The Fighting 69th: One Remarkable National Guard Unit's Journey from Ground Zero to Baghdad

by Sean Michael Flynn Narrated by Erik Steele

Overview

On the eve of September 11, 2001, New York City's famous National Guard regiment, the fighting 69th Infantry, was not fit for duty. Most of its soldiers were immigrant kids with no prior military experience, their uniforms were incomplete, and their equipment was derelict. The thought of deploying such a unit was laughable. Sean Flynn, himself a member of the 69th, memorably chronicles the transformation of this motley band of amateur soldiers into a battle-hardened troop at work in one of the most lethal quarters of Baghdad: the notorious Airport Road, a blood-soaked strand that grabbed headlines and became a bellwether for progress in post-invasion Iraq. At home on the concrete and asphalt like no other unit in the US Army, Gotham's Fighting 69th brought justice to this lawless precinct by ignoring army discipline and turning to the street-fighting tactics they grew up with. The Fighting 69th is the story of how regular citizens come to grips with challenges far starker than what they have been prepared for-a candid look at who our soldiers are, and what they do when faced with their toughest challenges.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Flynn (Land of Radioactive Midnight) draws on his experience as a company commander with the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard-the "Fighting 69th" of Civil War, WWI and WWII fame-for this riveting account of the unit's service following 9/11. Considered "the worst unit in the National Guard," at the turn of the 21st century, according to Flynn, the 69th was "under-trained, under-resourced, and under-led." Activated on 9/11, its soldiers were the first to arrive at ground zero, and then guarded New York City's bridges and tunnels and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In 2004, after retraining, the unit was flagged "Task Force Wolfhound" and certified for overseas deployment, but was "barely functional in the field." In Iraq, the 69th provided route security along a six-mile stretch known as "'The Most Dangerous Road in the World,'" the main highway between the airport and downtown Baghdad. Learning on the job, the 69th "effectively neutralized" the roadside bomb threat that has caused a high percentage of the war's casualties, but paid a heavy price in its own killed and injured. Drawing on combat journals, operations orders and interviews with survivors, Flynn fashions a tale equal to the making of the new, contemporary heroes of the Fighting 69th who, against all odds, restored a previously distinguished unit to its former glory. (Jan.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

JUN/JUL 08 - AudioFile

Before 9/11, the 69th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard consisted of weekenders prepared only to drink, play, and womanize. The terrorist attacks of 2001 aroused the latent leadership skills of their officers to motivate and train the unprepared men for duty in Iraq. Narrator Eric Steele uses changes in the volume and force of his voice to differentiate the author's words from those of the GIs; Steele rolls out the abundant profanity just like the men who swore it. He imitates slackers cussing out officers with insolent language that would never fly in disciplined troops. The brisk pace he keeps never impairs his clarity and makes a slow story worth pursuing until the action begins toward the end. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169806502
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	01/01/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged

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