A few months ago I heard about the forthcoming book Kill bin Laden from a former Delta Force operator and personal friend of mine. St. Martin’s Press picked it up. It should be out in the Fall of this year. Perhaps a movie could accompany it.
Here’s a quick description of the book:
In late November 2001 forty members of the U.S. Army’s super secret counterterrorist unit known as Delta Force were sent to the Tora Bora Mountains in eastern Afghanistan to kill terrorist mastermind Usama bin Laden.
The author, Dalton Fury, is a retired troop commander. (Delta Force is divided into troops instead of battalion-like elements.) Of course, I know more about “Dalton” (which isn’t his real name) and his unit, but those kinds of things are just not talked about. Speaking of taboo, I’ve heard it straight from the mouths of other Delta Force operators how much they loathe Eric Haney, a former Delta operator who went public and wrote Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorism Unit. The TV series The Unit is based on Eric’s book and he serves as its tactical consultant.
With all the personal struggles Dalton must have faced and with some of his personal contacts who have blacklisted him (or who will), I’d rather take a kinder approach and say, “Good for you, brother.” Your decision took A LOT of courage.
A while back I faced a similar struggle. After extensive consideration and pondering, I felt I should write a book. I would talk about things that weren’t made public—secret things. To say that decision was a struggle would be an understatement.
Back then I called a trusted advisor and personal friend—my special operations mentor. He has seen more action, done more and knows more secrets than anyone I know. He’s the kind of guy that movies are made about and who should have been awarded the highest honorary medals for combat action in times of ‘peace’, but he wasn’t because he acted as a true Quiet Professional. He’s a deeply religious Christian and I trust his opinion.
We talked at length. In the end, he suggested I should not write a book.
I took my thoughts, feelings and decisions to fervent prayer. My answer: Yes, and don’t ask again.
I’ve done and have seen some pretty interesting things. I’ve been to some interesting places and have learned a few things about life. With deep respect to my friend’s advice, I still plan to write. There are still stories yet to be told. And stories, like Kill bin Laden, that are yet to be read.
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2 comments:
I am looking forward to the book. Much of what these heroes do goes unspoken and I'm sure they wouldn't have it any other way. I can't imagine the difficulty he had deciding on whether or not to write the book, but I am glad he decided to do so. Many in America have lost sight of who the true heroes are (I recently watched a highlight of the congressional hearings on steroids in Major League Baseball and heard a congressmen tell an MLB player he was "disappointed because you were my hero", it was very disheartening for me to hear), and telling this story may help some see the risks and sacrifices these operators make for the sake of their country.
I just finished reading KILL BIN LADEN and was impressed by the obstacles the Delta troops had to overcome and the lack of support they received from their so-called Afghan allies. All the warlords mentioned in the book acted like small time criminals whose loyalty could only be bought with money and equipment. The one time Delta had Bin Laden in their sights delays from higher headquarters caused them to miss their oppportunity. Delta definitely has great soldiers and patriots in its ranks.
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