Mount Pleasant, SC Author Publishes Autobiography

"A Damn Good Marine", a new book by Major Ralph Stoney Bates, USMC (Ret), has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

Stoney, as he is called, is the author of several published books and magazine articles for Police Chief, Marine Corps Gazette, and Leatherneck: Magazine of the Marines. After writing and publishing his fifth book, Dorrance Publishing published "Marine Wife, Lyn", the story of his late wife and her affection for the Marine Corps and her Marine husband. Afterward, he began this particular publication, an auto-biography of his life encountering great, good, bad, ugly, and indifferent situations as a youth, in the Corps and after retiring from its ranks, it's titled "A Damn Good Marine". As is his style, he pulls no punches, telling it as it happened, as it was, as best as he can recall, to be a possible roadmap for anyone contemplating life as a United States Marine, or any military or naval service life, especially as a career person. His life as a Marine covered the gamut as an enlisted man, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer and a commissioned officer. He has served in aviation, military police, criminal investigation, drill instructor, provost marshal, brig officer, and infantry officer. He is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War and credits his successes in life to the support bestowed upon him by his late Marine Wife, Lyn, and the many great Marines he has encountered as he moved through the "arches" of his Marine Corps career, active and retired especially one he refers to affectionately as "Arch." That would be Archie Van Winkle, Colonel, USMC (Ret), Medal of Honor Recipient. As he believes his Marine wife held the lamp, he believes "Arch" held the compass. Lyn often commented, Those MOH recipients were and are, a special breed.

"A Damn Good Marine" is a 240-page paperback with a retail price of $19.00 (eBook $14.00). The ISBN is 979-8-89341-331-1. It was published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For members of the press, to request a review copy or author interview, please visit https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/pages/media-requests or to buy the book, visit our online bookstore at https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/products/a-damn-good-marine