Honorable Intentions: The odyssey of a American warrior who kept his eyes wide open and is willing to stand up and pull the veil away on what is really happening. Paperback – November 1, 2012

“Honorable Intentions”Author Russell Jones, Hill Country Ink © 2012Every once in a while a pearl of wisdom finds its way into the literary community and Honorable Intentions is one of those pearls. Written by a former law enforcement officer, and in my book a military hero Russ Jones, this biography takes us on a journey of the life of a former Viet Nam helicopter pilot, turned street cop, turned undercover officer, turned international undercover and surveillance asset during the failed, covert Iran-Contra debacle.While the book was published in 2012, its story is both fascinating and timeless. One can almost smell the rain, mud, blood and cordite in the air from Jones’ vivid descriptions of the VietNam countryside and the battles he participated in, Street cops and those interested in police work, especially undercover narcotics investigations will not be disappointed.Since Jones was deeply embedded in international drug smuggling operations as an intelligence asset for the State Department, the reader gets the “inside story” on covert operations that clearly got out of hand when mixed with America’s zeal to stop the spread of communist takeover of Central America.The theme of this very interesting read is to always consider the consequences of ill-considered policy and practices in war, street enforcement or when protecting the world against communist insurgency. We may have “honorable intentions” in what we do, but if we allow ignorant, politically naïve leaders to walk us down these dangerous paths, we can easily lose our way and become victims of the “Law of Unintended Consequences.”If you’re a fan of books on law enforcement, military and international intrigue, I’d put “Honorable Intentions” on my bookshelf.

I never served in Vietnam, but was stationed in Okinawa. On two different occasions I saw the tragic results of the failure caused by politicians and media coverage controlling the direction of the war, instead of the military. First, when I was hospitalized with serious case of the flu, I was in a ward filled with the injured hero's who had been wearing the "boots on the ground." Second, going home on leave, I rode a MAT's flight back to the U.S. on an Air Force Cargo jet. It was fitted with 18 airline type seats. We were told to remain in our seats the entire flight, no food, no bathroom breaks, no flight attendants. After we had been in the air about 4 hours, and everyone was asleep, I got up and walked toward the back of the plane. Pulling a curtain aside, I viewed to many coffins to count.I was a police officer both before and after my time in the Navy, and I concur with Mr. Jones, on the War on Drugs. Before going on active duty, I had made two arrests for possession of marijuana. It was not a good feeling booking 18 year old's into the county jail. Years later I was involved with a prison ministry, and met with a lot of decent men who became involved with drugs at an early age, who were now spending a major part of their lives in prison for possession. A couple were serving twenty-five to life for a "third strike" conviction for grand theft, (stealing an expensive bike; breaking into a car and stealing the radio). At the time I was told the cost of housing a prisoner was equal to the cost of a college education in any State college or university. Prohibition didn't work in the thirties for alcohol and it still not working for drugs. In fact, quite to opposite and Mr. Jones spells that fact out very clearly.The third part of the book is about Jones adventures as an ocean sailor, (with a little drug enforcement mixed in.) Makes you want to sail away, just without the enforcement.Great book, well written, and at time very humorous.

As a West Point graduate and former infantry platoon leader, I was mesmerized by Russell Jones accounts leading up to and during his combat tour as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. I frequently found my heart pounding then, and later on in the book when he served as an undercover narcotics agent in California in the 1970's-- truly the Wild West. You won't be able to put this book down for long stretches of time!

Russ insider's account of the tragedy of good people with honorable intentions fighting for bad policies is a real page-turner. Russ is a great storyteller, always humane, often quite funny and entertaining. From the Vietnam War to the War on Drugs, Russ involvement in two of the major US policy failures of the 20th century led him to question the validity of such policies. As we follow Russ through undercover operations with Hells Angels or spy mission in Central America, the futility and ulterior motives of such insane policies become quite clear.Russ makes a clear case that prohibitionism cannot succeed in a market economy, and as long as there is a demand, there will be supply. Drug abuse can certainly have tragic consequences, but treating it as a criminal issue instead of a health issue has had catastrophic consequences. Meanwhile, people die on the line of duty fighting for their government's foolish policies. How different would things be if policymakers were putting their own life on the line instead of the life of others? As a survivor of the failed war on drugs, Russ joined LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) to add his voice to the growing number of active and retired War on Drugs warriors denouncing the inanity of such failed policies. LEAP advocates the end to drug prohibition and the establishment of a regulated marketplace, taking control of illegal drugs away from organized crime and bringing it back into civil societies.Russ' book will be a great introduction to reference books on the topic such as World War D. The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization

This book brought memories of my dad, who was in the Army and worked at San Jose Police department. Well written and easy to read and follow along.