Allen B WestAllen Bernard West is the third of four generations of military servicemen in his family. During his twenty-two-year career in the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel West served in several combat zones and received many honors, including a BronzeStar, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, one with Valor device, and a Valorous Unit Award. In November of 2010, West was elected to the United States Congress, representing Florida's Twenty-Second District. As a member of the 112th Congress, he sat on the Small Business and Armed Services Committees and was instrumental in the passage of the 2011 and 2012 National Defense Authorization Acts. Lt. Col. West is the former director of the Booker T. Washington Initiative at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, senior fellow at the Media Research Center, and a legacy life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. We Can Overcome: An American Black Conservative Manifesto is his third book. He is a staunch warrior for conservatism, economic growth, and the indomitable can-do American spirit. At the time of publication, West has now resolved to run for Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. He lives with his family in Garland, Texas. Read More Read Less