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Death Waits in the Dark: Six Guns Don't Miss!
"Death Waits in the Dark — Six Guns Don't Miss" is a thrilling story about a Night Stalker at war. This is the story of an attack helicopter pilot who flew with the renowned 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), and the incredible friendships Greg Coker and his fellow compatriots forged in the heat of combat. The Night Stalkers, officially known as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, are the best helicopter pilots and crews in the world. These are the crews who fly America’s top special operations units to combat. They can reach any target, plus or minus 30 seconds, as they take pride in saying. The Battle of Mogadishu, the Osama bin Laden mission, and the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi raid are just some of their exploits that have made it through to the public. When you hear about special operations troops doing something incredible on the ground, it's almost always because 160th SOAR pilots like Gregory "Gravy" Coker flew them in, provided air support, and whisked them back out -- all under cover of darkness. Alexander Hollings writes - "The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, commonly called the Night Stalkers, are widely considered to be among the best military aviators on the planet. Coker's new book, "Death Waits in the Six Guns Don't Miss" promises to give us a glimpse into this elite and secretive world, and came with some help from Sandboxx's own resident Delta Force legend, George E. Hand IV."
- GenresMilitary History
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2020
141 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 11, 2024
Not far into this book, I was reminded of something a friend who served in Viet Nam as a helicopter pilot (he flew Hueys) used to say: the only difference between a fairy tale and a war story is that a fairy tale begins with “Once upon a time…” and a war story begins, “This ain’t no sh** now…” These are war stories. While I’m sure the actions described did indeed happen, embroidery work isn’t only done by the ladies.
This is a rough book. It’s a soldier’s book, a warrior’s book, but only if you are male. That’s okay. The U.S. Military has been male dominated for over two hundred years. My male relatives have served in the military going back to the War Between the States: Army, Navy, and even (dare I say it, based on how the writers feel about Air Force personnel?), the Air Force.
More than an iteration of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this book offers an unvarnished look into the stressors that military life imposes on personnel, and it plots out reasons and behaviors behind PSC (Post-Combat Stress) and combat-related PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Unfortunately, it offers no cures – there are no cures. Hundreds of years of fighting and still…no cures, just panaceas that skim the surface and move soldiers along a path that too often leads to self-destruction.
The intense camaraderie of elite soldiers who can and must depend on each other to stay alive is powerful and comes across each page in explicit detail. Day after day, week after week, month after month for a year at a time—and sometimes longer—takes its toll. Adrenaline pumping into a person’s bloodstream is exhausting, with long-lasting physical and mental affects. The stories in this book drain the reader—imagine how exhausted these men must be living them!
As I read this book, I thought about a lot of things that I usually do not. Two subjects in particular would not leave me alone. First is calling on God to help kill people. I get it. I do. It is a kill-or-be-killed situation, and the author sums it up impeccably when he writes, “An enemy soldier…is nothing more than a target, as sure as a cardboard figure…is a target, and as sure as you are just a target to him.” All the wars fought in God’s name, the Crusades, the desire to kill infidels…Protestants killing Catholics killing Protestants. I wonder - how proud of us is God, killing in His name, calling on Him to guide us in killing other human beings? I have no answer to this. But it’s disturbing—our enemy is also calling on God to help him kill us. I expect every combat soldier suffers moral injuries, particularly when returning home.
The second thing I thought about while reading is the Night Stalker’s motto: Night Stalkers Don’t Quit! While this is within the context of battle, I think it’s an excellent creed to carry into life beyond war. I find myself wondering if Chief Coker brought that motto home between deployments. It doesn’t seem so. Extending that virtue to encompass a Night Stalker’s complete life—in peace as well as war—means that not quitting would cover a lot more ground than the battlefield, I think. There is always more than one side to any problem, but the chief—by his own words—seems to have jacked it in and thrown away his home life. We don’t hear much about his family outside of the occasional desultory reference to his being a distracted family man who could not interact with his wife and daughters, being on the outs and feeling guilty, but unable to do something about it. He quit them. No wonder he was anxious to get back to the war.
