My Men are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story

by Nathaniel R. Helms

"My Men Are My Heroes" introduces its readers to a living standard of Marine Corps esprit de corps and military decorum. Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal, the pride of Iowa, is a small town boy who wanted to be a United States Marine even before a poster perfect Marine recruiter marched into his high school gym and offered him a challenge Kasal couldnOCOt resist. Two decades later Kasal stood stiffly at attention, one leg literally shot in half, while the Navy Cross was pinned to his chest. Kasal is currently the Sergeant Major of the Infantry School at Camp Pendleton, CA until he retires in May, 2012.
After a brief visit to his childhood KasalOCOs story quickly gathers steam, introducing the reader to his early Marine career; adventure filled years that earned him the name ?Robo-GruntOCO from men who donOCOt offer accolades easily. Kasal uses his experience climbing the ranks to illustrate how Marines grow, and how they are shaped by the uncompromising attitudes of the officers and non-coms charged with turning young Marines into tigers.
KasalOCOs adventures culminate in Iraq. By now he is 1st Sergeant Kasal, ramrodding Kilo Company, 3/1, a rifle company in 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, the mighty ?Thunder ThirdOCO that would cover itself with glory in 2004. Two days into Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003 Kilo is ordered to hold open a critical road between two bridges that SaddamOCOs fierce Fedayeen Saddam were just as determined to take away. Kasal makes in his stand on that road, literally standing tall amidst fierce gunfire, demonstrating the kind of leadership Kilo Company needed to get the job done. KiloOCOs fight was part of the first big test of Marine Corps combat capabilities in the second Iraqi War and the only major engagement the Marine Corps fought during the heady days of the ?Drive UpOCO to Baghdad. When it was over the so-called ?NinjasOCO of the Fedayeen Saddam were smashed. A week later Kasal was in Baghdad, welcomed with open arms by the exuberant population.
A year later 3/1 was back to Iraq, in Anbar Province, the epicenter of the brutal war now raging in the former tribal stronghold of Saddam and his henchmen. The smiling faces that had greeted 3/1 the year before were gone. Kasal is the 1st Sergeant of Weapons Company, 3/1, the armored fist of a light infantry battalion. After four months of ambushes, IEDs, and deadly skirmishes 3/1 is ordered into Fallujah, to take the ancient city back from Al Qaeda and the foreign fighters who had turned the ancient ?City of MosquesOCO into a fortress. It is there, in November, 2004 that the ?Thundering ThirdOCO entered into Marine Corps legend and Kasal into the Pantheon of Heroes for his actions during the most savage battle the Marines fought in the Iraq War.
At a non-descript house in a walled neighborhood in Fallujah Kasal, at the time accompanying a squad of KiloOCOs riflemen into a contested house, becomes involved in a close-quarter duel with fanatical Chechen fighters. The fight rages throughout the house, at times Marines and the foreign fighters were exchanging rifle fire and grenades at ranges of less than 10 feet. For almost two hours the squad is trapped inside the house. During the brawl Kasal is shot seven times, almost loses his leg when it is nearly severed from his body, and sustains 47shrapnel wounds when he used his body to shield a wounded Marine laying next to him from an enemy grenade. In the skirmish, forever known as the ?Hell HouseOCO fight, Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross, the nationOCOs second highest award for heroism.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, War, Nonfiction, Military History, Memoir, Biography

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son is mentioned in this book because he was in the house that is on the front cover. It's an intense book but very well written.

[Anna Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that manages to succeed despite its failings. The story this book has to tell is one everyone should hear. Yes, the book’s poor execution detracts from the readability of the book, but I would encourage you to slog through the antiseptic prose and lack of personality to reach the important underlying story. Understand that this book isn’t as much about Brad Kasal as it is about his men. The title of the books is My Men Are My Heroes. It is not I Am My Own Hero. If you can remember that as you read the book, the book starts to make a little more sense to you and becomes more readable.

