The Only Thing Worth Dying For (51 page)

Acknowledgments

As of today, October 27, 2009, 1,494 men and women in the coalition armed forces have been killed in the line of duty fighting the war in Afghanistan (Australia: 11; Belgium: 1; Canada: 131; Czech Republic: 3; Denmark: 28; Estonia: 6; Finland: 1; France: 36; Germany: 34; Hungary: 2; Italy: 22; Latvia: 3; Lithuania: 1; Netherlands: 21; Norway: 4; Poland: 15; Portugal: 2; Romania: 11; South Korea: 1; Spain: 26; Sweden: 2; Turkey: 2; United Kingdom: 223; United States: 908). By the time this book goes to press, that number will have risen. Each of these so-called statistics represents a story of selfless sacrifice, of men and women who are at some level contributing to the collaborative efforts in Afghanistan—all of whom deserve respect and gratitude for their service and ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you to all who have served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world in the War on Terror, which continues to expand today. For those who have lost a loved one, my deepest condolences.

During the course of researching and writing this book, I interviewed the families of several members of ODA 574. I cannot adequately express how honored and humbled I was to sit in your homes and hear the stories of your loved ones. Brent Fowler told me: “As for the wives, they forever have earned their place among the heroes of our SF community. Wives and loved ones are the heart and soul of a fighting man, and I don’t think that our military would last without the
unsung courage of those holding down the home front and waiting for their soldier to return.”

Thank you for opening your hearts to me as I got to know the team: Ron Amerine, Linda Davis, Mi Kyong Davis, Bill and Tammy McElhiney, Judith McElhiney, Barbara and Lou Petithory, Mike Petithory, Nicole Petithory, Sherry Magallanes, Brittany Magallanes.

Once I had received the blessing of JD’s and Dan’s families to tell ODA 574’s story, I put the word out to the surviving members of the team via various channels that began with Army Public Affairs and branched out by word of mouth among the Special Forces community. Most of the men of ODA 574 agreed to talk with me, wanting to honor JD and Dan by seeing the story set straight for the history books. That desire and the ensuing interviews are the foundation of this book. Thank you for trusting me with your journals, letters, photos, notes, and memories: Capt. Jason Amerine, Sgt. 1st Class Brent Fowler, Sgt. 1st Class Gilbert “Mag” Magallanes, Sgt. 1st Class Mike McElhiney, Sgt. 1st Class Wes McGirr, Sgt. 1st Class Ronnie Raikes.

While not a living, breathing entity, the mission of ODA 574 was a main—if not
the
main—character in this story. From conception to conclusion, it took on a life of its own. I hope I have accurately captured its essence and, in doing so, honored the men involved.

Thank you, President Hamid Karzai, for meeting with me, and thank you to the president’s staff, in particular Humayun Hamidzada and Ahmad Razi, for fielding my letters, phone calls, and e-mails.

I could not have told the story of ODA 574’s mission in such detail and context without the candid and forthcoming interviews granted
to me by the following soldiers, airmen, and war planners. Their individual stories are much broader in scope than their portrayal in this book. Thank you:

5th Special Forces Group Rambo 85: Maj. Don Bolduc, Lt. Col. David Fox, Capt. Jeff Leopold, Sgt. 1st Class Chris Pickett, Tech Sgt. Jim Price, Chief Warrant Officer Terry Reed, Sgt. 1st Class Nelson Smith, John Doe 1,
*
John Doe 2. 5th Special Forces Group Rambo 70: Chief Warrant Officer Lloyd Allard, Maj. Chris Miller, Sgt. 1st Class Tim “Cubby” Wojciehowski.

Others from 5th Special Forces Group: Master Sgt. David Lee, Maj. John Silkman, Chief Warrant Officer Bruce Watts, John Doe 1, John Doe 2, John Doe 3.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM): John Doe 1, John Doe 2.

U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT): Maj. Robert Kelley, John Doe 1, John Doe 2, John Doe 3.

This story would have been incomplete without the interviews granted by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) airmen who participated in the rescue mission to Shawali Kowt. Thank you: 1st Lt. Paul Alexander, Tech Sgt. Gavin Burns, Staff Sgt. Scott Diekman, Capt. Patrick Fronk, Capt. Steve Gregg, Lt. Col. Steve Hadley (M.D.), Lt. Col. Michael Kingsley. Also, thank you to Capt. Casey Ward, who flew the AFSOC mission on 9/11 in support of the rescue-and-recovery operation at the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

Crucial to all of the interviews with the above active-duty NCOs and officers were many public affairs offices, including U.S. Air Force
Public Affairs, New York; U.S. Army Public Affairs, New York; U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York; and U.S. Special Operations Command 5th Special Forces Group—all of which employ active-duty, reserve, and civilian personnel. Thank you:

Air Force Public Affairs: Capt. Jeff Brown, Maj. George L. Burnett, 1st Lt. Amy Cooper, Tech Sgt. Rebecca Danet, Mathew Durham, Maj. John Elolf, 2nd Lt. Lauren Johnson, Amy Oliver, 1st Lt. Jennifer Pearson, Lois Walsh.

