Publisher's Synopsis
Cleared Hot is a true story told by the author about his travels through U.S. Marine Corps boot camp, mission of service school, until finally landing in the elite front line combat unit, known as Delta Company Third Light Armored Infantry (3D LAI), during the first Gulf War.
Travel back in time to 1990-1991, as Delta Company enters Operation Desert Shield. Here, the extreme conditions of living in the desert is captured in a rare glimpse by Light Armored Vehicle crewman Monte L. Witcher. Witness Delta Company grow and master the art of desert warfare under the leadership first of Lieutenant Scott Williams and finally of Captain Roger "Rock" Pollard, into what is revered as perhaps the finest mechanized unit ever unleashed on the battlefield, earning the nickname . . . Wolfpack.
As one reads into the ever-intensifying story, the book culminates with the Battle of Observation Post 4. A historical U.S. Marine Corps battle, where a company of LAV-25s, reinforced by tow rocket variants and logistic support, slug it out with an Iraqi tank regiment headed straight out of Kuwait's side of the boundary line known as "the Berm."
Delta Company is caught by surprise by the swiftly advancing Iraqis, who run directly into them at the gates of Observation Post 4, attempting to penetrate into Saudi Arabia with a massive assault force comprised of over eighty main battle tanks and reinforced infantry units. Leaping into action at 2100 on January 29, 1991, Delta Company begins a massive firefight with heavy tanks. For a time, it looks as though the situation is grim and could turn into a catastrophe, as Delta Marines were outnumbered 100 to 1. Yet under the masterful battlefield command of Captain Roger "Rock" Pollard as well as Lieutenant Scott Williams directing close air support, the battle takes incredible twists and turns and winds through ups and downs. While reading, Witcher allows his readers to live a "play-by-play" account of the battle. One may follow along with Delta Company as Witcher was able to record on tape the entire battle while engaged at the driver's duty from inside his LAV-25, which was battle named Steel Justice. This is the only recording in existence of the actual fighting at OP 4 as U.S. Marines took on Iraqi forces for the first time in a ground engagement.
