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Repost: Interview with Jerry Ahern, author
Growing up during the later years of the Cold War – I thought of nuclear war/World War 3 often. For whatever reason – I was naturally drawn to think – “What can I do to prepare in case nuclear war breaks out?”. I read books, old Civil Defense brochures, and survival magazines popular in the day. I came across a book called The Survivalist written by Jerry Ahern. It followed the main character after a nuclear confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. The storyline during the first several books in the series had the main character searching the Southeastern United States for his wife and two children as they were not together when the nuclear exchange occurred. As you can imagine there was total chaos everywhere. These were action novels with lots of shooting, motorcycling riding, martial arts, and intrigue. Excellent books – I highly suggest picking one up on Amazon.com.
Oh – by the way – the main characters name was……..John Rourke.
I contacted Mr. Ahern recently as I saw that he wrote a new book involving survival and emergency preparedness. He graciously granted me the following interview:
General Background via Jerry & Sharon Ahern: At the moment, we’re the authors of eighty-one published novels, number eighty-two on the way. Additionally, two more of our novels have appeared either as audio or as downloadable E-books. THE SURVIVALIST series is available in full dress audio – multiple actors, sound effects, music, all just like a movie, but without pictures – from Graphic Audio. They’re doing a great job. And, sixty some of our books will be starting to appear once again as E-books. We’re re-vamping our website, www.jerryahern.com. I just turned sixty-four. To counter that, I do fifty pushups every morning, use free weights and do thirty minutes three times a week on an inclined treadmill.
#1. Jumping right in – what role do you feel firearms play in survival and preparedness?
Firearms are vital to survival and preparedness, if for no other reason than the inescapable fact that lots of people won’t prepare and, if things get bad, those folks will try to take what you have. Even more than that, as we all know, lots of people use anything as an excuse for wilding – winning a sports championship, a trial verdict, a natural disaster – and, in a survival situation, these people would have tons of fun because law enforcement will be stretched beyond capacity to respond. Their fun will be at your expense. Firearms should be a part of everyone’s everyday life, unless some moral or religious reason or physical or mental inability precludes having access to weapons.
#2. I have to ask – do you have a set of twin stainless steel Detonics CombatMasters? (For those that might not be aware – main character in The Survivalist carried these daily)
Yes, I do, but one of them is in natural stainless and the other has the “Detonics Black” finish that was applied by Ion Bond. It’s super-resistant to everything and is the same finish you’ll find on the stainless slides of SIG Sauer pistols, etc. These are Detonics USA (Pendergrass) pistols. When we were doing THE SURVIVALIST, I had a brace of stainless Seattle CombatMasters and a double Alessi shoulder rig that I actually used at times. Most of the time, however, I only carried one, as is the case these days. Alessi is still in business, By the way. You can find the firm on the Internet.
#3. Survivalism and Preparedness is becoming more “mainstream”. Just over the last year I have seen numerous articles and news reports on “regular” people that are storing food and buying firearms. Why do you think this is?
More people are seeing the serious possibility that something really bad might happen and coming to the realization that the incompetent left leaning leadership in the White House and the Senate and House care more about advancing radical social change than doing what makes sense. A large percentage of Americans are naïve, sadly, thinking nothing can happen, that government will protect them. But, more and more people are fearful of what could happen and are preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. This latter – preparing for the worst while hoping for the best – is a philosophy Sharon and I certainly advocate.
#4. How did you get interested in survival & preparedness?
The first thing I did when I turned twenty-one was go out and buy a handgun. The reason I did that was because it made perfect sense to be armed and seemed totally foolish not to be. By the mid-1970s, I became aware of the fact that there was a growing survivalist movement – everything from food to firearms to retreat property – and that people saw themselves as somehow being able to survive a nuclear war or whatever else might lie in store, if somehow they could prepare. I always believed, as does John Rourke, that “It pays to plan ahead.” The idea of surviving no matter what stuck with me and that is the nucleus around which THE SURVIVALIST was formed.
#5. There is a lot of danger in the world today – from what do you see is the most likely “major” event that could create a survival situation – in the short term as well as long term?
There’s so much from which to choose! We’re faced with a veritable smorgasbord of disasters. We cover the options pretty thoroughly in SURVIVE! THE DISASTER, CRISIS AND EMERGENCY HANDBOOK. We have to remember that certain disasters are not “if” class, but “when” class. For example, a really big rock from outer space will hit Earth again, just as such rocks have hit in the past. The administration trashing manned space exploration in favor of things like “Cash for Clunkers” could be the signature on human kind’s death warrant. God willing the Russians would be able to do something to save mankind from possible extinction, because we sure wouldn’t be capable of doing the job. Eventually, Yellowstone will blow. That’s not an “if,” either. I think our greatest peril is that a majority of people who went to the polls in 2008 thought so little of America that they voted for foolish leadership we now have. On Independence Day, I believe it was twenty-some percent of persons polled didn’t even know from what country we had become independent! I mean, come on! To say that some people are dumb as dirt is an insult to dirt. We have to be unapologetically proud to be Americans.
