A lot of them never talked about their experiences. I have to chronicle this.’ And at that point, they were talking a lot about the World War II veterans that were passing away. “I asked myself, ‘What’s your part in all of this? What can you do? Being a writer and an author, I thought, ‘History is happening now. “They would always say, ‘The reason we have this freedom is people put their lives on the line so we could enjoy this life,” he said.Īfter 9/11, Blehm knew he wanted to document the lives of those who serve. As a kid, his mom would share mementos from World War II to remind him of soldiers’ sacrifices. “The closest I ever got to the military is when I was in school and keeping my hair cropped really short so I could drive past the guards at Pendleton and surf Del Mar jetties,” Blehm said of his youth.īut he always had a deep respect for those in uniform, thanks to his parents. It was a fitting job for the avid surfer and snowboarder, who grew up in Valley Center as well as Escondido and now lives in Cardiff.Ĭonsidering Blehm’s grasp of elite special operations, it may surprise some to learn that he was never in the military. While now a well-regarded military biographer, Blehm got his start in journalism as the editor of Transworld Snowboarding Magazine. Roy Benavidez, who rescued fellow soldiers trapped behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War. His latest, “Legend,” recounts the experiences of U.S. A New York Times best-selling author, Eric Blehm is known for telling the stories of those who serve.

Legend by eric blehm