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None Left Behind: The 10th Mountain Division and the Triangle of Death
A devastating ambush in Iraq, kidnapped soldiers, and the men who wouldn't leave their comrades behindThe 10th Mountain Division is known as the most deployed unit in the U.S. Army. Today, the War on Terror has drawn it to Afghanistan and Iraq. To Lieutenant Colonel Mike Infanti's unit fell the pacification of a hellish hotbed of terrorism south of Baghdad dubbed "The Triangle of Death." Of the more than three thousand Americans killed since the start of the war, more than one thousand were in this region.Colonel Infanti assigned Delta Company to the most dangerous sector of the Triangle. Delta knew they were virtually assured of getting hit on a daily basis. Each day and night became something to be dreaded and feared.In the predawn of May 12, 2007, two humvees occupied by seven soldiers and an Iraqi translator were ambushed by insurgents. When the smoke cleared, four soldiers and the translator were dead and three were missing, presumably seized by the enemy. For more than a year, Delta searched for their missing comrades, never giving up hope. Their creed of None Left Behind.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
26 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Charles W. Sasser
61 books59 followersCharles W. Sasser has been a full-time freelance writer/journalist/photographer since 1979. He is a veteran of both the U.S. Navy (journalist) and U.S. Army (Special Forces, the Green Berets), a combat veteran and former combat correspondent wounded in action. He also served fourteen years as a police officer (in Miami, Florida, and in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was a homicide detective). He has taught at universities, lectured nationwide, and traveled extensively throughout the world. He has published over 2,500 articles and short stories in magazines ranging from Guideposts, Parents and Christian Life to Soldier of Fortune, True West, and Writer's Digest. He is author, co-author or contributing author of more than 30 books and novels.
As an adventurer, Sasser has, at various times: solo-canoed across the Yukon; sailed the Caribbean; motorbiked across the continent; rode camels in the Egyptian desert; floated the Amazon River; dived for pirate treasure; rode horses across Alaska; motorcycled Europe; climbed Mount Rainier; ran with the bulls in Spain; chased wild mustangs...
He has been a professional rodeo clown and bronc rider; professional kickboxer; sky diver and SCUBA diver; college professor; newspaperman; archaeologist/anthropologist...
Sasser now lives on a ranch in Chouteau, Oklahoma with wife Donna where he is a writer, rancher, and businessman who trains horses and team ropes. He also has a private pilot's license and is an ultralite aircraft Certified Flight Instructor.
As an adventurer, Sasser has, at various times: solo-canoed across the Yukon; sailed the Caribbean; motorbiked across the continent; rode camels in the Egyptian desert; floated the Amazon River; dived for pirate treasure; rode horses across Alaska; motorcycled Europe; climbed Mount Rainier; ran with the bulls in Spain; chased wild mustangs...
He has been a professional rodeo clown and bronc rider; professional kickboxer; sky diver and SCUBA diver; college professor; newspaperman; archaeologist/anthropologist...
Sasser now lives on a ranch in Chouteau, Oklahoma with wife Donna where he is a writer, rancher, and businessman who trains horses and team ropes. He also has a private pilot's license and is an ultralite aircraft Certified Flight Instructor.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 10, 2021
"Monsters come out at night."
This was the brave story of Delta Company, 4th Battalion 31st Infantry Regiment (4/31), 2nd BCT (Brigade Combat Team) of the famous 10th Mountain Division. The book followed the company's deployment into the Triangle of Death, a sector that was filled with endless violence, death, and lawlessness in the 2000s. The men experienced insurgency violence, sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi'ite, and outside incursion from Al-Qaeda. Ambushes, roadside bombs and IEDs, firefights with insurgents, Iraqi culture clash, and constant suspicion of the locals were all throughout the narrative.
The narrative read part history, current event journalism, and gritty combat accounts of the men there. The tone of the book was filled with heightened alertness, fear, esprit de corps, courage, camaraderie, and a sense of duty. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the War in Iraq in the 2000s. Thanks!
This was the brave story of Delta Company, 4th Battalion 31st Infantry Regiment (4/31), 2nd BCT (Brigade Combat Team) of the famous 10th Mountain Division. The book followed the company's deployment into the Triangle of Death, a sector that was filled with endless violence, death, and lawlessness in the 2000s. The men experienced insurgency violence, sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi'ite, and outside incursion from Al-Qaeda. Ambushes, roadside bombs and IEDs, firefights with insurgents, Iraqi culture clash, and constant suspicion of the locals were all throughout the narrative.
