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Carregando... Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan Warde Dakota Meyer
Holding the Zero (9) Carregando...
Registre-se no LibraryThing tpara descobrir se gostará deste livro. Ainda não há conversas na Discussão sobre este livro. Dakota's story of joining the Marine Corp, combat, The Battle at Ganjigal, the deaths of his team, & life after the Marine Corp with PTSD. Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism in battle, he recounts the battle. A stunning & emotional read by a young soldier. ( ) "Into the Fire" is the inspiring story of Dakota Meyer, a U.S. Marine Infantryman / sniper. Meyer's dedication and bravery, exhibited while deployed to Afghanistan, led to his being nominated and receiving the Medal of Honor. Meyer's medal was the result of his making multiple rescue attempts to reach his brothers ambushed by Taliban forces. It's a quick read, and his story will make readers appreciative of the sacrifices of all our servicemen. On the other hand, the story will also anger many reading about bureaucratic rules of rear echelon officers more concerned with their promotions than about providing emergency support for front line troops under fire. "You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth- and the amusing thing about it is that they are." Father Kevin Keaney, 1st Marine Division Chaplain Yes, I am a Marine so my view may be a bit biased. Unlike Meyer, I served in the rather peaceful post-Vietnam Era. I read many of the Marine combat stories through the years and most were written by lieutenants, captains, on up to generals. There were also a few written by senior NCOs (NonCommissioned Officers). I always wondered what a lance corporal or a corporal would write on combat. That is the point where you are no longer a boot private and before your career takes priority. If you are a corporal and get busted it's a year before you get your rank back. It happens. It happened to me. If you are a senior NCO, you'll probably never get your rank back. If you are an officer, well, your career is finished. A corporal has that unique view of not being totally indoctrinated and yet relatively free to speak his mind. Meyer starts a story typical of many Marines: Small town background, hunter, not really attached and looking for direction. He joined the Marines, went to Parris Island, Infantry school, and eventually sniper school. The book centers on his experience in the bloody fighting at Ganjgal. Meyer pulls no punches when it comes the disastrous planning and execution of the mission. Meyer and his team were advisors to the Afghan forces and stationed at an army compound. Meyer was ordered to stay back on this mission while the rest of his team went into Ganjgal. Essentially what happened was that the men walked into a kill zone. Stuck in the open and facing well-armed Taliban who crossed over from Pakistan, chaos ensued. The senior leadership located many miles away had their own impressions of what was happening on the battlefield, despite the radio communication from the people actually there. It was a disaster and one that could have been avoided. The description of the battle reminded me of the French generals, in World War I,miles away from the front line sending wave after wave of soldiers to their death thinking, "War's not so bad." Meyer in this situation sees or rather hears what is going on and requests to enter Ganjgal to bring back his team. Refused several times he breaks orders. For a Marine, your fellow Marines are your brothers and you will do what is necessary to save them. Marines focus on teamwork and small groups. Your life is in the hands of those with you. There is a bond stronger than orders. Meyer's story is one of incredible bravery and selflessness that follows in a long tradition in the Marine Corps. Meyer gives credit where credit is due. He spoke up for the bravery of Army Captain Swenson, whose Medal of Honor package was "lost" by those "controlling" the battle from afar. He praises the actions of the army helicopter pilots. Meyer, however, shows his disgust of the higher headquarter's actions. He also explains the personal results that sometimes follow the action he saw. Into the Fire is a raw, fast-paced, simply spoken, and spoken like a Marine account of Meyer's service in Afghanistan. He is not a disgruntled veteran. He loved the Marine Corps and was proud of his service. He presents the reader with an I was there. I saw everything and it is not how the command structure reported it. Very well done and exactly what I would expect from a fellow Marine. Semper Fi, Sergeant Meyer. This was an interesting book about the absurdities of the Afgan war and one American who was thrust into the middle of it. The protrayal of this particular battle, the mind-numbing senselessness of the "Rules of Engagement", the overriding politicizing of war, the lack engagement by the upper brass and the counteracting courage of the boots on the ground - in particular Dakota Meyer was fascinating to read. Initially, this book came across a little awkwardly, Dakota's portrayal of himself as cocky and looking for a fight, made him hard to like at first. But Dakota's journey after the fight was touching, honest and his soul searching real. The impact of war on everyday soldiers, even one looking for a fight like Dakota, exacts a toll on the psyche that is described well. Worth reading. sem resenhas | adicionar uma resenha
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Biography & Autobiography.
History.
Military.
Nonfiction.
HTML:??The story of what Dakota did . . . will be told for generations.???President Barack Obama, from remarks given at Meyer??s Medal of Honor ceremony In the fall of 2009, Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol of Afghan soldiers and Marine advisors in a mountain village called Ganjigal. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was positioned to wipe out one hundred men who were pinned down and were repeatedly refused artillery support. Ordered to remain behind with the vehicles, twenty-one year-old Marine corporal Dakota Meyer disobeyed orders and attacked to rescue his comrades. With a brave driver at the wheel, Meyer stood in the gun turret exposed to withering fire, rallying Afghan troops to follow. Over the course of the five hours, he charged into the valley time and again. Employing a variety of machine guns, rifles, grenade launchers, and even a rock, Meyer repeatedly repulsed enemy attackers, carried wounded Afghan soldiers to safety, and provided cover for dozens of others to escape??supreme acts of valor and determination. In the end, Meyer and four stalwart comrades??an Army captain, an Afghan sergeant major, and two Marines??cleared the battlefield and came to grips with a tragedy they knew could have been avoided. For his actions on that day, Meyer became the first living Marine in three decades to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Into the Fire tells the full story of the chaotic battle of Ganjigal for the first time, in a compelling, human way that reveals it as a microcosm of our recent wars. Meyer takes us from his upbringing on a farm in Kentucky, through his Marine and sniper training, onto the battlefield, and into the vexed aftermath of his harrowing exploits in a battle that has become the stuff of legend. Investigations ensued, even as he was pitched back into battle alongside U.S. Army soldiers who embraced him as a fellow grunt. When it was over, he returned to the States to confront living with the loss of his closest friends. This is a tale of American values and upbringing, of stunning heroism, and of adjusting to loss and to civilian life. We see it all through Meyer??s eyes, bullet by bullet, with raw honesty in telling of both the errors that resulted in tragedy and the resolve of American soldiers, U.S. Marines, and Afghan soldiers who??d been abandoned and faced certain death. Meticulously researched and thrillingly told, with nonstop pace and vivid detail, Into the Fire is the unvarnished story of a modern American hero. Praise for Into the Fire ??A story of men at their best and at their worst . . . leaves you gaping in admiration at Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer??s courage.???National Review ??Meyer??s dazzling bravery wasn??t momentary or impulsive but deliberate and sustained.???The Wall Street Journal ??[A] cathartic, heartfelt account . . . Combat memoirs don??t get any more personal.???Kirkus Reviews ??A great contribution to the discussion of an agonizingly complex subject.???The Virginian-Pilot ?? Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
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Google Books — Carregando... GênerosClassificação decimal de Dewey (CDD)958.104History and Geography Asia Central Asia AfghanistanClassificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos E.U.A. (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia:
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