Army Public Affairs: Lt. Col. Clarence Counts, Carol Darby, Lt. Col. Mike Durham, Sgt. Ernest Henry, Lt. Col. Frank Misurelli, Lt. Col. John O’Brien, Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, Bruce Zielsdorf.

Also thanks to Marine Public Affairs officers Maj. Eric Dent and Maj. Cliff Gilmore for your efforts.

The Freedom of Information Act request offices in the U.S. military are faced daily with daunting numbers of requests for official documents. In my case, most of these documents were elusive at best. For your Herculean efforts, thank you: Doreen Agard, U.S. Special Operations Command; Mary Bowling, U.S. Army Special Operations Command; Maj. George Burnett, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, CENTCOM.

To gain both historical and political insights into Afghanistan—before, during, and after the brief window of time portrayed in this book—I am indebted to the Office of the President of Afghanistan, the Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, D.C., and the Center for Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska, Omaha. Thank you: Director Thomas Gouttierre, Sher Jan Ahmadzai, and Abdul Yaseer.

I am also thankful for the interviews provided to me by: James Dobbins; Nick Mills, author of
Karzai: The Failing American Intervention and the Struggle for Afghanistan
; Michele Mitchell, one of the last journalists to interview Abdul Haq before his death; and Ronald Neumann, U.S. ambassador of Afghanistan, 2005–2007.

A grateful thank you to my family, friends, critical readers, and others who supported my telling of this story: Matt and Sara Baglio, Linda and Raul Balderas, Kevin Blakeborough, Clayton Blehm, Andy and Kelly Blumberg, Jon Boyer, Bill Butterworth, Tracy Bychowski, Mike Carder, Carol Cepregi, Melissa Chinchillo, Debbie and John Cloud, Stephen Coonts, Navy Cmdr. Paul Costello, Scott Coutts, Lee Crane, Craig and Kathy Cupp, Erika and Jason Daniels, Steve Duff, Rachel Elinsky, Aaron Feldman, Mark Fleishman, Bill Forstchen, Dan Green, Kate Hamill, Lori and Rick Hennessy, Shannon Hennessy, Bob Holt, Robin Ingraham, Marilyn Johnson, Jana and Roger Keating, Andrea and Bob Kelly, Mark Kleckner, Jill LaMar, Beth and Brad Lenahan, Anne Loder, Scooter Leonard, Pat Macha, Swanna MacNair, Adam Makos, Garry and Rae Martin, Marcelle and Pete McAfee, Billy McDonald, Ewan Morrison, Tomaya Nakatsugawa, Alden Nash, Mike O’Brien, Eric Parker, Stephanie Pearson, Norman Peck, Marilyn and Paul Phillips, Brian Riley, Kimberly Tilton-Riley, Gregory Saladino, Angela Sampogna, Giovana Savassa, Kate Scherler, Scott Schwarte, Hampton Sides, Navy Cmdr. Jeff Smith, Kathy Spiteri, Brett Stoffel, Kimball Taylor, Wehtahnah Tucker, Madison Tybroski, Mitch Tybroski, Amber Warner, Fred and Judy Warner, Heidi and Jeff Warner, Billy Waugh, Janet Wendle, Charlie Wilson, Natalie Young, Dean and Tyler Zack.

Special thanks to Jonathan Burnham, my publisher at HarperCollins, and David Hirshey, my editor—both of whom saw this as an important story that needed to be told, and got behind the project during a time when book sales on the war in Afghanistan were waning. Assistant editor George Quraishi, my point person at HarperCollins, labored tirelessly on the manuscript, making sure every ambiguity was clarified and spending a great deal of his own time helping me work through many of the most difficult parts of the story. My agent, Christy Fletcher, invoked my confidence as a journalist and a sto
ryteller, reminding me that both can be achieved without forsaking either as long as I stay true to the story. Michael Davis introduced me to the story of ODA 574 and continued to provide encouragement throughout the process. Michael “Scoop” Hennessy allowed his deft research skills to be called upon at the oddest of hours. Dave Merrill created maps and illustrations that are worth a thousand words. Rick Bychowski’s and Evan Warner’s computer savvy solved many urgent problems, and Evan designed the cutting-edge websites that further the telling of this story. Rita Samols provided meticulous on-call editing, research, and fact-checking from the earliest drafts forward to the project’s completion and transcribed more than half—nearly one hundred hours—of the recorded interviews. MX and MJ made sure I took breaks from my computer and always put a smile on my face when I needed it most. And finally, I thank Lorien—my confidante and PIC. I could never thank you enough, but in summary you make me, and my words, look good. Beyond that, you are the glue that holds every other part of my life together.

Selected Bibliography

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