#6. Reading your blog – you hold no punches that you feel our current administration is not making positive decisions for this country. I personally am very frustrated with our government as a whole. Would you care to elaborate on your views regarding government and the Administration?
My views on government, beyond the response to #5, are – well, suffice it to say, I liked President George W. Bush. Maybe he wasn’t perfect, should have paid more attention to the economy, etc., but the Democrats are the ones who put in place such things as making mortgage loans to people who had little if any chance of keeping up on a mortgage. They’re the ones who allowed such mortgages to be bundled together into potentially disastrous financial instruments. George W. Bush’s heart was always in the right place. I wanted Condy Rice for President. Except for the fact she’s over-qualified, she would have been sensational. What I don’t like about Obama is simple – if he’s not a Communist, he’s the next closest thing. Communism is the extreme form of Socialism, which is the extreme form of leftism. When I was a kid, a leftist was an enemy of the United States. I still believe that. God willing, the American people will cancel out the Democrats’ majority in Congress and Obama and his minions will be stalled completely until they – again, God willing – get voted out of office in 2012. I have nothing against Obama as a person. I never met the guy and wouldn’t want to. I wish him a happy life after he leaves office. When he turns over the Presidency to his successor, I’ll be cheering!
#7. You recently published a new book – Survive!: The Disaster, Crisis and Emergency Handbook. My copy is currently on order – what should I expect?
Survive!: The Disaster, Crisis and Emergency Handbook” target=”_blank”>SURVIVE! THE DISASTER, CRISIS AND EMERGENCY HANDBOOK is designed to help people find their way from one end of a disaster or crisis to the other side. It’s designed to get people thinking, preparing, planning and having fun while they are doing it. It’s practical advice from which anyone can profit. I wrote it because I feel the subject is little understood by many and acquiring such an understanding can be a positive assist to those who take the time to read the book. If SURVIVE! makes it possible for someone to have an easier time in a crisis – or, possibly, saves lives – that would be wonderful. Life is precious. Not taking at least some elemental precautions is unthinkable. Sharon and I have a grown son and grown daughter. We feel about their spouses as if they are also our children. We have five grand children. Sharon and I have been friends since 1961, were engaged in 1965, married in 1968 and we work together every day. Family is the most important thing there is. After that, country. To shirk one’s responsibility to either through irrational behavior is beyond my understanding.
#8. With your previously mentioned book being released recently -How big a part of your life is survival & preparedness now?
Sharon and I try to be as prepared for any eventuality as possible. We try to stay informed concerning current events. I’ll give you some examples. There’s a radiation detector on my key ring. There’s a pistol in one pocket and a knife in another as I write the answers to your questions. My compliments, by the way – good questions. As John Rourke says, “It pays to plan ahead.”
#9. Have you ever considered re-writing The Survivalist for today’s world? Maybe a single novel with today’s firearms and environment?
Sharon and I have no plans at the moment to pick up the saga. And, frankly, if we did, about the only thing I’d change weapons-wise is I’d make certain JTR had a good Benchmade lockblade folder added to his weapons and I’d probably give him an AK-47 variant, too. Remember – I still carry a Detonics CombatMaster much of the time! I’m not big on change and that’s not a political remark. But, it could be.
10. Any new projects that upcoming you would like to mention?
We have two non-fiction books coming this fall. Both are from FW Pubs (Gun Digest Books). One is entitled ARMED FOR PERSONAL DEFENSE and the other is THE GUN DIGEST BUYERS GUIDE TO CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS. In November, Baen Books will be releasing our latest novel, entitled WRITTEN IN TIME. It’s a semi-autobiographical science fiction time travel western. We’re at work on DEFEND YOUR HOME, another non-fiction book. And, of course, we have our regular columns for GUN WORLD, DILLON BLUE PRESS and KNIVES ILLUSTRATED.
It was a privlage and an honor to have communication with Jerry Ahern and be able to present this interview to my readers.
Thank you Mr. Ahern.
Rourke
© 2012, Rourke. All rights reserved.
2012-11-24 02:01:31
Source: http://modernsurvivalonline.com/repost-interview-with-jerry-ahern-author/
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