STILL STANDING -
THE STORY OF SSG JOHN KRIESEL
2018 UPDATE EDITION
This is not just another war story. This is the story of an ordinary young man who overcame extraordinary challenges.
In 2006 John Kriesel was nearly blown to shreds by a 200-pound roadside bomb in the parched sands of Iraq, but battlefield angels in army uniforms kept him breathing long enough to reach a field hospital. He died three times and was shocked back to life. Somehow he survived through four hospitals, 35 surgeries and months of recovery. He lost both legs and suffered numerous other major injuries, but it was the loss of two close friends that hurt the most.
The guy who wasn’t supposed to survive and was told he probably would be in a wheelchair the rest of his life walked out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center after nine months. Working with author Jim Kosmo, Kriesel reveals his motivational story in “STILL STANDING: The Story of SSG John Kriesel,” winner of eight national book awards.
REVIEWS OF STILL STANDING
"No matter what your opinion of the war, you'll be blown away by Kriesel's story. You don't have to have served near Fallujah to know what Kriesel experienced. It's all here--and in mind-blowing detail."
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE
"Whether you can teach people positive thinking is debatable. But, one thing for certain is that if Dr. (Norman Vincent) Peale was still with us, he would highly recommend 'STILL STANDING: The Story of SSG John Kriesel.'
READER VIEWS
"STILL STANDING is a moving and impressive read about how even when all seems lost, hope can still win the day."
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
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ABOUT JOHN KRIESEL
Visiting with children in Iraq
Being awarded the Purple Heart Medal by President George W. Bush.
Visiting with children in Iraq
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John Kriesel may have lost his legs and three close buddies in Iraq, but he came home with a powerful message of hope and living testimony to the value of a positive attitude to overcome any challenge.
John served as a NATO peacekeeper in Kosovo in 2004 before volunteering for deployment to Iraq. On December 2, 2006, his team struck an improvised explosive device (IED) and he was not expected to survive. He died three
times in the operating room, but 35 surgeries and nine months later he walked out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He retired as a Staff Sergeant following 10 years in the Army National Guard receiving the Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and other awards.
In 2010 he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives but decided not to seek re-election when his family said they wanted to spend more time with him.
He is director of veterans services for a County in Suburban Minneapolis, MN, a part-time personality on KFAN Radio, motivational speaker, and co-author
of the book, “Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel,” winner of 8 national book awards.