Book - Roberts Ridge

[gmt-nyc]

One word: Amazing.

Ever since reading "Not A Good Day To Die," a excellent recounting of Operation Anaconda, albeit slightly biased (pro-Army), I've wanted to know more about what happened on Takur Ghar. My quest for knowledge led me to numerous sources, most recently to a book titled "Roberts Ridge."

I read Roberts Ridge in two days as I found it literally impossible to put down. Malcom MacPherson did a wonderful job telling the story and presenting the events without bias. The book corroborates much of what I learned through other sources including: the last few chapters of a book about the PJs titled "None Braver," the NGC-produced special "Situation Critical: Al Qaeda Ambush" and The Military Channel's "Operation Anaconda: The Battle of Roberts Ridge," along with articles and now public reports.

MacPherson not only provides stunning detail about the 17-hour ordeal on that mountaintop, but also does a fantastic job of putting readers on the front line with America's elite warriors - what was happening and what they were thinking. It is an emotional, gut-wrenching story of courage and sacrifice, but one that must be retold and whose participants must never be forgotten.

In his Dedication, the author states that he is donating a portion of the proceeds from his book's sales to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

[dive doc]

Ill second this. Simply a must read!

[Shar36]

I'm headed out to my local Borders tomorrow to pick up the copy I have on reserve. Can't wait to read this one!

[Aram]

I read this book after reading The Night Stalkers, which detailed the history of the SOAR Helo guys and that incident was mentioned. Amazing book that pretty much took my emotions and stomped on them :) (me being an emotional female and all)

[hamburger]

I am halfway through, it's a great book so far. Can't wait to finish!

[usa3]

GMT, I went out and got "Roberts Ridge" to read after your initial post about "Not A Good Day to Die" and found it to be amazing too. I was going to post about it but then forgot. I also read it in about two days. I could not put it down. Is it worth getting "Not A Good Day to Die" after having read "Roberts Ridge" first?

[beardch]

Bought it and read it awhile ago, great book, great read, we must always remember the men that perished in this tragic event.

[oldswabbie]

I saw the Military channel's documentary on Operation Anaconda, it was pretty damn tough to watch. It also included information that I did not previously know about Neil and what actually happened to him. When these events all went down, the media gave us garbled up, jumbled up pieces of **** stories about what REALLY happened. My take ~ If you are going to have Embeds (media), don't screw with so much it changes everything because later on people are going to be pissed... like now.

Anyway, back to Neil. The situation that dumped him out of that helo and all the factors of the Intelligence screws up that days just totally sucked beyond belief. I cannot read the book. I know what happened to him, it literally makes me shudder and then bring tears to my eyes. Neil was a Navy SEAL through and through - A Warrior. He was also a man with feelings no different than any of us. I dont think I really want to get into what that incredible warrior felt after he hit the ground and saw the bird leaving. He knew they wouldn't leave him up there but he knew just like any other military man ~ S*** Happens all the time. He had no idea how long it would be before they noticed he was gone but he definitely knew it was "Game Time".

Alone, on top of a mountain (ridge) that might as well have been the top of the friggin world... he was fighting for his life with every round. As a trained warrior he was measuring his fire... conserving his ammunition. He fought them for approx a half an hour and then ran out of ammo... out came his knife. All the things that must have been going through his mind that whole time. I think just the loneliness of the situation he was in was the worst. To be utterly alone... Very much like Marcus and how he felt after all his Team mates had been killed.

Neil Roberts was a true American Hero... A true American Warrior. He represents the best of what this Country stands for. What words can you say, what DO you say about men like these?

This is why I encourage these young men as they head off to Boot Camp and as they go to and through bud/s.. yes.. as they often fail bud/s. Michael Monsoor didnt make it the first time through either. I encourage them, I let them know that I believe in them and that I am proud of them ~ which I AM. When they tell us they have graduated Navy Boot camp I can then call them my Brother Sailors! As they go on I am smiling and continuing to encourage them onward.

Why? Because any one of these young men could be a Danny Dietz, Michael Monsoor, Michael Murphy, Axe, Marcus Luttrell, Neil Roberts.... the list goes on... I will take a Marine saying from WWII to describe these men... "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue".

OldSwabbie

[gmt-nyc]

USA3 - personally, I think "Not A Good Day To Die" does an excellent job of retelling the entirety of Operation Anaconda. Though biased, the amount of detail Naylor compiled from the planning stages through to contact is second to none. Now that you've read "Roberts Ridge" you can read Naylor's book and not get caught up in his pro-Army bias. Whether or not those biases are justified will only be known by those who were there, and will likely be blurred by hindsight and foggy memories. The facts of the battle put forth in "Roberts Ridge" are corroborated in "Not A Good Day To Die." I liked MacPherson's style better, even more so after reading his Method and Notes sections. The guy did his homework, and his analytical framework for deciding what to include/not to include was well thought out. That said, Naylor's book is comprehensive and gripping, and if you're interested in Operation Anaconda then I think Naylor's book is a must read.

Oldswabbie, the Military Channel's special was moving to say the least. It matched up quite well with the other accounts - Naylor's and MacPherson's (now that I've read the latter), but the reenactments and on camera interviews really drove the point home.

FYI, I just found both the NGC and Military Channel specials on youtube at -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWA5vEkDJlE&feature=related (NGC)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy7ySLKaM7I (Military Channel)

Not sure if you saw the NGC one, but it also retells the entire Takur Ghar episode from Mako 30's first attempted insertion resulting in Roberts' falling out of the helo to the return of Mako 30 to the eventual TF Ranger QRF insertion. Both specials are well done.

