"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
"Black Hawk Down meets Lone Survivor."--Library Journal
