'In The Shadow Of Freedom' Reveals Man's Journey From Child Soldier To US Marine

John Muller sat down with Tchicaya Missamou, author of In The Shadow Of Freedom: Heroic Journey to Manhood and Liberation. This former US Marine grew up in the Congo and was pushed into being a child soldier when his country erupted into civil war. When a second uprising began an older Tchicaya resisted and paid dearly. He was badly beaten, and his family also suffered abuse at the hands of a militia group.

Tchicaya escaped the Congo for Belgium and made it to the USA where as a non-citizen joined the Marines rising to the rank of Sergeant and serving in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq and become one of the men responsible for the rescue of Jessica Lynch.

Through an executive order issued by President George W. Bush in 2002 that allowed legal permanent residents actively serving in the U.S. military to become immediately eligible to apply for citizenship, Missamou became a proud American citizen on August 1, 2003.

Tchicaya is now a citizen and lives in LA where he owns a successful fitness center in Los Angeles. His book "In the Shadow of Freedom" tells the story of his heroic journey. He will be signing copies of his book on Wednesday, August 25th at the Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Square.