When Johnny Doesn’t Come Marching Home

“Marine Lance Corporal Jason Redifer was a young man who made the ultimate sacrifice on January 31, 2005 to secure freedom for others a half a world away. In her book, When Johnny Doesn’t Come Marching Home: A Mother’s Story of the Price for Freedom, Rhonda Winfield takes her readers on a journey that memorializes the life of a young man who was reared in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, raised to fight for the freedoms and values that all too many take for granted, and died ensuring those same freedoms survived. I am thankful to Jason for the life he lived and gave and I am indebted to Rhonda for this noble story which shares her loss with her readers. With this moving story, Rhonda and Jason teach us all that the impact of one’s life often doesn’t end with death.”

- Former U.S. Senator and Virginia Governor George Allen

“This story is about the triumph of the human spirit in the midst of personal tragedy. While I disagree with the reasons we went to war in Iraq, I am truly inspired by Rhonda Winfield’s amazing journey to make sense out of a deep and heartrending loss, and move forward with courage and grace. Rhonda’s brave son, Jason, gave his life in Iraq for what he believed in, and as she tells her (and his) powerful story, she takes the reader through a personal struggle of confusion, anger, and despair, indeed she confronts her worst fears inwardly and outwardly, and begins to emerge on a path to healing, restoration, and hope. For anyone who has lost a loved one, and wants to understand how they may be able to move beyond the bitterness and pain, Rhonda’s story is a must read. I can see where Jason got his noble character from as the two of them, mother and son, merge together in this unforgettable story.”

- Nicholas Patler, Author, Jim Crow and the Wilson Administration: Protesting Federal Segregation in the Early Twentieth Centruy

”This book deals with the loss of one of our own and infuses our institution with a sense of humanity that is rooted in our history and nobility. It displays the naked truth of a family brought to its’
knees by the sacrifice of a young Marine. The book is written with a tender honesty that rips straight to the core of anyone who has a friend or family member serving in the military. After reading this book, I am reminded of three things. First, families are forever changed after the loss of a loved one, Second, the Marine Corps takes care of their own, and Third, America will never lose her freedoms as long as men and women like Jason C. Redifer rise to defend her. Whoever reads this book will come away with a higher respect and understanding of what it means to be a United States Marine.

- 2nd Lt Craig W. Thomas, USMC, Public Affairs, Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

“Amid the daily headlines cataloging the latest US lives lost in Iraq, When Johnny Doesn’t Come Marching Home is a vivid and heartfelt reminder of the effect of these deaths on mothers, families and communities across America. In laying bare her life and her grief, Rhonda Winfield has written not just a tribute to her son Jason, but a book that ought to be read by anyone wanting to understand the human impact of war on those back home.”

- Matthew Davis, reporter BBC

“America needs this book. We have forgotten that the freedom we have enjoyed for so many years came to us at a very high price and is being paid again today by the amazing heroes fighting this war on terror. Jason Redifer is one of those heroes. He will never be forgotten and, after reading this book, you will understand why. Jason was and is America! This book encompasses the struggles and sacrifices of one of those many Americans who have lost a son. Freedom isn’t free and the price of freedom is sometimes too great to bear. In a generation that thinks it’s a sacrifice to get up at 6 am, Jason Redifer shows America the meaning of true sacrifice. America should read this book and understand the price of freedom from a mother who knows!

- Scott Lee, Radio Talk Show Host, The Lee Brothers, 1140 WRVA, Richmond, VA

“This is a dramatic account of the true cost of freedom. Our freedom is not only paid for by the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who unselfishly give their lives for their country, but by those they leave behind as well. In this emotional narrative, one Marine’s mother shares her family’s grief over the loss of her son, while standing steadfast to the principles that he died to defend. After reading Rhonda Winfield’s account, you will understand what it means to make the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.”

- Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06)