Kasal’s story is one that reminds us of those things that are truly important in life. This book does not focus as much on the actions in which Kasal took part, but more on the life beyond those actions -- both before and after. Sitting comfortably on our couches at home, it is easy to forget that the time a Marine spends at war is quite limited compared to the number of years in which he lives outside of the war. Yet that time becomes a defining moment for these men that inevitably affects every aspect of their life and the lives of those who interact with them. And that is where this book succeeds.

This book does a good job of helping the reader better understand the Marine as a whole. This book takes you from the young man who dreams of becoming a Marine to the battle tested warrior and beyond. It gives a fuller picture of the Marine and his mindset. And that mindset isn’t an egocentric “it’s all about me” mindset. Again, reference the title of the book.

Take the time to read this book and consider what Kasal’s story is really about. This isn’t a war story so much as it is a life story. Of course when you’re a battle tested warrior, I suppose it is safe to say that your life story is indeed a story of war and its far reaching affects on your life. That my not be a war story in the classic sense, but it is still a story of war nevertheless.

[Justin Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the past month, I have read three other such novels like "My Men Are My Heroes," and I have to say, this is the best one. I believe it does justice to the genre: a holistic story combined with stunning scholarship.



Let me say that again: scholarship. The writer, Nathaniel Helms, interviewed multiple former active duty Marines to in a stunning interplay that gives credibility to the brilliant story of Brad Kasal. Even during the flashbacks to Kasal's childhood, Helms lists several individuals (such as the old principal at his school and his high school buddies) who are crucial in painting the picture of Brad Kasal.



Kasal is most well known for a picture snapped in the waning days of Operation Phantom Fury (the second assault on the city of Fallujah) where he is bloody mess, being carried by two Marines with a pistol in his right hand, finger off the trigger (as seen here). While I was at Marine Combat Training at the School of Infantry, SgtMaj Kasal (1st Sgt Kasal during Operation Enduring Freedom, or the Iraq War) was the SgtMaj for SOI. I was unaware of the history behind this man who obviously loves Marines. SgtMaj Kasal's legacy will live on after a memorial was dedicated to Kasal in honor of this most famous picture and is now located outside the Hope and Cares Center in Camp LeJune, NC to motivate wounded warriors battling the realty of post-war injuries.



As I have said, this book is very well written. Helms takes you through the day to day of Operation Phantom Fury, making you feel as if you are on the ground with the Marines. He goes into much detail of what Phantom Fury consisted of and what the daily grind must have looked like to the Marines from an operational standpoint. But Kasal is known for his courage in the "hell house," as the iconic picture says, and this is merely the crescendo of the entire book with just one and a half chapters dedicated to it. What you don't know about Kasal is probably the grueling post-injury recovery process that Helms delves into a bit at the end of the book. This is probably the most disappointing aspect of the book. It seems as if the entire book is leading up to this one event that the information surrounding it pales in comparison.



At the end of the book, Brad Kasal writes a personal note to those who have picked it up and made it that far. He says,



"Throughout this entire ordeal from the time of being wounded until I was medically evacuated close to an hour later, and despite the multiple wounds and loss of blood, I never lost consciousness or quit my post while guarding that doorway. While some may call this heroic, I just it call loyalty. It was because I loved the Marine next to me that I was determined to do anything it took to keep him alive, even at my own risk. He would have done the same for me. It's called being a Marine - we're all brothers and a family. Many times since my injuries occurred, people have labeled me a hero. I beg to differ - I believe the true heroes that day were Sergeant Robert Mitchell, Corporal Schaeffer, and Corporal Marquez, Prive Justin Boswood, and the men of Kilo 3/1 and Weapons Co., 1st CAAT section, who fought to get us all out of the building now called the 'house of hell.' I will forever be indebted to these fine professionals."



From a Christian worldview, this brings to mind John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Brad Kasal, whether he is a Christian or not, typifies the love Christ showed us for laying down his life on the cross for our behalf and we are in turn to show others.