This land along the Euphrates was nothing like the desert most of the soldiers had imagined Iraq to be. It was a very scary place...ghosts of night fog creeping through the forests became terrorists and bombers plotting, scheming, waiting for the right time to attack. The brush of a breeze through palm fronds, the snap of a falling twig, the sleepy chirrup of a night bird was enough to make soldiers flinch. pg 45
The narrative read part history, current event journalism, and gritty combat accounts of the men there. The tone of the book was filled with heightened alertness, fear, esprit de corps, courage, camaraderie, and a sense of duty. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the War in Iraq in the 2000s. Thanks!
December 7, 2010
I am very good friends with SGT Parrish. He and i have talked about the events in the book. its a very well written book and mostly acurate in detales. its an honor to know him and know what they 10th did out there. Ive talked to him in detale about the events and the men who lost there lives.. and its hard to hear what these men went thru and not cry for all of them...
Currently reading
November 10, 2010Good book
October 27, 2019
Good account of Delta Company’s deployment to the Triangle of Death.
February 12, 2024
This book means so much to me in many ways.
April 7, 2022
A decent companion piece to Frederick’s “Black Hearts,” picking up right where Frederick left off.
Some may find it necessary to print out a glossary of military acronyms. Or, keep your copy of Black Hearts on hand where you will find all the pertinent info re: acronyms, plus helpful maps of the Triangle of Death.
Sasser provides us with the authentic voice of a veteran rather than a journalist. In some ways this makes his account of the May 2007 DUSTWUN incident all the more believable, in other ways you might wish he had the precision of a journalist like Frederick. Regardless I now know from both of these books that the Triangle was hell on earth and too many Americans died there for no good reason.
I am also struck by the fact that some of our service members from small towns had the full support of their communities, and when their remains were returned home, they received a full-fledged hero’s burial.
Those of us in coastal bubbles may have our judgement clouded by the fact that it seemed “no one” supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is obviously far from the truth.
Recommended.
Some may find it necessary to print out a glossary of military acronyms. Or, keep your copy of Black Hearts on hand where you will find all the pertinent info re: acronyms, plus helpful maps of the Triangle of Death.
Sasser provides us with the authentic voice of a veteran rather than a journalist. In some ways this makes his account of the May 2007 DUSTWUN incident all the more believable, in other ways you might wish he had the precision of a journalist like Frederick. Regardless I now know from both of these books that the Triangle was hell on earth and too many Americans died there for no good reason.
I am also struck by the fact that some of our service members from small towns had the full support of their communities, and when their remains were returned home, they received a full-fledged hero’s burial.
Those of us in coastal bubbles may have our judgement clouded by the fact that it seemed “no one” supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is obviously far from the truth.
Recommended.
June 30, 2019
First, as a current conflict combat veteran I usually stay away from books like these. However, when I returned to 2nd BCT to work as a civilian, my boss told me about this book and so I picked it up. I didn't know all those in this story, however, I did know a lot of them.
As the story begins the author describes driving up to West Point at Camp Natural Bridge where 4-31 Battalion was training cadets that summer and I had the distinct privilege of my platoon being attached to them and helping with the training. I had heard the story of the soldiers who become DUSTWUN and I never got the honor of knowing them, however, I was with 4-31 when they got word that their brothers in arms were coming home. This was a powerful and difficult story to read, maybe more so because I can put real faces to these names, but it was a well written and important story to tell.
As the story begins the author describes driving up to West Point at Camp Natural Bridge where 4-31 Battalion was training cadets that summer and I had the distinct privilege of my platoon being attached to them and helping with the training. I had heard the story of the soldiers who become DUSTWUN and I never got the honor of knowing them, however, I was with 4-31 when they got word that their brothers in arms were coming home. This was a powerful and difficult story to read, maybe more so because I can put real faces to these names, but it was a well written and important story to tell.
July 6, 2021
Having been around the same AO from 2003-04, this hit home. Well written and stirring account.
Climb to Glory!
Climb to Glory!
August 23, 2022
It was a difficult read just for some of the words and places. Otherwise I loved the book. It breaks my heart for sure.
May 19, 2025
Not very well written, and even more poorly edited.
