U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford releases a novel based on his Cold War experiences

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, spent four years as an Army bomb tech and he’s one of the many soldiers that served during the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union. His service ended in 1989, and for years his wife encouraged him to write a book about his experiences, he told Talk Business & Politics.

After five years of writing and countless hours spent trying to find a publisher, Crawford’s fiction novel, “The Stinger Proxy: A Novel,” has been released. The book is a work of fiction, but it’s steeped in truths and real-life accounts of what really happened to Crawford and some of the people he served with.

“The Cold War wasn’t always cold … the government prefers low intensity conflicts … I am a veteran of Charlie Wilson’s War,” he said.

Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-Texas, was a 12-term congressman who helped to provide aid to the Mujahideen, a religious group in Pakistan and Afghanistan that fought against Soviet occupational forces during the 1980s. Wilson provided help to the CIA’s Operation Cyclone which provided aid to the rebels.

His role in the conflict was popularized in the 2007 movie “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Wilson was played by actor Tom Hanks.

Crawford, who was first elected to Congress in 2010, said he wanted to write a book but when he got elected to Congress, he needed to focus on becoming a legislator. When Democrats regained the U.S. House majority in 2018, the Congressman said he had more time to focus on writing and he spent many hours working on the craft while he was flying to and from Washington D.C.

The story centers on a soldier and his experiences during the Cold War. Writing the book was the easiest part, he said. Rounds of editing and finding a publisher were much tougher, Crawford added.

“It was a point of pride for me to finish the book,” he said.

Crawford’s experiences in the Army helped to mold him into a legislator, he said. During his service he learned about discipline, how to lead, and importantly how to follow, he said.

Many people aspire to write a book of some sort, and Crawford would encourage others to do so. There is one key piece of advice he would tell them to adhere.

“Write what you know. You’ll still have to do a lot of research, but at least it’ll be about something you are familiar with,” he said. “It’ll make it a lot easier.”

What does Crawford hope readers learn when they finish his book?

“These are real people and these things really happened … it’s based on actual events. I hope this book gives an insight to the quality of people that served our country in the past and the people that serve us now,” he said.