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit, Brad Kasal and his men are American heroes. They gave everything they had to the country and men they loved.
While his exploits in the “Hell House” will go down in Marine lore, I was not a fan of the writing style. Mr. Helms spent way too much time focusing on the second battle of Falluja to the point I almost forgot the book was a tribute to Kasal and his men. There were too many repetition lines detailing how deadly our Marine force is and what their weapons are capable of dishing out to the enemy.
What the book focuses on is the tactics and implementation of 1st Marine division in this epic battle. And if you’ve followed my reviews, you know I love stories that give the details and the maneuvers during a hard fight.
I just felt the author tried to cover too much territory and in the process, struggled to get back to the true subject of the book.
Semper Fi Mr. Kasal and your fellow Marines!

Three and-a-half Stars

[Mike Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't want to take anything away from Sergeant Major Kasal, or denigrate his service and sacrifice in any way. However, this is a bizarre and, ultimately, a pretty bad book. Jingoistic and narrow in vision, full of purple prose and blanket excuses on behalf of its central characters while leveling open contempt and vitriol for anyone outside of their circle, this is a prime example of biased writing from a closed viewpoint. It paints a weird fantasy of middle America, male culture, military life, and combat.

This was listed on the Marines reading list, which is understandable as it portrays an intense engagement from the viewpoint of a highly decorated Marine. It also constantly hammers home cardinal virtues like loyalty, endurance, clear-headedness, and dedication to inflicting maximum damage on the enemy. But it perpetuates a mindset from which the military has been trying to move away (for reference, consider Team of Teams) and blithely ignores the fact that the approach it is extolling led to tremendous unnecessary damage.

[Austin Carroll Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brad Kasal's story is one of the ultimate Marine: strong, fierce, and unrelenting leader who can always be found at the front. The book provides great vignettes into his character and career. However it falters when describing the combatants in Iraq. It ends up reading as hard core propaganda rather than an account of heroism in battle. The subject is tremendous, the wiring and accounting is not.

[Lenny Karpinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book based on the recommendation of a friend. As an Iraq war veteran myself, I enjoy reading about the experiences of other veterans during their time in country and this was a phenomenal story. Mr. Kasal embodies the true American warrior spirit and his life story will leave any reader knowing why.

[Kim]

I met Sgt. Mjr. Kasal when I was San Diego this summer. You have never seen a more humble man. I could not believe what he had been though - can't wait to read his account.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great man, good story, shallow narrative.

Sgt Maj. Kasal sounds like a great leader and an NCO I would have loved serving with. His bravery and professionalism and his leadership methods are things aspiring young leaders should know about, and It was great funding out the story behind that iconic photo. This book did not disappoint from that standpoint. It is by-the-book military leadership, and has great lessons for civilian leaders too.

His story deserved a little better telling though. It sometimes veered a bit between Marine Corps hagiography, and unquestioning acceptance of interview assertions or received wisdom. A more probing writing approach would have made it better historical reading and more trenchant. For instance, as a prior service member and student of history, I cringed at this passage:

"The last time jihadists had relied on fixed defenses of such a grand scale was during the Crusades. Maybe they were holding out for better luck this time."

The author may not have noticed but The Crusades generally failed until the Europeans finally managed to win Jerusalem and the surrounding are, but the Christian victory lasted for only 150 years or so, and not long after driving then out of the Holy Land, the Muslims sacked the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople - modern Istanbul Turkey. The campaign took a while but In my book, that is a win. In the meantime, the Jihadists, so-called, held in to a heavily fortified Spain, Al Andalus, for perhaps 500 years. Only concerted Christian efforts managed to drive the Turk out of Spain via the Reconquista, which wrapped in 1492, when Columbus sailed to the Americas.

