Pierce O'Donnell holding World War II memorabilia of his father, Harry J. O'Donnell, to whom In Time of War is dedicated. Harry O'Donnell, who died in 2000 at age 88, was a genuine hero who fought with the 29th Infantry Division in the Invasion of Normandy on D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. "He was my best friend and role model," O'Donnell recalls. "His generation went to war to preserve democracy and the rule of law. That is what this book is all about: to preserve our democracy, we must be vigilant to safeguard our precious civil liberties in times of national crisis. My father and Colonel Kenneth Royall fought for the same principles."