Fine book, moving tribute | We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah

Well done | We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah | Patrick K. O'Donnell

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	• We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah Patrick K. O'Donnell Da Capo Press, 2007 - 280 pages average customer review:based on 45 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Solid accounting of the battle for Fallujah

I had a very personal interest in buying this book ... a close friend of mine is Willy Buhl, the Thundering Third Herd's commanding officer during the fight for Fallujah. He and I served together in the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines in the early 1990s. In keeping with the 'It's a small Corps' mantra, I also served with Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal when we were squad leaders in 1/4 during Desert Storm.

The book came as close one could get to telling it like it was, showing readers what life in 3/1 was like in the days and weeks leading up to November '04. I remember sitting in the Green Zone poring over what news we could get and watching Sea Knight choppers heading for the CSH knowing the house-by-house fighting in Fallujah was exacting a high toll among the Marines.

O'Donnell fills in the gaps that wasn't in any network news report, telling a solid story of small unit action and how hard close quarters combat in Fallujah was on the friendships and cameraderie among the Teufelhunden.

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Fine book, moving tribute

It's hard to imagine the magnitude and hard fighting that these Marines experienced and went through, but Patrick O'Donnell does his best to help you understand.

So many heroes and so little time to get it right, but the author does yeoman's work to bring the story of a courageous Band of Brothers together in the mazes and labyrinths of Fallujah. The battle's high cost is reflected in these pages. I'm even more saddened to know of Sean Stokes's death in Iraq in July, 2007 after he returned for a third combat tour when he didn't have to. His posthumous Silver Star only scratches the surface of how much this brave young Marine gave to his nation.

I've always had great respect for the Marine Corps and their legacy throughout American history. Although I chose a different branch of service, several of my closest friends are Marines, and I'll always be grateful for their contributions to the fight over here in Iraq. I'll never forget the camaraderie and friendship of Marine Majors Martinez, Neidigh, Roberts and Hill, all of whom I got to know in the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses at Fort Knox in the 1990s. In the pages of this book, I see the same professionalism and fighting spirit that I saw firsthand from my Marine Corps tanker brethren.

This is a good book- well worth reading. In my opinion, not quite as powerful as David Bellavia's "House to House", nor as sweeping as Bing West's "No True Glory", but close and a worthy addition to any military historian's library. Read the trio of books and you'll only begin to see the epic battle from the various warriors who fought it, but "Fallujah With Honor" is a superb tactical snapshot of one platoon's close-quarters fight, and the disproportionate price they paid for our Freedom.

Semper Fidelis, Marines. You honor us all with your actions.

Baghdad
02-08-2008

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Well done

I just read the book. I went back to post a review and was actually pissed off to read that one of the men died after the publishing of the book. I was "rooting" for him and all of these men the whole time. The book does have some typos in it. I teach HS and catch them rather quickly. However, who cares? The story is what is important. The author stated that he was nearly broke when he had it published so he probably had to skip hiring the best of proof readers. My wife likes to read out loud to me from news papers everyday. Something that she likes will inspire her to read out loud. I usually act interested even if it is a cake recipe. I rarely talk about serving in the Marine infantry. The sad things that you experience. I just tell people about the funny times. The pranks and off duty antics. I served from 81-85. I like reading factual books about battle--especially first hand accounts. My wife was rushing around the house this morning and seemed bored when I started to read a passage to her from the book. I just felt the need to let some "civilians" know what sacrifice is. She interrupted me with an ad from the paper about a bed for sale. That is usually a sign that my "military related story" bores her. I acted like she was still listening. I kept reading the part where they all get to call home on the Iridium phone. She asked me not to tell her if any of them died after that. I told her that some did. She got tears in her eyes and asked me not to tell her that it was the Marine telling his son to be respectful to the principal. I guess that women feel connected when children are involved. She then wiped her eyes and asked me why I do this to her while she started laughing at herself for crying. My 18 year old daughter then read on from there until the part with the Marine loved by all (no spoilers here). She then put the book down and asked me what the hell I was reading. With a look of disgust on her face, he asked me why I would read something like that. I told her that it is to honor the people that allow her to walk around oblivious to what goes on around this world. She asked me if I ever saw things like that. I told her that I carried some people that looked like that. That I knew what the author felt at that very moment. How heavy people are. She then asked me if I saw her Ipod. I said "No' as I slid it under a piece of news paper. She departed without it thinking that the world was coming to an end. I give Pat O"Donnell all the credit in the world for showing the courage to stay in the battle and tell this story. I thank the Lord that although I am a member of the VFW, that I never had to participate in fighting this savage. I am actually sitting here with a bad case of poison ivy and this book made me remember to stop complaining about the small stuff. How I would have had a pacifier thrown at me by a fellow grunt for crying about something like a rash. We used to keep a few around in our helmet bands for that occasion. My wife probably thinks that the itching went away. Five stars for this book. His writing style pretty much allows one to correctly assume who will be killed in combat, but it does no harm to the reader. Who cares about the typos? Buy the book along with any other related books. No True Glory is great. Generation Kill seemed like it was written by a civilian. It was entertaining to read though. I don't remember seeing Marines portrayed as so juvenile since the Movie Heartbreak Ridge. Especially Recon. Now it is an HBO series and my wife asked me if I acted like that. I responded with, "Who? Me? Like that to a Gunny? Nobody ever spoke like that to the Gunny." One Bullet Away is good. Ilario Pantano's book Warrior is superb. He is an amazing Marine. As sharp as they come in life. Robert's Ridge is excellent as well. I am now going to read House to House. The Army side of the Fallujah battle. Sorry for mentioning other books in this review but thought that they needed mention.

Mike S

www.geocities.com/matchload.geo

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Publishers Review?????

I have to take exception to the poor review given to this book because of passages like the following,

"these Marines were heroes and warriors with only macho flaws, such as heavy drinking or practical joking, while their enemies are simply terrorists. ...our troops fight because they love America and their buddies, but their opponents fight because they are drug-addled, suicidal maniacs, the author forgets what every military buff knows: one cannot be a great warrior without a worthy opponent".

Obviously the reviewer failed to read this publication before giving an opinion of it. On numerous occasions in the book the author mentions the astonishment of the Marines at the tenacity of their opponents and ability to face certain death and still carry out their ambushes. While much was said of the drug use of the enemy soldiers and their ability to absorb punishment, there was also mentioned that the foreign fighters, namely Chechins, where experts at urban fighting.
I just wish that Amazon could have have found a more accurate review to highlight this publication.

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Five months after being deployed to Iraq, Lima Company?s 1st Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, found itself in Fallujah, embroiled in some of the most intense house-to-house, hand-to-hand urban combat since World War II. In the city?s bloody streets, they came face-to-face with the enemy-radical insurgents high on adrenaline, fighting to a martyr?s death, and suicide bombers approaching from every corner. Award-winning author and historian Patrick O?Donnell stood shoulder to shoulder with this modern band of brothers as they marched and fought through the streets of Fallujah, and he stayed with them as the casualties mounted.

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