Writing
this review has been more daunting than I initially thought it would be--not
because the book was terrible or anything like that--simply because the book
affected me in so many ways that I have been worried that my words will not do
justice to the incredible story that it holds on it’s pages of the men who
served in the platoon that came to be known as the Outlaws.
Outlaw
Platoon is an incredible true
story of a how a group of men from the Army’s 10th Mountain
Division—some of whom had been previously tested in battle, along with others
who were completely green—forged bonds of friendship and love that transcended
their vast differences and enabled them to become a united fighting force that
the enemy came to recognize and loath. The author, Sean Parnell, was the
platoon’s LT (Lieutenant) in 2006 when the events detailed in this book took
place. As he states in the Author’s Note, his goal in writing the book is not
to bring glory to any of his own actions during their time in Afghanistan, but
is to bring recognition to his men—a task that he performed very well in the
retelling of their story. To quote the book’s dust jacket, “Over 80 percent
were wounded in action, putting their casualty rate among the highest since
Gettysburg, and not all of them made it home.” The story of these men needs to be told—we must never forget the sacrifices
that our troops make in service to our country—and the debt of gratitude that
we owe them.
Almost
immediately upon beginning to read I was swept into the action—and before I had
even made it out of the Prologue I had already found myself on the brink of
tears. Parnell doesn’t gloss over any of the details of what they experienced
during Outlaw Platoon’s time in Afghanistan—this is a very REAL and vivid
account of what he and his men experienced during their 16 month tour (though
the book does not actually cover the full 16 months). *A brief word of
warning—if you have a weak stomach, this may not be a suitable book for you to
read as it is pretty graphic in nature. Also as may be expected (due to the
nature of the book), strong language is used heavily throughout it.*
For
the most part the book is generally non-stop action, and the pace of the book
made it hard to put down and easy to lose track of time while reading it.
Parnell’s
descriptions of his men and the people they encountered throughout the book
really made them come to life for me—and quickly drew me into their lives. So,
much so that whenever there was an injury—or worse—I felt as though I myself
had borne witness to it as it occurred and experienced overwhelming feelings of
concern, grief, and loss.
The
story contained within the pages of this book is a powerful one to say the
least—and provides valuable insight into how combat affects different men in
different ways. Being the wife of a combat veteran I really appreciated this
insight. . .it’s just one of those things that isn’t really talked about
(except veteran to veteran)—and with good reason. . .as civilians we are not really
able to relate to what happens in a combat situation (having never been through
anything of a similar nature in MOST cases)—though we may be able to empathize
to a certain level it will never be quite the same—and trying to engage a
soldier in conversation in this area without it being volunteered is a pretty
big no-no. That being said, I am grateful that Parnell dared to share his story
and the story of his men so that they would not be forgotten—and so the world
would know what the men of Outlaw Platoon did and endured along with the
atrocities they witnessed and how it forged the bond between them and made them
stronger.
Sadly,
the book ended somewhat abruptly and left me wishing it had been longer as I
felt unready for my journey with the men as the reader and ‘observer’ to be
over. I had grown so attached to them during the time I was reading the book
that I literally felt bereft when it ended.
I
read Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down
years ago, and while it was an incredible telling of the events that transpired
that deadly Sunday in Somalia, it doesn’t have the same distinction as Outlaw
Platoon does in having been
written from the perspective and memory of the (then) LT who was there through
it all and did himself experienced the events he has written about.
Overall,
I HIGHLY recommend this book—especially to my fellow military wives. Being able
to get a glimpse of what our men who go ‘outside the wire’ go through (though
every situation will of course be different) is—in my humble opinion—an invaluable
tool to being able to understand them better and help them through whatever
residual effects there may be.
Please remember to always treat returning combat vets with the consideration and respect that they have earned. Their time spent becoming a combat vet was not an easy one and will always be a part of who they are. . .somewhere below the surface.
I would like to leave you with a couple of quotes from the end of The
Return of the King (both are
spoken by Frodo. . .the long one is from the movie version, the short one is
from the book). I think that though they come from the mouth of a fictional
character these are likely the same thoughts that our combat veterans face upon
their return home—as evidenced by Parnell’s honest account in Outlaw Platoon
of both his emotions and the
emotions he witnessed in his men during their time together in Afghanistan.
“How
do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart
you begin to understand—there is no going back? There are some things that time
cannot mend. . .some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold.”
“I am wounded. . .wounded; it will never really
heal.”