The book also accepts modern military subjectivity without question. Sgt. Maj. Kasal's assertion that The Army is built to defend, the Marines to attack, is one of those interservice cracks that really should shouldn't make it into a book aspiring to be a timeless chronicle of a great leader's methods and moment of crisis and perseverance. The Army's Armor Corps is built entirely around the concept of fluid warfare - slashing attacks, flexible mobile defense - and aggressiveness. It is the opposite of defensive warfare. Why include that crack in the book? It smells of interpretive rivalry, which is fine, but for those who haven't served, the stuff we say to each other is false, !restrictions and funny to us. It isn't really true though.

So too a comment about the Army Cav unit in Fallujah staying buttoned up in armor and focusing on blasting houses with insurgents in them rather than fighting house to house, as Marines do. This comment was a little off base; army cavalry squadrons are armored reconnaissance units. Similar to Marine tankers, Army tankers don't dismount to fight at close quarters. At the same time, the Bradley Fighting Vehicles assigned to Cav are not the M2 variant into which 6 grunts can be crammed along with the driver, gunner and vehicle commander. As recon vehicles, the usual complement of a Cav M3 Bradley is a driver, gunner and commander, and one or two Cav Scouts - along with a load of TOW missiles. The scouts can fight dismounted if need be but their primary role is the collection of battlefield intelligence. The point being Cav Bradley's shoot and scoot rather than fighting house to house because they don't routinely carry enough manpower to fight that way. But an Army Infantry Bradley, the M2, is set up to fight that way and an Army mach infantry battalion would have done just that. This would have been a good place in a professional work for a digression about why tanks are vulnerable if open or isolated from infantry in urban environments, why they need to keep moving, and why the Cav could provide great recon by fire but not a heavy dismount presence. These are important principles in that about the hard choices commanders make in troop mix - a hard choice paralleled in the limitations on how Weapons Company could be deployed. But it was an opportunity missed.

A better writing approach would have dug a bit deeper into these assertions to sort out the smack talk and assumptions - which all soldiers and Marines are entitled to, it's in the enlistment contracts - from the factual material and would have dug in a bit deeper into context information to provide the reader, some of whom are professional military men and women - with a better factual grounding. It may well have made the book a bit more convincing and stirring were it a little less rah rah and a little more of a War College case study, as nothing is as stirring as a truth.

This doesn't reflect negatively on Sgt. Maj. Kasal. What a hell of a good man and great Marine. But even if it isn't aspiring to be a serious history and study in leadership, the job hagiography is to make the subject look good. These periodic quirks in the story detract from it. I have a feeling that Sgt. Maj. Kasal has some other interesting perspectives that could have added a lot to the book.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a good book. It was 'easy' to read; it had an excellent flow to the narrative; it also had comments from other officers and soldiers about Brad Kasal. The story is as much about the men who served under him, the men he led, as it is about Brad himself. It tells of his life before the Marines and then afterwards, how he was dedicated to seeing the men under him succeed as well as the officers to whom he reported. It also details the ninety minute battle in Fallujah that changes his life, as well as the aftermath of that battle.

I thought it was an inspiring story. Brad continually put the welfare of others above himself; he also continuously sought to "improve" the performance of those around him by challenging them as well as by treating them with respect; that is not to say there were not times he did not chew people out, but he did so in private if it was warranted. He sought to use every situation as a teaching opportunity, and the men seemed to respond well to his efforts, rising to every challenge he placed before them.

I thought it was a well-written book; it tries to detail how the US Military sought to win the Iraqi's hearts and minds while fighting a frustrating war against the insurgents. It also details how numerous insurgents were from other countries seeking to kill as many Americans as possible [which makes sense, on the one hand, but had to be frustrating at the same time]. Another frustration expressed was how biased the news media was; the author recognized that the news media is in the "business" to make money while reporting the news - and what "sold" was stories about protestors and insurgents as opposed to the good that the US Military was doing while in Iraq. Obviously, the book is written in a fashion that is supportive of the US Military and the USMC, but it does not shy away from acknowledging when mistakes were made, either. I also thought it interesting how Brad Kasal says he is no hero, how the heroes were the ones who came in after him to save him and the other wounded Marines trapped in the house. I would say he as just as heroic as those who came in after him; he just sees it as "doing his job" and being a part of the responsibility [duty?] that comes with his position in the USMC.