[oldswabbie]

Oldswabbie, the Military Channel's special was moving to say the least. It matched up quite well with the other accounts - Naylor's and MacPherson's (now that I've read the latter), but the reenactments and on camera interviews really drove the point home.

FYI, I just found both the NGC and Military Channel specials on youtube at -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWA5vEkDJlE&feature=related (NGC)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy7ySLKaM7I (Military Channel)

Not sure if you saw the NGC one, but it also retells the entire Takur Ghar episode from Mako 30's first attempted insertion resulting in Roberts' falling out of the helo to the return of Mako 30 to the eventual TF Ranger QRF insertion. Both specials are well done.

I watched the one special along with Jason (my wifes oldest son and also a Navy Vet). We both sat in silence the whole time. When it showed Neil falling out of the Helo and the resulting firefight he had and the semi-crash a mile away and then return of the SEAL Team we both groaned in unison.. as to say ... Oh man.. this isnt happening to him.

When the SEAL Team got back there to Takur Ghar an hour later...(you know it wasnt going to be good).. they found out that Neil had been executed after he ran out of ammo... A massive Kick *** was then inflicted on the insurgents after they recovered his body. I think those men reached a level of "Pissed off" thats never been seen before...

When the program was over we both went outside and sat on the porch... we really didnt even know what to say to each other - it bothered us that badly... what do you say to something like that? A totally screwed up situation... a screwed up operation... Not just from Neil's situation, but the Rangers too. Those boys went through Hell.. and a whole bunch of things were not right with that either. They lost some good men there too.

It all comes down to the fact some brass needed to loose command for planning such a sucky op and allowing it to continue! The intelligence was not being shared as it should have been... Shameful. Alot of good men, Army, Navy Died that day....

[gmt-nyc]

A totally screwed up situation... a screwed up operation... Not just from Neil's situation, but the Rangers too. Those boys went through Hell.. and a whole bunch of things were not right with that either. They lost some good men there too.

What followed with the QRF was unthinkable. Going back to the same LZ... having several men down within seconds... the Rangers literally faced annihilation like the SEALs before them, perhaps even more so since they were the THIRD helo attempting to land at the same LZ! I'm sure the enemy was well honed after the previous two attempted landings, and couldn't believe that we were stupid enough to attempt for a third time! That the Rangers were able to hold out until chalk 2 arrived, and then eventually secure the mountaintop is incredible. Sadly, the PJ, Cunningham, also perished that day needlessly as it seems that from every account he could have been saved. His death really weighed on the surviving QRF personnel.

It all comes down to the fact some brass needed to loose command for planning such a sucky op and allowing it to continue! The intelligence was not being shared as it should have been... Shameful. Alot of good men, Army, Navy Died that day....

It sure seems that way. As a civilian, I cannot understand how rivalries, egos, etc. can stand in the way of protecting the lives of our soldiers. Based on these accounts, it seems like in the final analysis had there been a unified chain of command, and had communication been better coordinated among units involved in Anaconda, the loss of these elite Army, Navy and AF personnel could have been avoided.

[oldswabbie]

Yea, there was something going on "higher" up that should not have. Those Rangers, SEALS & PJ's got thrown into that grinder for no Damn reason and kept there for the same BS reasons. They removed Air Support for no reason... someone's head should have rolled for that. The pilots were MAD.. they knew nobody was coming to relieve them...but Kandahar kept telling them to RTB that "other air assets" were on the way.. they knew this was a outright LIE. Who was that commander? String his A$$ up.... I can say that - I'm not in the Military anymore and he cant do a Friggin thing to me.

Someone needs to pay... As you read the story you were probably filled with rage at the situation... Me having known about similar situational problems (operation Eagle claw) its agravating as hell too. These are good men that deserve a hell of alot more support then they got.

I'm an old man compared to most on this board...Even at my age now..If I could have and was in a postion to.. I would have grabbed my weapon, got on a damn chopper and went in to help if I could.. anybody would have done that knowing what was going on... anyone would have volunteered.. thats what you do... you dont let your buddies go down like that.

OldSwabbie

[StoicSean]

To all, I would definitely suggest reading 'Not a good day to die' as GMT said, it gives an overall view of the operation, from the initial planning and the preparation of the battlefield to the after action reviews and lessons supposedly learned.

It's been a while since I've read either of these books but I would recommend reading Naylor's book first then reading Roberts' Ridge. Reason being, Naylor gives a very good broad view of whats going on, in fact his book is ladened with information, which at times can seem hard to digest. He lays out the command structures and the who's who of all the task forces and it can get a little confusing. As to the Army bias and the bashing of the SEALs, it was definitely evident at times but you have to step back and look at some of it again. I truly feel that some of the comments were just your usual inter service ribbing. I believe at one point in the book, one of the Rangers makes a comment about having to be glorified gate guards for the SEALs, while they get to go out and go nuts. All men that strive to be in elite units have a desire to put their skills to the test and having to hang back at the FOB while other SOFs get to do 'cool' stuff probably gets pretty damn annoying after the 10th time. I think some of the comments are just the regular nonsense that goes on, but Naylor mentions them so much that one may take it as though the Army Special Operators don't think well of the SEALs, which if you have the privilege of speaking to some of these guys is not the general consensus.

I would also recommend Masters of Chaos, which isn't about SEALs but about Army SF, but if you are a special ops hopeful you should be reading up and as well versed as possible as to the other units and their capabilities. Just a suggestion, your mileage may vary.

[oldswabbie]

Well, again, I think ill pass. I'm reading John Grisham's "The Appeal", almost done with it.. good book, makes you really hate the slick, rich lawyers:)


OldSwabbie