Review (PDF) America's Battalion: Marines In The First Gulf War
Oral history by Marines who fought to liberate Kuwait from Saddam Hussein's invading forces.America's Battalion tells the experiences of one unit, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, during Operation Desert Storm—the first Gulf War. Building from interviews with the members of the batallion, Otto Lehrack examines the nature of warfare in the Persian Gulf. The terrain of the Arabian Peninsula and the disposition of the enemy dictated conventional warfare requiring battalion and regimental assaults coordinated at the division level, so interviewees are primarily the officers and senior non-commissioned officers concerned.The 3rd of the 3rd, also known as "America's Battalion," had just returned from deployment in the summer of 1990 when they were required to immediately re-deploy to a strange land to face a battle-hardened enemy after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Theirs was only the second Marine battalion to arrive in Saudi Arabia. They participated in the first allied ground operation of the war, played a key role in the battle for the city of Khafji, and were the first to infiltrate the Iraqi wire and minefield barrier in order to provide flank security for the beginning of the allied offensive.Facing an enemy that had used some of the most fearsome weapons of mass destruction—chemical and biological agents—against its former opponents and against its own people, the Marines had been prepared for the worst. Lehrack has documented this unit's remarkable performance through the accounts of those who participated in the historic events in the Persian Gulf and returned home to tell of them.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: University Alabama Press; First Edition edition (February 11, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0817314520
ISBN-13: 978-0817314521
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #2,745,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #83 in Books > History > Middle East > Kuwait #298 in Books > History > Middle East > Saudi Arabia #350 in Books > History > Military > United States > Operation Desert Storm
While this is the story of a unit in the First Gulf War, it had direct bearing on what's going on over there now. This story follows the Third Battalion of the Third Marines (The 3/3). This is one of the famous units in the USMC having fought at Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima, then in Vietnam and in 1990 in the Persian Gulf.The author has a great ability to take oral histories from a wide number of people and put them together with his own commentary to form and interesting tale that flows very well while conveying the tone and material from the oral interview.During the war the 3/3 fought in the battle of Khafji, then were the first to penetrate the Iraqi wire and minefield to provide flank security for the beginning of the allied offensive. It is a remarkable tale of the events in the war as seen be the members of one of the fighting units.
Good book.
I bought this for my son. He was with the 3rd marines. He deployed in August and the war began on his birthday Jan 16th (17th over there I think). He's still in the service, however now he's a Green Beret serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. God Bless them all.
I served with 3/3 for three years including Operation Desert Shield/Storm and I found this book a fantastic read, even if you haven't served. As intended, it captures the essence of the experience of the Marines of America's Battalion. Returning from a 2nd deployment to Okinawa on Aug 3rd, we quickly learned we would be heading toward the Gulf into a rapidly changing environment requiring all of us to "overcome, improvise and adapt" using our training and reliance on each other to meet the challenges ahead.I am familiar with the author's work given that family members served in 3/3 in Vietnam and my father knew the Marine who first penned the phrase "No Shining Armor". What makes this style so compelling is that it is not a judgement of the events but rather an account from those who lived it. It is accurate and provides a number of details and insights that for many of us that were there either forgot or weren't exposed to given our dispersion and intense operational tempo.Personally, reading this book was a way for me to reconnect with comrades, as I've known most if not all of the people mentioned to a degree that authenticates their comments. It is incredible how familiar styles and personalities, even several of the interactions that are referred to, allowed me to renew those bonds and created an almost reunion-like feeling while reading it.3/3 is deployed to Afghanistan today and serving as it usually does, with distinguished Honor. Fortes Fortuna Juvat - Fortune favors the bold! God Bless you all and thank you for what youa are doing for us today!Semper Fidelis,XO Lima
Third Battalion, Third Marines has recently served valiantly in Afghanistan and Iraq. As always, they served their nation with honor and valor.3/3 was the battalion of Ollie North during Vietnam. It was also my battalion. I joined 3/3 not long after it returned from Desert Storm, and I was trained, hazed, and befriended by the men described in this book. I heard many of these stories firsthand from the grunts who lived it, and I can tell you this book is not only accurate but also well written.
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