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Don Bendell Biography
As an author of 25 books, Bendell draws his characters and storylines from a vivid imagination and personal life experience. A disabled Vietnam veteran he is a former United States Army Special Forces captain and served in Vietnam 1968-1969, including a tour on a Green Beret A-team (Dak Pek) in Vietnam, was also in the Top Secret Phoenix Program, and was medically-evacuated from South Vietnam in 1969. In the early 80s, he wrote, produced, directed, and co-starred in a low-budget, martial arts/action movie, The Instructor which was shown in 164 countries worldwide. He also moved to Colorado in the early 80s becoming a big game outfitter for a time and furthering his tracking skills gained through decades of bowhunting, scouting, Special Forces experience, and spending lots of days and nights in the wilderness. As a volunteer tracker, he has tracked children and adults lost in the mountains, trailed cop-killers, worked alongside trackers of the Navajo Tribal Police, ran down leads for the FBI, and has helped track, locate, and recover the bodies of lost hikers. He has spoken around the country and was even made an Honorary Oklahoman by then-Lieutenant Governor and now Governor Mary Fallin and the state House of Representaives of Oklahoma. On September 27, 2006, Don was appointed to the Colorado Governor's Council on Physical Fitness by former Governor Bill Owens, and was re-appointed by current Governor Bill Ritter on November 13, 2008, and reappointed again in November of 2010. In 2007, then-Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson honored John Elway and Bendell in a speech at the Denver VA Medical Center stating that Don Bendell was the ideal example of how a disabled Vietnam veteran could overcome numerous physical obstacles with a good exercise and diet program and live a healthy fulfilling life.
Bendell is a Grandmaster instructor in 4 martial arts (Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do, Freestyle Karate, Judo, Jujitsu)and is a Black Sash instructor in Muay Thai, has over 44 years of experience in the martial arts, is Head of Style of Shita Jujitsu and Shita Judo, is a 1995 inductee into the International Karate & Kickboxing Hall of Fame, and owns karate schools in southern Colorado called Bendell Karate. His wife Shirley was also inducted into the [International Karate & Kickboxing Hall of Fame] in December, 2010, the third woman ever, making them the first couple in history to both be inducted into the [International Karate & Kickboxing Hall of Fame]. Don Bendell says he still teaches the martial arts to keep his sanity as an author and regards it more as a ministry of sorts. Bendell's editorials have been widely-published in newspapers and magazines like Red County, the Buffalo Gap News, the (Pueblo) Chieftain, (Colorado Springs) Gazette, New Media Journal, and have been circulated by millions all over the world on the Internet. He has been interviewed by Martha McCallum on Fox News and on many radio shows, and speaks all over the country. Working with the POWNetwork.org, he has also been very instrumental in exposing phony wannabe war heroes, such as former Atlantic City Mayor Bob Levy.
Don Bendell is currently writing a new western novel, BLOOD-FEATHER which will be released worldwide in the fall of 2011 by his publisher Berkley Books and is the sequel to the very popular STRONGHEART, which is drawing critical comparisons to the best works of Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey. Like STRONGHEART, his previous novel a contemporary military thriller about modern-day Delta Force called DETACHMENT DELTA and is available through [www.amazon.com] and at many stores and bookstores worldwide. It had a release date of January 9, 2009 and STRONGHEART one year later. Bendell's trilogy of military thrllers the CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DETACHMENT series is complete with the second and third book, BROKEN BORDERS, and BAMBOO BATTLEGROUND, also in release worldwide.
Bendell is the father of 6 grown children, has 8 grandchildren , a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Colorado Christian University, and he and his wife, Shirley, are both pursuing Masters of Science degrees in Business Leadership from Grand Canyon University and graduates May 11, 2011. Don loves bowhunting for big game, fishing, dancing, sports, poetry, and the Denver Broncos. 2 of his 4 sons are currently also in the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets). His oldest daughter, Brooke, was a Christian missionary converting Muslims into Christians in India and Africa, and she and her husband were also missionaries in Central and South America.
Don Bendell is a Decade Life Member and former President (2001–2003) of the Rocky Mountain Chapter (4/24) of the Special Forces Association, the Special Operations Association, Western Writers of America, Military Writers Society of America, Life member of the VFW, DAV, and a member of the American Legion.
When asked about his occupation, Don usually grins and replies, "I am an American cowboy with a real horse and a real ranch." His 190-acre ranch ranch south of Florence, Colorado is called the Strongheart Ranch after his new western character.
Code of the West
Bendell applies his version of the “Code of the West” to his Westerns and his life:
*Cowboys should treat women like ladies, period.
Source: Wikipedia Don Bendell page
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