Barbara Allen was just 32 years old when her husband was killed in Iraq at the hands of a fellow soldier. She speaks with Army Wife 101’s Jackie Toops and shares what it was like to raise four young boys, endure a court-martial trial, and slowly piece her life back together.
She has since triumphed over tragedy and has written two books, is a national speaker, a co-founder of American Snippets, a veteran’s advocate and supporter of other Gold Star Wives. Watch her Army Wife 101 interview here.
About Front Toward Enemy
June 7, 2005 A sandstorm obscured what light lingered in Iraq’s nighttime sky as Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez tied a claymore mine to a window grate. On the other side of the window sat Lt. Louis Allen, a husband and father of four young boys, and his good friend and Commanding Officer Captain Phillip Esposito, a West Point graduate and father of a baby girl. The men were engaged in a board game, unwinding after a hard day, when without warning the window exploded; 700 steel ball bearings erupted from the mine and hurtled inwards with lethal force, obliterating everything in their kill zone. Martinez was arrested and tried for the murders, but the military judicial system failed, and THE KILLER WAS SET FREE. How can American soldiers be at risk on their own base, among their fellow soldiers? Could these murders have been prevented? Will it happen again?
Front Toward Enemy is a personal and factual account behind the scenes of a case that is to the military judicial system what the O.J. Simpson case is to the civilian judicial system. Front Toward Enemy is available on Amazon.
About How To Woo A Widow
Something has to be done about the Hamilton sisters. Faith and Claire Hamilton are so focused on avoiding their pain that they are forgetting how to truly live. Fortunately for them, feisty family friend Ollie knows a little something about what it’s like to cope with the death of a husband. She also knows how to mix a splash of fun into the process. Now, she is determined to impart the lessons she’s learned on the two young widows she loves like daughters. Her efforts start discreetly; Faith doesn’t even realize she is being nudged into the arms of the man she has been denying her attraction for, and Claire’s long-buried lust for life is reignited by a challenging new job. With Ollie’s touch, massive meltdowns are turned into hilarious moments and the weight of shameful secrets is unburdened. Neither sister has any idea Ollie is mentoring the men who have fallen for them in the fine art of widow wooing, and no one can predict how her students or protégées will fare. How to Woo A Widow is available on Amazon.
About Barb Allen
In addition to being a Gold Star Wife, Veteran’s Advocate and National Speaker, Barb is an award-winning author of the powerful and shocking book (with 4.5 Star Amazon reviews), Front Toward Enemy and Co-Founder of American Snippets. Now, Barbara brings her life lessons to her audiences in keynote speeches and custom programs. She relates to her audiences’ lives and challenges, and teaches them how to become gladiators in their own life’s arena.
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Jackie Toops
A self-described “Jackie of All Trades,” former Army wife Jackie Toops enjoys exploring the various facets of her personality by chronicling military life, world travels, family, her love of the arts and more. Her academic background is in the fields of Interdisciplinary Humanities, Museum Studies and Nonprofit Management, and she has overseen public relations for museums, galleries and universities. Jackie’s articles have been featured on Army Wife 101, Wall Street International Magazine, SoFluential, HomeAway, Military Biz Connection and FamiliesGo. While stationed in Germany, she regularly discussed her articles on-air with the Armed Forces Network in Wiesbaden. A mother of two, Jackie enjoys coffee, freelance writing, languages and discovering new ways to express herself. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
A self-described “Jackie of All Trades,” former Army wife Jackie Toops enjoys exploring the various facets of her personality by chronicling military life, world travels, family, her love of the arts and more. Her academic background is in the fields of Interdisciplinary Humanities, Museum Studies and Nonprofit Management, and she has overseen public relations for museums, galleries and universities. Jackie’s articles have been featured on Army Wife 101, Wall Street International Magazine, SoFluential, HomeAway, Military Biz Connection and FamiliesGo. While stationed in Germany, she regularly discussed her articles on-air with the Armed Forces Network in Wiesbaden. A mother of two, Jackie enjoys coffee, freelance writing, languages and discovering new ways to express herself. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.