Harmon, Adam

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Harmon, Adam

PERSONAL:

Born in Manchester, NH; son of Phil and Carol Wilks; married Jennifer Von Kaenal; children: one son. Education: American University, B.A., 1989. Religion: Jewish.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Washington, DC. E-mail— [email protected].

CAREER:

Israeli Defense Forces, 202nd Paratrooper Battalion, 1990-92, member of special operations reserve unit, 1993-99 and 2002-03; served in Gulf War and Operation Defensive Shield; consultant to U.S. Marines Corp. Has also worked as a marketing director for Certicom (software company), Reston, VA.

WRITINGS:

Lonely Soldier: The Memoir of an American Soldier in the Israeli Army, Presidio Press/Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Adam Harmon is the author of Lonely Soldier: The Memoir of an American Soldier in the Israeli Army, a work that "offers an unusual perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian situation," according to Boston Phoenix contributor Mike Miliard. Born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, Harmon first visited Israel as a teenager in 1984. "It's not rational, but Jerusalem felt more like home to me than New Hampshire," Harmon wrote in Lonely Soldier. "I didn't love the United States any less, but I felt like I belonged to Israel and the place belonged to me in a way that I'd never experienced before."

After graduating from college, Harmon joined the Israeli Defense Forces, serving as a paratrooper from 1990 to 1992. According to New Zionist contributor Anya Kamentz: "One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how different the IDF is as compared to the American Military." As Harmon told John Clayton in the Manchester Union-Leader: "When I got to the military, I thought it would all be about doing what you were told, but I was happy to see the Israeli military wasn't like that. There was more of a student-teacher relationship with the commander. Rather than a strong chain of blind command and obedience, there was decision-making by consensus." From 1993 to 1999 Harmon served in a reserves unit before moving back to the United States, though he returned to Israel in 2002 to take part in Operation Defensive Shield. During his service, Harmon conducted operations in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Lebanon. "I know (peace is) possible, and I know we're going to get there," Harmon told Curt Schleier in the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. "The only question is, how long will it take us? It's only a question of time. Will it happen in two years—or two decades?"