If I Don’t Return Cover
(Ret.) Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling
Valor Press Logo
Ballast Books Logo
A Desert Storm journal written for his sons becomes Lt. Gen. Hertling’s powerful reflections on character, family, leadership, combat and the legacy of service.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, March 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Valor Press, an imprint of Ballast Books, is proud to announce the release of If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal by Lieutenant General (Retired) Mark Hertling, publishing on March 10, 2026.
When Major Mark Hertling deployed to Iraq in 1990 as the operations officer of an armored cavalry squadron, he was told that half of his unit was expected to become casualties. Facing the very real possibility that he might not return home, Hertling began keeping a journal of his thoughts, hopes, fears, and life lessons for his two young sons in an army-issued green notebook.
What began as a private journal for his boys has now become If I Don’t Return, a deeply human and unfiltered chronicle of leadership, love, and the realities of going to war. In these entries, Hertling describes the rhythms of Operation Desert Storm: the waiting and uncertainty, the missions and chaos, and the courage and camaraderie. He reflects on character, faith, cultural understanding, duty, and the things he wanted his children to know if he did not make it home.
Decades later, after watching his sons become combat veterans themselves, Hertling revisited those pages. One son typed the original journal as a gift, which inspired Hertling to add new reflections shaped by his later experiences as a senior commander in Iraq, a national security analyst, a health care leader, and a professor of strategic leadership.
The result is a part battlefield memoir, part father’s message from the front lines, and part meditation on leadership and life that resonates far beyond the military.
If I Don’t Return is also a book with a purpose. In honoring the resilience and spirit of those who serve, Hertling is donating fifty percent of all proceeds to the National Ability Center (NAC) in memory of US Army veteran Pete Way, whose recovery and courage reflect the themes this book embodies.
About the Author:
Lieutenant General (Retired) Mark Hertling served thirty-eight years in the US Army as a tanker and cavalryman while also spending thirty-eight months in combat in multiple roles: as a major in a cavalry squadron during Desert Storm; as an assistant division commander in the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad (2003–2004); and later as the commander of the 1st Armored Division in Northern Iraq (2007–2008). After retiring from the army, Mark became a senior vice president for a major health care organization and later became a professor of practice in strategic leadership at the Crummer School of Business at Rollins College. He is an active public speaker on leadership, national security issues, and health care. From 2014 to 2024, Mark appeared as a military and national security analyst for CNN/CNN International. Today, he is a freelance analyst and writes extensively on national security and leadership issues for a variety of media outlets. His book If I Don’t Return offers reflections on life and service based on a journal he wrote to his young sons during Desert Storm. Mark is married to his best friend, Sue. They have two sons, five grandsons, and two granddaughters.
About Valor Press:
Valor Press ( www.valor-press.com ) is an imprint of Ballast Books and remains focused on uplifting the voices of military veterans and first responders—accounts of courage, resilience, and responsibility. As a prominent independent publisher, Ballast, through the Valor imprint, has worked with some of America’s most recognized military figures as well as countless men and women whose sacrifices may be less well-known but are equally vital. We’re always looking for new authors with powerful stories to tell.
About Ballast Books:
Ballast Books ( www.ballastbooks.com ) is a leading independent publisher known for collaborative editorial services, premium design work, and hands-on marketing that helps authors reach—and grow—their audiences.
For more information about If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal or publishing with Valor Press/Ballast Books, please contact Sarah De Vos or visit www.valor-press.com and www.ballastbooks.com.
Sarah De Vos
Ballast Books
sarah@ballastbooks.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