May 8, 2017
It is difficult knowing how to rate this book. The content is very much worth 5 stars, is high impact, and should be known and appreciated by all American citizens, but the gratuitous and intense use of vulgar and obscene language very much limits the scope of who should be reading it. I realize that the graphic language and description is the reality in the extreme stress environment in which the troops live, but the author goes beyond quotes and uses offensive language himself to drive home the point often. Young adults should know the content but I would not want to hand the book to a teenage (or younger)son or daughter for fear of sending the wrong message to them. So the book does not speak effectively to those who should benefit.
The constant use of military acronyms is a big source of confusion for readers. At minimum, a glossary of Acronyms should be provided. So that was an obstacle. Once you got past the vulgar language and the acronyms, the message was high impact and you felt real affinity with those troops on the ground.
Reading this book now at the same time that the news is filled with the ISIS attempt to take over Iraq and more drove home the book's message and impact. We went into Iraq after 9/11 with the intent of establishing a free Iraq without the repression of it's past in the midst of an Islamic culture. The book describes the impossible situation for the troops on the ground. They had to fight an enemy that masqueraded as local citizens so that troops could not freely fight back. Meanwhile, they were charged with building trust within the locals in order to establish a free country for which they would later assume responsibility. While it was amazingly successful at the time against all odds, it needs to be maintained. Following is a paragraph from the book.
“Would the next election encourage the Islamic radicals by revealing a lack of American resolve, a weakness to be exploited by those already planning their next terrorist attack on American soil? To cut and run at this critical point, as so many political hacks were advocating anything if it would win them a few more votes, meant that everything American soldiers had achieved in Iraq would be thrown out like yesterday’s garbage. To have won the war, then abandon it and the country’s people back to tyranny, was nothing more than a betrayal of sacrifices made by American soldiers like Chris Messer, Joe Given, Sergeant Connell, Courneyea, Schober, Murphy, Fouty, Jimenez, Anzak, and all the others” ~ Charles W Sasser in None Left Behind: The 10th Mountain Division and the Triangle of Death, p 299
Indeed, we elected an administration that chose to walk away prematurely and we now are seeing ISIS, which is the same Al-Qaida Sunni Muslim branch that were launching attacks on our men overrunning large portions of Iraq. As of this writing are threatening to take over the area termed the triangle of death in which our men sacrificed so much and died. It is so sad that, indeed,we told ourselves that we won the war, then abandoned it and the country’s people back to tyranny. It was nothing more than a betrayal of sacrifices made by American soldiers. Reading this book brings home this point more than watching the news ever could.
Another couple of quotes follow that was interesting concerned the importance of Iraq historically and Biblically.
“Israel is mentioned more times in the Bible than any other nation. But Iraq is a close second place, although that’s not the name used in the Bible. It’s called Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia.” ~ Chaplain Jeff Bryan quoted by Charles W Sasser on p 156-157
“Iraq was the approximate location of the Garden of Eden, where God created Adam and Eve in the beginning. The Greatest Story Ever Told unfolded from there step by step, event by event.
Satan made his first recorded appearance in Iraq. The Tower of Babel was built in Iraq, followed by the confusion of languages. Abraham hailed from a city from a city in Iraq, as did Isaac’s wife. Jacob spent twenty years between the two rivers. Iraq was the site of Persia, the world’s first empire. The greatest Christian revival in history occurred in Nineveh, now the city of Mosul. The events in the book of Esther took place in Iraq. The book of Nahum prophesied against a city in Iraq. The Euphrates was the far eastern border of the land God promised Abraham. Finally, the book of Revelation warned against the resurrection of Babylon.
The Euphrates River was 1,800 miles long. According to Revelation, it would dry up after a full scale invasion of the West coming from the East. And blood would rise to the level of a horse’s bridle.” ~ Charles W Sasser citing input from Chaplain Jeff Bryan and PFC William Henderson in None Left Behind: The 10th Mountain Division and the Triangle of Death. p 157
There may be a couple of small errors in this quote, but it makes it clear that Iraq is very important Biblically and historically.
The constant use of military acronyms is a big source of confusion for readers. At minimum, a glossary of Acronyms should be provided. So that was an obstacle. Once you got past the vulgar language and the acronyms, the message was high impact and you felt real affinity with those troops on the ground.
