Document created: 18 December 06
Air & Space Power Journal Book Review - Spring 2007

We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah by Patrick K. O’Donnell. Da Capo Press (http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/dacapo/home.jsp), Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, 2006, 288 pages, $25.00 (hardcover).

Patrick K. O’Donnell writes a gripping book detailing the second battle for Fallujah as seen through his own eyes and those of Marine small-unit leaders and their subordinates who fought the battle. According to an unknown marine, “Fallujah may not be hell, but it’s in the same zip code” (p. 157). Not for the faint of heart, the book thoroughly details numerous small-unit engagements during this epic battle waged against a fanatical and determined enemy. Not an intellectual think piece, it is instead a blue-collar, in-your-face, real-life depiction of marines fighting an ingenious, determined, and radical mujahideen insurgency, high on adrenaline and willing to fight to the death. In grimacing detail, the book notes the hand-to-hand combat waged house-to-house and building-to-building that was necessary to secure Fallujah.

This book’s perspective makes it stand out among others that deal with such battles. The author’s decision to write about Fallujah through the eyes and experiences of those who fought it—and to draw on his own observations—brings credibility and a real sense of truth to a compelling story of bravery, courage, and commitment to something greater than oneself.

Shortly after the battle for Fallujah began, O’Donnell was embedded with 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment to tell the story of its members. His observations and detailed accounts of small-unit leaders such as Sergeant Connor and Lance Corporals Hanks, de la Garza, and Sojda bring alive the constant danger and exhausting physical and mental effort required in clearing combatants out of large urban areas. Such was the case in Fallujah, where marines fought insurgents from 18 nations. Throughout the battle, young marines had to make life-and-death decisions—many times, within a split second. The right decision protected the lives of noncombatants and fellow marines, while the wrong one produced the unthinkable. In many cases, mere chance determined whether one lived or died—opening the one door that was not booby trapped, for example. Either way, as a matter of course, young marines made decisions with conviction and a real sense of purpose in spite of the inherent dangers. These types of events and decisions are highlighted throughout the book in the thoughts and words of the people who survived the battle.

The author thoroughly and accurately depicts the bond and brotherhood among marines, each willing to give his or her own life for others, fighting the fight for each other. He further captures the depths of their friendships, their thoughts and aspirations, and the absolute love, trust, respect, and admiration they had for each other. On a very personal level, he painfully recites individual accounts of the grief felt for the loss of their buddies. Most of the members of 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment were killed or wounded in the battle for Fallujah. One of the many emotional, personal acts of sincere love, kindness, and respect for a fallen fellow marine displayed in the book was that of 2nd Lieutenant Sommers. Upon the death of Sgt Juan Calderon, Lieutenant Sommers wrote a very personal letter to Sergeant Calderon’s unborn son: “I wanted to explain his values, the things that he exhibited as a Marine that defined him as a man. These were things that I know Sergeant Calderon would have instilled in his son. Some of them I picked up on just observing him, and listening to his Marines on how he led them; others were things that he flat out said about being a father. I wanted it to be a message from his father, at a time when Juan, Jr. was becoming a man” (p. 45).

Having served with the 1st Marine Regiment a number of years ago as well as having served with or taught marines depicted in the book, I appreciate the author’s depth, breadth, and thoughtfulness in showcasing the people in uniform as well as their exploits as the next generation of a national treasure: US marines. I believe that those American heroes of past wars would be proud of the next generation of Marine warriors described in We Were One. I further recommend the book to readers interested in gaining a better understanding of the Marine ethos and the conduct of urban warfare as experienced by small-unit leaders.

Dr. David A. Anderson, Lieutenant Colonel, USMC, Retired
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Disclaimer

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.

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