Victory Point - Ed Darack [146]
The Marines of ⅔ began heading home from Afghanistan in December of 2005, their area of operation vastly different from when they arrived. Locals, hearing of the grunts’ departure, arrived at the gates of forward operating bases, most notably, Camp Blessing, to wish tearful good-byes, a testament to the unquantifiable successes of the Marines during their tour.
Not long after their arrival back at K-Bay, ⅔ began preparing for yet another COIN campaign, this time in the Anbar province of Iraq. Although their minds were focused resolutely on the forthcoming, and very different, area of operation, none of the Marines would ever forget their time in the high, wild, austerely beautiful world of the Hindu Kush.
AFTERWORD
Inaccurate and incomplete media reports often leave important elements of any story missing in their attempt to influence an audience. The reports regarding Afghanistan in the summer of 2005 were implying weakness and incompetence about us, the troops on the ground. A tidal wave of unfortunate circumstances shook America’s confidence in the mission overseas. The enemy’s propaganda machine saw an opportunity and exploited it. We became portrayed as pathetic and, to a certain degree, doomed. We were said to be victims of policy, climate, heat, and terrain. It was implied that we were at the mercy of a better-prepared, more experienced, and hardened enemy. Some of our own media even seemed to buy into it, forgetting our strength.
My initial reluctance to cooperate with Ed Darack on this project stemmed from my own preconceptions about journalists. I learned quickly that I was wrong. A gentleman’s agreement to compose a book focused largely on the actions of my Marines (the Marines of Fox Company’s Third Platoon) throughout a daunting combat operation evolved into an intense and thrilling narrative that never deviates from fact or reality.
No exaggeration is necessary when describing the actions of the Marines of Fox Company throughout Operation Whalers. We were uninterested in policy, we routinely beat the heat, overcame the terrain, and sought out the enemy in a place they never imagined we could, or would, ascend to. Inspired by our company commander, forward air controller, platoon sergeant, and the individual efforts of each of the forty-two Marines with Fox-3 on Operation Whalers, Third Platoon achieved feats that were almost unbelievable, and entirely unreported. The story runs deep, but best illustrates successes resulting from firm doctrinal approaches to basic warfare. From the genius plan developed at the battalion level through the execution at the company and platoon levels, Victory Point tells the tale of Marines performing in exceptional fashion regardless of their given assignment within the battalion, or the adversity they faced.
I’m lucky: the small scars from minor shrapnel wounds to my right hand remind me hourly of the bravery I witnessed from the time the fighting began on August 14, 2005, until it ended in the early morning hours of the nineteenth. I remember all of the selfless contributions my Marines made. I remember the Marines who were hurt, what their faces looked like, and their desire to keep fighting. I remember the immediate and heroic actions of so many even without direction. I remember an entire group of men working together, in the midst of total chaos, to try to save one another’s lives, but to ensure the end to those of our enemy. I was proud