Reading this book now at the same time that the news is filled with the ISIS attempt to take over Iraq and more drove home the book's message and impact. We went into Iraq after 9/11 with the intent of establishing a free Iraq without the repression of it's past in the midst of an Islamic culture. The book describes the impossible situation for the troops on the ground. They had to fight an enemy that masqueraded as local citizens so that troops could not freely fight back. Meanwhile, they were charged with building trust within the locals in order to establish a free country for which they would later assume responsibility. While it was amazingly successful at the time against all odds, it needs to be maintained. Following is a paragraph from the book.
“Would the next election encourage the Islamic radicals by revealing a lack of American resolve, a weakness to be exploited by those already planning their next terrorist attack on American soil? To cut and run at this critical point, as so many political hacks were advocating anything if it would win them a few more votes, meant that everything American soldiers had achieved in Iraq would be thrown out like yesterday’s garbage. To have won the war, then abandon it and the country’s people back to tyranny, was nothing more than a betrayal of sacrifices made by American soldiers like Chris Messer, Joe Given, Sergeant Connell, Courneyea, Schober, Murphy, Fouty, Jimenez, Anzak, and all the others” ~ Charles W Sasser in None Left Behind: The 10th Mountain Division and the Triangle of Death, p 299
Indeed, we elected an administration that chose to walk away prematurely and we now are seeing ISIS, which is the same Al-Qaida Sunni Muslim branch that were launching attacks on our men overrunning large portions of Iraq. As of this writing are threatening to take over the area termed the triangle of death in which our men sacrificed so much and died. It is so sad that, indeed,we told ourselves that we won the war, then abandoned it and the country’s people back to tyranny. It was nothing more than a betrayal of sacrifices made by American soldiers. Reading this book brings home this point more than watching the news ever could.
Another couple of quotes follow that was interesting concerned the importance of Iraq historically and Biblically.
“Israel is mentioned more times in the Bible than any other nation. But Iraq is a close second place, although that’s not the name used in the Bible. It’s called Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia.” ~ Chaplain Jeff Bryan quoted by Charles W Sasser on p 156-157
“Iraq was the approximate location of the Garden of Eden, where God created Adam and Eve in the beginning. The Greatest Story Ever Told unfolded from there step by step, event by event.
Satan made his first recorded appearance in Iraq. The Tower of Babel was built in Iraq, followed by the confusion of languages. Abraham hailed from a city from a city in Iraq, as did Isaac’s wife. Jacob spent twenty years between the two rivers. Iraq was the site of Persia, the world’s first empire. The greatest Christian revival in history occurred in Nineveh, now the city of Mosul. The events in the book of Esther took place in Iraq. The book of Nahum prophesied against a city in Iraq. The Euphrates was the far eastern border of the land God promised Abraham. Finally, the book of Revelation warned against the resurrection of Babylon.
The Euphrates River was 1,800 miles long. According to Revelation, it would dry up after a full scale invasion of the West coming from the East. And blood would rise to the level of a horse’s bridle.” ~ Charles W Sasser citing input from Chaplain Jeff Bryan and PFC William Henderson in None Left Behind: The 10th Mountain Division and the Triangle of Death. p 157
There may be a couple of small errors in this quote, but it makes it clear that Iraq is very important Biblically and historically.
November 10, 2011
A (seemingly) well intentioned but entirely half-baked book. Sasser butchers unit identification (2nd BCT of the 31st Regiment anyone?) again and again, as well as thinking call signs are vehicles (Iron Claw). This book had little or no editing before going to print. Much of the narrative also seems forced and awkward as the author attempts to recreate the language and mood of the soldiers based on limited interviews.
The story is of the soldiers of D Co, 4-31 who were overrun and killed or captured in the predawn of May 12, 2007 south of Yusufiyah, and the events surrounding the tragedy. The three soldiers missing became designated DUSTWUN(DUty STatus Whereabouts UNknown).
Sasser does at times do well to describe the situation the soldiers faced in the Yusufiyah area. Isolated patrol bases, winding roads filled with IED's, debilitating Rules of Engagement, a half-jungle not normally associated with Iraq, and a seemingly endless extended deployment. It's a unique place and time in American history well deserving of a book, and as I'm not aware of any other one covering this topic it's a way for friends and family of the soldiers there to see a little bit into what they were dealing with.
