Into The Fire
Into the Fire tells the gripping story of the chaotic battle of Ganjigal, revealing it as a microcosm of recent wars. Dakota Meyer shares his journey from a Kentucky farm through Marine and sniper training, to the battlefield, and into the aftermath of his legendary exploits.
In the fall of 2009, Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol
of Afghan soldiers and Marine advisors in the mountain village of Ganjigal. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was poised to wipe out one hundred men who were pinned down and repeatedly denied artillery support. Ordered to stay with the vehicles, 21-year-old Marine corporal Dakota Meyer disobeyed and charged into battle to rescue his comrades.
With a brave driver at the wheel, Meyer stood exposed in the gun turret, rallying Afghan troops to follow. Over five hours, he charged into the valley again and again, using machine guns, rifles, grenade launchers, and even a rock, repelling enemy attackers and carrying wounded Afghan soldiers to safety. Meyer’s actions provided cover for dozens of others to escape. Alongside an Army captain, an Afghan sergeant major, and two Marines, Meyer helped clear the battlefield and faced the tragedy of what could have been avoided. For his heroic actions, Meyer became the first living Marine in three decades to receive the Medal of Honor.
Into The Fire tells the full story of the chaotic battle of Ganjigal
for the first time, in a compelling, human way that reveals it as a microcosm of our recent wars. Meyer takes us from his upbringing on a farm in Kentucky, through his Marine and sniper training, onto the battlefield, and into the vexed aftermath of his harrowing exploits in a battle that has become the stuff of legend.
Investigations ensued, even as he was pitched back into battle alongside U.S. Army soldiers who embraced him as a fellow grunt. When it was over, he returned to the States to confront living with the loss of his closest friends. This is a tale of American values and upbringing, of stunning heroism, and of adjusting to loss and to civilian life.
“The story of what Dakota did... will be told for generations.”
– President Barack Obama
We see it all through Meyer’s eyes, bullet by bullet, with raw honesty in telling of both the errors that resulted in tragedy and the resolve of American soldiers, U.S. Marines, and Afghan soldiers who’d been abandoned and faced certain death.
Meticulously researched and thrillingly told, with nonstop pace and vivid detail, Into the Fire is the unvarnished story of a modern American hero.
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“A story of men at their best and at their worst . . . leaves you gaping in admiration at Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer’s courage.”
“Meyer’s dazzling bravery wasn’t momentary or impulsive but deliberate and sustained.”
“A cathartic, heartfelt account . . . Combat memoirs don’t get any more personal.”