Night of the Hawk

Dedication

One of the most stirring sights I have ever witnessed was in Vilnius, Lithuania, in May of 1991, only four months after the Soviet Army occupied the capital and massacred thirteen civilians in the street. I saw hundreds of Lithuanians waving their (then illegal) national flag, erecting posters and memorials, chanting slogans and singing songs of freedom and defiance-right in front of the Red Army tanks surrounding the national television studio. I didn’t know how long it would be before Lithuania and the Baltic states would regain their freedom, but I knew they deserved it. They wanted freedom, and they were willing to fight for it.

Night of the Hawk is dedicated to the peace-loving people of the world, and especially our friends in the now-independent republics of the former Soviet Union. May the entire world’s transition to democracy and freedom be a peaceful one.

This book is also dedicated to the memory of my aunt, Mary Kaminski, and my uncle, Richard Brown. They have left behind some very fond memories and the most wonderful relatives a guy like me could have.