However, the glaring errors in simple things like unit names came as a shock to me, the book being written by someone with a distinguished 29 year military career. The image on the front of the dust jacket is some stock photo of who-knows, doing who-knows-what. Certainly no one or anything pertaining to the story. This is indicative of the entire effort. Kinda half-assed.
The story is of the soldiers of D Co, 4-31 who were overrun and killed or captured in the predawn of May 12, 2007 south of Yusufiyah, and the events surrounding the tragedy. The three soldiers missing became designated DUSTWUN(DUty STatus Whereabouts UNknown).
Sasser does at times do well to describe the situation the soldiers faced in the Yusufiyah area. Isolated patrol bases, winding roads filled with IED's, debilitating Rules of Engagement, a half-jungle not normally associated with Iraq, and a seemingly endless extended deployment. It's a unique place and time in American history well deserving of a book, and as I'm not aware of any other one covering this topic it's a way for friends and family of the soldiers there to see a little bit into what they were dealing with.
However, the glaring errors in simple things like unit names came as a shock to me, the book being written by someone with a distinguished 29 year military career. The image on the front of the dust jacket is some stock photo of who-knows, doing who-knows-what. Certainly no one or anything pertaining to the story. This is indicative of the entire effort. Kinda half-assed.
April 21, 2010
This book was mostly well-written. I had two problems with it: there weren't maps of the battle area, which seems odd since it takes place in pretty much the same area over and over. The other was that the opening chapter seemed confused about military unit terminology. It wasn't too important to the story, but it seemed out of place in a work written by a former serviceman.
The story is mostly about one company in one spot, attempting to quiet down one stretch of road. Eventually, they do just that, but only after suffering casualties that force the Army to commit enough forces to _really_ cover the contested area. The hidden message there might be that historical lessons are correct: it takes a lot of manpower to fight guerrillas, and there is pretty much no way around that.
The story is mostly about one company in one spot, attempting to quiet down one stretch of road. Eventually, they do just that, but only after suffering casualties that force the Army to commit enough forces to _really_ cover the contested area. The hidden message there might be that historical lessons are correct: it takes a lot of manpower to fight guerrillas, and there is pretty much no way around that.
February 20, 2011
Its an old cliche but, if the politicians and world leaders had to endure and survive the hardship and trauma of life on the frontline of a war, we would have many fewer wars.
The US 10th Mountain Division is the most deployed unit in the US Army. In 2007, the 10th is deployed for its second tour of Iraq and relieves the 101st Airborne in the Triangle of Death between the Euphrates River and Anbar Province, south of Baghdad. This book is about the pacification of the Triangle by the 4/31 of the 10th over 8 months.
Sasser shares their story without sugar-coating or glossing over the dirt, hurt, danger and hardship. What these soldiers deal with without hesitation or personal concern will humble you.
The US 10th Mountain Division is the most deployed unit in the US Army. In 2007, the 10th is deployed for its second tour of Iraq and relieves the 101st Airborne in the Triangle of Death between the Euphrates River and Anbar Province, south of Baghdad. This book is about the pacification of the Triangle by the 4/31 of the 10th over 8 months.
Sasser shares their story without sugar-coating or glossing over the dirt, hurt, danger and hardship. What these soldiers deal with without hesitation or personal concern will humble you.
February 21, 2010
A history of the 10th Mountain"s deployment based on reports and interviews. As with all the Iraq war stories, you despair for the soldiers and the unbelievibal horrors they have to face. Written later in the war than some of the other's I've read, at least this one is more optomistic on the effects of the surge to turn the corner. I pray the author is correct.
December 7, 2010
Im very good friends with SGT Parrish. and he and i have talked in detale about the book and what happened over there... For the most part the book is acurate in every way.Some things were not ment to be printed due to respect for the men who died.. i have nothing but respect for all the men and women who have served over there.It was hard to read the book knowing what i did about the facts.
October 18, 2016
If you want a book on the grittiness of the ground war in Iraq, this is it. The unit had tough zone to maintain there presence on. You read things that did not always make the news that you heard on the media outlets.
April 30, 2012
awsome book
November 16, 2013
I think that the schoolyard vernacular this story is told in is distracting. It contorts what could be a reverent account of these events into something like satire.
November 29, 2015
Reading the first half of the book was difficult. I had been their Chaplain and was to deploy as their 2nd Brigade Chaplain. During this deployment I was in Advance Civilian School.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews