Fred Tomasello Jr. served three years as an officer in the U. S. Marine Corps. He earned two Purple Hearts, five Air Medals and a heavy dose of Post Traumatic Stress.

Born and raised in West Tampa, Florida, Fred graduated from the University of South Florida and worked 27 years at the Tampa Postal Service. Retiring in 1999, he and his wife Kathy Blair sold their home, bought a truck and trailer, and traveled cross-country for five years as full-time RV'ers before settling in Cheektowaga, NY, a suburb of Buffalo.

Soon after September 11, 2001 Fred started writing and discovered the spiritual renewal and catharsis associated with recording the truth about his experiences. His articles have been published in Over Coffee, a publication of the Northside Writer's Group, The Tampa Tribune, Nostalgia magazine and the The Buffalo News.

"Walking Wounded: Memoir of a Combat Veteran" is an insider's look into the life-changing events of war: A grunt platoon commander leading Marines into combat; an Aerial Observer calling in close air support; a Casualty Assistance Officer notifying families of Marines wounded or killed in action; and the long term effects those events have on a veteran's family life.

Also available on Amazon are "West Tampa Stories: Volume 1" and 2, a collection of family history and short stories about growing up in a Spanish and Italian community during the 50's and 60's.