While the book is told in the vernacular with language that sounds the way these men speak, there are few errors to yank a reader out of the stories. For example:
“…but going forward any way.” This should read, “…but going forward anyway.”
“…punched a whole clean through…” This should be, “…punched a hole…”
“…met another longtime fried…” This should be “…longtime friend…”
I rated this book a solid 4-stars. It is engrossing, and the language places the reader smack in the middle of horrific battles and their aftermath. It’s a fascinating look into helicopters being flown in extreme conditions, as well as the interdependence of elite soldiers, and the sure knowledge that no one will be left behind; someone will always come looking. It is the story of soldiers who are heroes, who get up each day and go through hell to protect and defend U.S. citizens, then get up and do it all over again the next day.
In the Prologue, “the men of the Night Stalkers” are heralded and the entire book, every story, is about good ol’ boys. Women serve as Night Stalkers now, too, and I have to wonder how these good ol’ boys feel about that. I’m not so sure they appreciate the value of women in battle. No judgment here, just wondering.
One final point…and this one I think of often and support the organizations trying to affect change. This book was published in 2020, and the writers quote a statistic regarding veteran suicides: 10,000 per year. It is now 2024 and veteran suicide rates have increased since then. An article, “The State of Veteran Suicide (2024),” published in Mission Roll Call states that 40-44 veterans take their lives each day. That is dismaying and unacceptable. We need to do more—much more—for the men and women who return home, battle-worn and deeply weary of fighting just to stay alive one more day. It is humbling to think of what many of them have endured, and how little we do to thank them for their service and sacrifices. At the end of the last chapter is a list of veteran-owned organizations who exist only to help the returning soldier and veteran. Take a look at it, maybe do some research, and consider supporting one or more of them.
This is a rough book. It’s a soldier’s book, a warrior’s book, but only if you are male. That’s okay. The U.S. Military has been male dominated for over two hundred years. My male relatives have served in the military going back to the War Between the States: Army, Navy, and even (dare I say it, based on how the writers feel about Air Force personnel?), the Air Force.
More than an iteration of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this book offers an unvarnished look into the stressors that military life imposes on personnel, and it plots out reasons and behaviors behind PSC (Post-Combat Stress) and combat-related PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Unfortunately, it offers no cures – there are no cures. Hundreds of years of fighting and still…no cures, just panaceas that skim the surface and move soldiers along a path that too often leads to self-destruction.
The intense camaraderie of elite soldiers who can and must depend on each other to stay alive is powerful and comes across each page in explicit detail. Day after day, week after week, month after month for a year at a time—and sometimes longer—takes its toll. Adrenaline pumping into a person’s bloodstream is exhausting, with long-lasting physical and mental affects. The stories in this book drain the reader—imagine how exhausted these men must be living them!
As I read this book, I thought about a lot of things that I usually do not. Two subjects in particular would not leave me alone. First is calling on God to help kill people. I get it. I do. It is a kill-or-be-killed situation, and the author sums it up impeccably when he writes, “An enemy soldier…is nothing more than a target, as sure as a cardboard figure…is a target, and as sure as you are just a target to him.” All the wars fought in God’s name, the Crusades, the desire to kill infidels…Protestants killing Catholics killing Protestants. I wonder - how proud of us is God, killing in His name, calling on Him to guide us in killing other human beings? I have no answer to this. But it’s disturbing—our enemy is also calling on God to help him kill us. I expect every combat soldier suffers moral injuries, particularly when returning home.
