Salem, OR – September 21, 2026 Author Tom Holtom has released his new historical novel, Semper Fidelis: The Homecoming of Carlson’s Raiders, a story that follows the decades-long effort to identify American service members lost during a World War II raid in the Pacific. The book moves between the urgency of 1942 and the quiet, painstaking work of forensic identification that continued for generations after the war ended.
Carlson’s Raiders were a Marine unit known for a bold, high-risk mission early in the war. Some of the men never returned home, and their families spent decades not knowing what had happened to them. Holtom’s novel follows the scientists, investigators, and relatives who worked for years to answer that question, weaving historical research with the personal weight carried by families who waited for news.
The narrative moves between two timelines, giving readers a front-row seat to both the original mission and the identification process that unfolded years later inside a military forensic laboratory. Rather than treating the recovery effort as a footnote, Holtom places it at the center of the story, showing readers the methodical, often unseen work behind every name confirmed and every family finally notified.
Holtom writes from a personal vantage point. Listed as PNOK, or primary next of kin, in official identification records, he brings firsthand insight into what it means to wait for answers about a loved one lost in war. That perspective shapes the novel’s attention to detail and its respect for the people behind the history, rather than treating the search as a plot device alone. The result is a story that reads as both a tribute and a record, informed by research and shaped by lived experience rather than distance from the subject.
“I wanted readers to feel what these families felt: the not knowing, and then, finally, the answer,” Holtom said. “This book is my way of honoring the men who served and the families who never stopped asking questions.”
Readers of military history, family memoir, and WWII fiction will find a story grounded in real events, told through the lens of those who lived it and those who, years later, worked to bring them home. It is a reminder that the cost of war does not end when a battle does, and that some families wait a lifetime for a single answer.
Semper Fidelis: The Homecoming of Carlson’s Raiders is available now in eBook, paperback, and hardcover editions wherever books are sold.
About the Author
Tom Holtom is a historical fiction author with a personal connection to the events he writes about. His work centers on honoring the service members and families whose stories shaped America’s wartime history.
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Media ContactCompany Name: Premium Book WritersContact Person: Tom Holtom P.E.Email: Send EmailCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.amazon.com/SEMPER-FIDELIS-Homecoming-Carlsons-Raiders-ebook/dp/B0H63BGXLM
