Publisher's Synopsis
Third Graders At War is a private's view of Operation Desert Storm, as seen through the eyes of one young Cavalry Scout, fresh out of basic training. This is not your typical, sugar coated version of the first Persian Gulf war, written by an officer, or a national news anchor from his desk. Instead, you will find out what really happened. Told in the gritty, uncut fashion one would expect from a close friend or family member, (or some old drunk at a truck stop). The author makes no apologies for what was done, he simply tells it like it was. People don't realize why the ground war only lasted four days....we didn't take a lot of prisoners the first three, that's why. Things were different back then. The Iraqis had the fourth largest army in the world. They were fresh off an eight year war with their neighbor Iran, and much of their force were combat hardened veterans. Poison gas was their weapon of choice, and they had no problem using it on the Iranians, or their own people. We expected the same for our troops. Be there on the first day of the ground war, when we sent our troops to attack with no bullets. There are no Hollywood style heroics here, no glorious acts of bravado. Vehicles exploded and men died, but there was nothing to brag about in that. Instead, the reader will get a sense of what it was like to ride in the first wave of the ground assault, as one of the lead scouts for the First Infantry Division, the infamous Big Red One. During the whole course of the operation the author is constantly concerned with what's right and wrong, as he watches helplessly, but does his part anyway. With them were no reporters, no CNN camera crews, no cells phones or laptops, no witnesses at all to the horror and devastation that would rain down upon the unsuspecting Iraqis, and their "feared" Republican guard. There were no base camps in those days, no phone calls home. The scouts lived on their Bradley Fighting Vehicles like gypsies. A canteen over your head was the only shower for months. It was a rough life, but it had its benefits. No inquiries over war crimes. No court martial for soldiers shooting people in the back. Unfortunately, there was also no counseling for those returning home... This book is at times as humorous as it is harsh, but it's not meant to be a comedy, just a true to life account of what happens when you send a bunch of young soldiers to fight a major ground war with very little adult supervision.