The second thing I thought about while reading is the Night Stalker’s motto: Night Stalkers Don’t Quit! While this is within the context of battle, I think it’s an excellent creed to carry into life beyond war. I find myself wondering if Chief Coker brought that motto home between deployments. It doesn’t seem so. Extending that virtue to encompass a Night Stalker’s complete life—in peace as well as war—means that not quitting would cover a lot more ground than the battlefield, I think. There is always more than one side to any problem, but the chief—by his own words—seems to have jacked it in and thrown away his home life. We don’t hear much about his family outside of the occasional desultory reference to his being a distracted family man who could not interact with his wife and daughters, being on the outs and feeling guilty, but unable to do something about it. He quit them. No wonder he was anxious to get back to the war.
While the book is told in the vernacular with language that sounds the way these men speak, there are few errors to yank a reader out of the stories. For example:
“…but going forward any way.” This should read, “…but going forward anyway.”
“…punched a whole clean through…” This should be, “…punched a hole…”
“…met another longtime fried…” This should be “…longtime friend…”
I rated this book a solid 4-stars. It is engrossing, and the language places the reader smack in the middle of horrific battles and their aftermath. It’s a fascinating look into helicopters being flown in extreme conditions, as well as the interdependence of elite soldiers, and the sure knowledge that no one will be left behind; someone will always come looking. It is the story of soldiers who are heroes, who get up each day and go through hell to protect and defend U.S. citizens, then get up and do it all over again the next day.
In the Prologue, “the men of the Night Stalkers” are heralded and the entire book, every story, is about good ol’ boys. Women serve as Night Stalkers now, too, and I have to wonder how these good ol’ boys feel about that. I’m not so sure they appreciate the value of women in battle. No judgment here, just wondering.
One final point…and this one I think of often and support the organizations trying to affect change. This book was published in 2020, and the writers quote a statistic regarding veteran suicides: 10,000 per year. It is now 2024 and veteran suicide rates have increased since then. An article, “The State of Veteran Suicide (2024),” published in Mission Roll Call states that 40-44 veterans take their lives each day. That is dismaying and unacceptable. We need to do more—much more—for the men and women who return home, battle-worn and deeply weary of fighting just to stay alive one more day. It is humbling to think of what many of them have endured, and how little we do to thank them for their service and sacrifices. At the end of the last chapter is a list of veteran-owned organizations who exist only to help the returning soldier and veteran. Take a look at it, maybe do some research, and consider supporting one or more of them.
March 26, 2021
I read the description of this book and I was very excited to read it! I really wanted to like it, but I just could not. It had the feeling like you were sitting down with a good ol’ boy who started telling stories with all sorts of inside jokes that, if you were not part of the original group, were not that funny. Then, as the story continued, he would just keep telling them and they became even less funny.
In the introduction to the book, the author says that the book is “not for the easily offended”, then proceeds to go out of the way to be as offensive as possible. Also, there were a few technical things that just did not make sense. The biggest for me was his description of his flight home after his first tour in Afghanistan. Where they flew him and his team the long way around the world: Oman - Germany - Diego Garcia - Thailand - Guam - Travis AFB - Ft Campbell. That kind of flight just doesn’t seem plausible. It was details like that made me question other things that the author put into his book. I will say that I am very glad the author did not leave in all the stuff that was redacted after the military censor had looked over it.
If you were to read this book as a drinking game you would be very well hydrated. When the author sounds off with a unit motto, description of the weapons on the aircraft, talks about the Rangers or Delta in a way that makes you think that he is in love with them, says something nasty about higher headquarters take one drink. When he talks trash about the USAF, has a random aside that is supposed to be funny, or talks about how he has to go in and set someone straight on how things need to be done take two drinks. If he says something nice about part of the military that is not Spec ops or randomly starts to go into poetry take three drinks.
In the introduction to the book, the author says that the book is “not for the easily offended”, then proceeds to go out of the way to be as offensive as possible. Also, there were a few technical things that just did not make sense. The biggest for me was his description of his flight home after his first tour in Afghanistan. Where they flew him and his team the long way around the world: Oman - Germany - Diego Garcia - Thailand - Guam - Travis AFB - Ft Campbell. That kind of flight just doesn’t seem plausible. It was details like that made me question other things that the author put into his book. I will say that I am very glad the author did not leave in all the stuff that was redacted after the military censor had looked over it.
