American Warrior
The True Story of a Legendary Ranger
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4.5 • 59 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The epic story of one of America's greatest soldiers, Ranger Hall of Fame member Gary O'Neal, who served his country for forty years
Chief Warrant Officer Gary O'Neal is no ordinary soldier. For nearly forty years, he has fought America's enemies, becoming one of the greatest Warriors this nation has ever known. Part Native American, O'Neal was trained in both military combat and the ways of his native people, combining his commitment to freedom with his respect for the enemy, his technical fighting skills with his fierce warrior spirit.
From his first tour in Vietnam at seventeen to fighting in both Gulf wars, O'Neal was nothing less than a super soldier. A minefield of aggression bordering on a justice-seeking vigilante, O'Neal kept fighting even when wounded, refusing to surrender in the face of nine serious injuries and being left more than once. O'Neal earned countless military honors as a member of the elite Army Rangers corps, a founding member of the legendary first Department of Defense antiterrorist team, a member of the Golden Knights Parachuting Team, and more, devoting his life to training the next generation of soldiers. His unbelievable true stories are both shocking and moving, a reminder of what it means to be a true American hero.
In O'Neal's own words, he "wasn't born a warrior"—life made him one. American Warrior will serve as inspiration for American men and women in uniform today, as well as appeal to the countless veterans who served their country alongside O'Neal.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Most recent military memoirs have come from relatively young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This one, however, details one warrior's decades-long career in the killing fields, from Vietnam to the Gulf Wars. O'Neal was fascinated from a young age with the warrior culture of his Sioux ancestors, and by the time he was six, he could survive alone in the woods. Less than 10 years later, he'd stolen his cousin's birth certificate, enlisted, and shipped off for training. Soon after, he got his first taste of combat in Vietnam, and from there on out, he was "a completely different person" he "reeked of death" and was "desperate to get back" into battle. Instead, O'Neal became an Army Ranger, helped developed "the most deadly individual combat system ever devised" (once a week for three years, he would begin a class by sticking an ice pick through the front skin of his neck, and use it to lift a 50-lb bucket of water), and went to Nicaragua to train troops for dictator Somoza and battle Sandinista guerillas. Casual readers may be turned off by the ferocious violence, but this is a vivid portrait of a man who not only loved combat but studied it closely and creatively. 8-page b&w photo insert.
Customer Reviews
American Warrior
Great book about a great military man.