Grid: Volume 1 (The Story Of Communication And Language Line)

GRID is the first of four independent books that together comprise the series, The Story of Communication And Language Line (CALL). In this book, the author narrates events leading him to a career in languages. He enters the Marine Corps in 1967, is trained in the Vietnamese language and serves in some of the heaviest combat of the war. The traumatic events highlight the importance of his language skills while the emotional and psychological changes make him more aware of his inner self as he struggles to comprehend increased spiritual events. The experience becomes the motivation that sets him on the path to future humanitarian efforts and creating Communication And Language Line. The series documents the history of the founding and building of the first over-the-phone interpretation service. In 1982, by applying technological advancements and the reduction of communication costs to the large diverse language skills of Monterey, California, the company was able to economically deliver language interpretation service in over 140 languages, in any subject, at any time, and to any place. This innovative business quickly became a vital service provider to the young and growing 911 system and to the responders dispatched to save lives and property. Rapid expansion to other areas of society followed. The widespread use of this service to enable basic human communication has affected relationships between all groups within our society as well as internationally. One successful interaction, multiplied by millions of contacts and you truly have a better world. The use of this industry's service is now happening every minute of every day around the world. It isn't getting Nightly News time, but the fact that such an industry exists is newsworthy. How it came about is a fascinating, uplifting saga. A distinct aspect of the company was the large percentage of caring and compassionate people it employed. Every employee knew they would be providing vital communication to those in need. Skilled people with high levels of humanity were attracted from all over the country; some of whom never even asked what they would be paid. The personnel who were building and upgrading 911 systems became close allies and their largely selfless effort made the union with 911 a success. It is also a testament to all those politicians and citizens who saw the struggle to get the service instituted, stepped forward, and became champions of breaking down barriers to enable access to services. The series provides an account of the author's multifaceted experiences that led to a career in languages and the desire to be involved in humanitarian services. He continues with personal experiences that gave him the insights to build the future company. After the war, while assisting refugees arriving in the U.S., he met a Police Officer who was struggling to accomplish his own personal goals of humanity by ensuring the welfare and safety of an overwhelming number of arriving refugees in San Jose, California. They co-founded the company and the enormous task of making it a reality began. If you have ever felt disgusted and depressed with wars and the unnecessary deaths of young men and women on the battle fields, these books will show you how one person’s path in life is driven by the horrors of war to ensure basic services for all people. It will restore your belief in the basic goodness of the human race and yourself. And if you have ever entertained the thought of starting a business or even just doing a good deed, this story will give you hope, inspiration, and the determination to press forward. "This is a great example of something good coming out of something bad," said Editor, Barb Thomas. "In the case of service to 911, police, fire, and hospitals, there are lives and property being saved every day." Look for these upcoming books in the series: GRID: THE CROSSING GRID: CULTURAL AWAKENING GRID: BUILDING THE DREAM

Michael McFerrin was raised in a small mining town in the Arizona desert nearly 50 miles from Tucson. In 1967, he joined the Marine Corps and received training in the Vietnamese language. During this time he graduated in South Vietnamese from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. His variety of job titles while in Vietnam included “and interpreter”, which gave him a multi-faceted perspective of the war and life. As a civilian, he graduated a second time from the Defense Language Institute in North Vietnamese to enhance his ability to provide assistance to refugees in their plight to get relatives safely out of Vietnam and into the United States. Michael’s experiences led to his humanitarian commitment and to form the company, Communication And Language Line in 1982, the first over-the-phone interpretation service. A multi-billion dollar industry grew from this innovation. A four book series, The Story of Communication And Language Line (CALL), documents his, and many others’ paths to the creation of this successful company. GRID is his first published work. He resides in Minnesota.