If you were to read this book as a drinking game you would be very well hydrated. When the author sounds off with a unit motto, description of the weapons on the aircraft, talks about the Rangers or Delta in a way that makes you think that he is in love with them, says something nasty about higher headquarters take one drink. When he talks trash about the USAF, has a random aside that is supposed to be funny, or talks about how he has to go in and set someone straight on how things need to be done take two drinks. If he says something nice about part of the military that is not Spec ops or randomly starts to go into poetry take three drinks.
July 12, 2022
I guess I should have read more of the lower star reviews before buying this book, since most of their thoughts echo my own. I didn’t care for the way this book was written with a ‘ghost writer’ and felt that too many of the stories were embellished beyond what was needed. The stories themselves were good, and it was good to hear that the subject of the book has done a lot to help soldiers suffering from PTSD and other combat related injuries. However, that just didn’t make up for the other shortcomings. The book almost read like it was written as a first draft that never went to the editor for cleanup, and I forced myself to push through to the end.
January 13, 2021
What a Ride!
A pleasure to read. I have read several of "Geo's" stories on various sites for a few years. Finally a full book! Well written and a great blend of the dry humor that Geo is known for.
Chief's story was an amazing journey. The trials and tribulations of deployments, juggling family and being in an elite Army unit really were told in a way that made me feel like I was just hanging out with another vet and swapping stories.
Thanks for the terrific job. Both of you!
A pleasure to read. I have read several of "Geo's" stories on various sites for a few years. Finally a full book! Well written and a great blend of the dry humor that Geo is known for.
Chief's story was an amazing journey. The trials and tribulations of deployments, juggling family and being in an elite Army unit really were told in a way that made me feel like I was just hanging out with another vet and swapping stories.
Thanks for the terrific job. Both of you!
July 7, 2021
My only complaint about this book is the ghost writer. He talks about the subject like a giddy 5th grade cheerleader. Its as if the book was written for 3rd graders.
This book is VERY incoherently written. Out of respect to Chief Coker I read it till the end, even though I found myself cringing every couple of paragraphs due to the poor poor writing style, flipping back and forth from the 1st person to the 3rd person... ugh... I wish Chief Coker would have taken the time to write it in his own words, or hired a proper ghost writer to do his story justice...
This book is VERY incoherently written. Out of respect to Chief Coker I read it till the end, even though I found myself cringing every couple of paragraphs due to the poor poor writing style, flipping back and forth from the 1st person to the 3rd person... ugh... I wish Chief Coker would have taken the time to write it in his own words, or hired a proper ghost writer to do his story justice...
March 10, 2021
Great personal account of the Wars on Terror from the experience of a highly decorated Helicopter gunship pilot. Coker dives into the reality of war on Special Operators which includes Traumatic Brain Injuries, family struggles, and the emotional tolls of years of experience in war. With friends and family that have served in these units, I enjoyed hearing this insider account.
September 14, 2024
Really amazing story about an incredible unit of elite aviators and the early days of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. More than that, it’s a sobering reminder that some wounds - the worst wounds - lie beneath the skin.
You can hate all the grammatical errors all you want, but it’s a great read and I recommend it to anyone who fancies themselves a leader at any level. NSDQ!
You can hate all the grammatical errors all you want, but it’s a great read and I recommend it to anyone who fancies themselves a leader at any level. NSDQ!
May 10, 2022
Fascinating story, but it was just hard to read. The many sidebar comments made it tough to follow the thread and felt at times like listening to a guy who’s had one too many tell a “No **** there I was…” story. Those are fine for a bit, but a whole book worth was difficult to get through.
November 28, 2021
Won't be able to put it down
This is a wonderful book that details the life experiences , mission experience of Black ops Warriors. Excellent read, Highly recommended.
This is a wonderful book that details the life experiences , mission experience of Black ops Warriors. Excellent read, Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews