Along the way we are regaled with tales of Lava’s mischief, the fear and worry that gripped the people involved in Lava’s escape from Iraq and the numerous attempts it took before finally succeeding. Most intriguing, however, is the change that Lava wrought upon the author himself. Perhaps what I found most entertaining, not to mention refreshing, was the fact that Kopelman managed to lay all of the details, all of his thoughts and feelings, bare on the table for the readers to rummage through as they saw fit. He sugarcoats nothing, tells you exactly how it is, and lets you decided to take it or leave it for yourself. While he doesn’t go into crude details, Kopelman, as mentioned, does not gloss over any of the details and there are a few explicits as well. Some might find this offensive, but I found the stark honesty of the author to be like a breathe of fresh air in a room filled with people too hell-bent on censorship.

Now, not only does Kopelman do a remarkable job of conveying the thoughts and emotions that were coursing through him as he struggled to secure a safe passage for Lava out of Baghdad, but he also carefully slips in information about the situation around them. In doing so, Kopelman sets a more dramatic and real atmosphere for the reader that couldn’t have been achieved otherwise. Something that isn’t seen often enough in memoirs and biographies is research and background information. Readers are often given only one side of the story, however, Kopelman makes certain to back up all of his claims with actual data. Data that somehow becomes more alarming than flowery words could have ever hoped to be.

As the reader reads that the military began cracking down on the strays found in or around base by ordering their immediate extermination upon discovery, one can understand Kopelman and the Lava Dog’s fear for Lava. But when one sees the results of the strict enforcement of General Order 1-A¹, through anecdotes, the panic, fear, and worry that those involved in protecting and aiding Lava felt becomes all too real. It settles deep within the pit of reader’s stomach, where it sits there gnawing at you, forcing you to turn the pages at a faster pace so that you can see for yourself that everything is going to be all right.

Along with giving Kopelman another vehicle with which to help convey the emotion and thoughts behind the words, the snippets of information about the war going on around them will also help serve to give the reader a better sense of the time line in which all the events played out.

From Baghdad, With Love is a well written work that does a remarkable job of taking the reader from the comfort of their own home and placing them into Kopelman’s boots. As you read you, Kopelman’s mission to bring Lava home will become your mission as well. I highly suggest that anyone who calls themselves a pet or dog lover pick up this. Do not, for one moment however, believe that this book is only for animal lovers. The road to bringing Lava home was a treacherous one filled with a great deal of sacrifice and the selfless acts on the parts of many people. It will call out to folks from many walks of life.

Joana’s Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)

1. General Order 1-A: Prohibited activities for service members include adopting as pets or mascots, caring for or feeding any type of domestic or wild animals. [↩]