It was a good book; I am glad that I read it.

[Jon]

This is the story of Brad Kasal, a First Seargent with the US Marine Corps, who fought in and was grievously wounded in the battle for Fallujah. I really got involved in some of the early part of this book, as Kasal went into the Corps as an infantry "grunt", trained at MCRD San Diego, went to SOI at Camp Pendleton, was assigned to the anti-tank gunner MOS, got his permanent duty station at Camp Horno, and spent his first overseas deployment as part of a Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Far and Middle East. My son spent his first couple of years as a Marine in almost exactly the same way, so this all hit pretty close to home.
After that, Kasal was deployed for Desert Storm, and later, Operation Iraqi Freedom. Desert Storm was over much too quickly to suit him, and he saw very little action there before returning stateside. However, he and his fellow Marines saw more than enough action when the US returned to Iraq in 2003.
Kasal's ghostwriter spends a lot of time getting all of the details right. So for anyone who's a big military equipment and organization buff, this book is going to be great. Every bit of weaponry used is described in loving detail, and the movements of every batallion, every squad, and nearly every individual Marine is laid out for all of the battles described in the latter half of the book. There's a ton of information about all of the other enlisted men, non-coms, and officers that served with Kasal, their personal inclinations, leadership style, and even the color of their boxer shorts, in some cases.
The shootout in which Kasal is injured - seven gunshot and 48 shrapnel wounds - is graphically described and really gives a good picture of what Kasal and some of the other leaders were thinking about as chaos roared all around them.
The book is really enjoyable for those of us who have military family members, I think, but sometimes the amount of technical details included seemed to bog down the story. I label this one a must-read.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Sergeant Brad Kasal was wounded on the Marines second battle thru the streets of Fallujah when he went into a kill house to retrieve and/or rescue the Marines already in contact with insurgents. This book meanders thru his life, career, battle and recovery.

Why I started this book: It's been on my to read list for years...

Why I finished it: Rough book to read, and that's just the writing style. This book suffers from the fact that it was in part written to justify the service of Kasal's fellow marines who were still fighting a war that had been declared won. A war whose popularity was tanking by the day. The second reason that it suffered was that Helms couldn't/didn't decide if he was writing a biography, travelogue or first hand account of the second battle of Fallujah. For a better account of Iraq read Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq and for a better written story about Marines fighting pick up Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa or What It is Like to Go to War. And finally, don't judge a marine by his book.

[Rorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Kasal's story in No True Glory, and when I found out he had written a book about his experience there, I wanted to read it so I could get a first-hand account. This book isn't actually written by Kasal though. The author interviewed Kasal and several other people who were there, and it was enlightening to read their quotes. This book could have used a good editor though, because there were a lot of little issues (no commas where they probably should have been, double words, etc.) Minor issues, but they were noticeable and took me out of the story. Overall, I actually found myself kind of bored reading the bulk of this book. Once it got to the last few chapters though, where a larger part of the story was told by Kasal, then it became more interesting. This book has potential, it just needs some editing, and maybe a little less meandering in the middle.

[Daniel Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former Marine, I was excited to read the story that came along with the famous photograph of MSgt Kasal when he was helped out of hell house by two of his fellow Marines. The book was an easy read, and at times kept the reader gripped with the events that occurred while in Falllujah.

However, this book bounced around a lot in different periods of Kasal’s life and often times would leave the reader confused about where the author was going with the story. Also, the author at times would have multiple storylines going and stop including who was saying what leaving the reader wondering who was talking in the moment. The book also would have benefited from an editor to help with the grammatical errors.

Overall, the book was one that should be read simply for appreciating what the Marines of 3/1 did while battling the insurgency.

[David Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains the gripping tale of First Sergeant Kasal which will leave every reader hanging on every word. Not only is this an amazing recounting of the attack of Fallujah, but an amazing display for the leadership that is being cultivated within the Marines every day. This is a must read for anyone coming into the Marines so they may be able to understand what is expected of the leaders within the Corps.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book that puts you right into the heat of the battle but that jabs at the Army that was fighting in the same battle were a little childish. Throw in the ego trip of making it read like every Marine around this guy worshiped the ground he walked on and sometimes it got to be a bit much.

[Cj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about a fellow Iowan serving our country. I was most taken by his reflections and the truth he wrote there.

[Rob Bloss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective, well written, boring at times, decent read.

[Arne-Helge Fedreheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delivers on the title.

[Kevin Rumsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

True insight into a Warrior who served his Marines, to be the best combatants they could be in the face of stagging odds of death and destruction.

[Peter Moran · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much promise but so poorly executed. Full of cliches and jingoism and felt like the most important parts of the story were glossed over.

[Christie Bogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put down everything else I was reading this weekend for this long-awaited opportunity. I happened to look for this book and finally found it this weekend. I've been waiting since October of 2004 to find out what happened to this man (in full). He and I had become "pen pals" in the months prior, but he disappeared from his writings just at the end of October. I didn't learn until much later what had happened in November and, seeing as we've never resumed writing, I considered this the final communicaton from him. I could finally see the story from first, second and third hand accounts.

It was a very easy read. I plowed through it in two days. It was very accessible to the non-military reader and anyone can appreciate the honors being bestowed in the book to all of the men participating in the action. I think Kasal is honored in more ways for being a fantastic photo op for the Marines than for his singular actions. I don't mean that to diminish what he did, but I know he wasn't seeking this attention from his experience. The book highlights this point. Given the spot light, he intends to share it. It really was an opportunity for the writer to honor all of the men involved, including Kasal. It wasn't merely a singular story, as no story of this type could be. I was somewhat reminded, as I read the medial chapters, of Anna Karenina. Kasal simply disappears from the story in honor of the fact that, yes, he was just one of the many doing a difficult job. This book, I think, probably pleases Kasal for that reason. He accepts honors only to the degree that he deserves them, and this book doesn't overdo it.

[B-right · Rating 4 out of 5]

*We label a basketball player who sinks a last-second shot or a football player who scores the game-winning touchdown a hero. But the true heroes are serving overseas. We watch politicians argue for political gain and our streets escalate in violence. Meanwhile service members have learned to put aside differences such as race, religion,ethnic backgrounds, and social status to serve together in defense of this great country.
- Sgt.Maj. Brad Kasal(USMC)

[david · Rating 4 out of 5]

brad kasal is truly a modern day hero. this book is a great example of the sacrifices some people are willing to make for love of country, service and fellow solder/sailor/marine. war is ugly, terrible and often unforgiving. brad kasal is the epitome of an honorable marine and he is most definitely not ugly, terrible or unforgiving.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic, really places a person in the reality of what Fallujah was. I do enjoy documentary books especially military conflict ones, but I think this one would keep even the most attention deficit reader interested. This man is an inspiration and I am proud to call him a fellow Iowan.

[Jennifer Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great up close and personal view of what it's like to be an American Marine. Loved the story, but the writing style didn't exactly jive with me. Still, worth a read if you want to know something about the war on terrorism from behind the headlines.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I think that I couldn't be anymore impressed by the selfless acts of our troops for one another I read a book like this about men like Brad Kasal and his fellow Marines/brothers.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing retelling of the experience First Sgt Kasal went through while fighting in Iraq and the hellhole of Fallujah. They short changed him when they didn't give him the Medal of Honor.

[Jeffry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author isn't exactly the Bard. But, I've personally met the SgMj and he is one HELL of a Marine.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting, moving story