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The Eyes of Orion: Five Tank Lieutenants in the Persian Gulf War
 
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The Eyes of Orion: Five Tank Lieutenants in the Persian Gulf War [Paperback]

Alex Vernon (Author), Neal, Jr. Creighton (Author), Greg Downey (Author), Rob Holmes (Author), David Trybula (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 2001
Winner of the Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Book Award, The Eyes of Orion is a highly personal account of the day-to-day experiences of five platoon leaders who served in the same tank battalion in the 24th Infantry Division during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

While professional soldiers and historians will undoubtedly glean much from this narrative, the heart of the account concerns the experiences of the five young lieutenants as they prepared for and served in combat--from their deployment to Saudi Arabia through their six months in the desert training for war, their four days in combat and several weeks of occupation in Iraq, and finally their homecoming. The authors treat their combat experience in Saudi and Kuwait from the perspective of junior officers, all in their twenties and just out of college (four are graduates of West Point and one received his commission through an ROTC program), who served on the front line--facing physical, personal, moral, and leadership challenges.


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The Eyes of Orion: Five Tank Lieutenants in the Persian Gulf War + Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad + Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The single best book on the Persian Gulf War on the market today." -- Military Heritage, October 2000 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

Winner, 1999 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Book Award. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 376 pages
  • Publisher: Kent State Univ Pr (August 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0873387155
  • ISBN-13: 978-0873387156
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #708,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended by someone who was there, January 24, 2000
As a former Armor officer in the Persian Gulf War, I can tell you that this book genuinely conveys the feelings and experiences of young officers in the desert. The authors are humble enough to admit their own shortcomings, and their memory of detail is truly astounding. The only way you will ever get a better idea of what the Gulf War was like from the turret of an M1A1 tank would be to read this book after going several days without sleep while wearing a charcoal-lined suit inside your clothes dryer.
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Stop shooting at me!, October 14, 2000
By A Customer
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The attack on the USS Cole came just hours after I had just finished a book on the Gulf War. The book was titled "Eyes of Orion". Its subject was five 23 year old US Army M1 tank/ Bradley Fighting Vehicle commanders' experience during Desert Shield through Desert Storm. Their accounts held no punches and left me feeling on the bounds of horrible that our country had to ask these boys to do this, but happy that they survived. A large portion of the book was dedicated to the 5 months of Desert Shield which in my own terms I could sum up as my own experiences as a US Marine in practically any CAX I participated in at 29 Palms. The desert is a brutal place to live and work. That part of the book was refreshing to remember some of the hardships I had endured. However it was the actual battle that was horrifying. It left me with the impression of some components of our Army as being a group of "I'm not going home til I shoot something". This story doesn't cover tank vs. tank battle with the Iraqi army (however it does cover US Army Tanks Vs. US Army tanks). "IRON SOLDIERS" (Tom Carhart) is the book you want to read if thats what you want. Once the ground war started they were constantly under fire from their own units. In our military there is a special unit assigned to Division level that has radar which can electronically "see" enemy (as well as friendly) artillery firing through the air. It can immediately plot where the rounds came from, send out these coordinates to a counterbattery unit which within moments fires its own volleys on the artillery position the radar had tracked. Too often in these accounts, when an American artillery unit fired, they themselves were fired upon by our own Divisional artillery. And in each major enemy engagement this unit had, there was fratricide, or a serious attempt to do so. The sick part is, after they stopped shooting at the Iraqis (and themselves) they would find the surviving Iraqis with their achilles tendons cut (so that they couldn't desert) and no will to fight at all. It was a great book in the case that it presents. Having read a dozen books on this subject...the others left me with a vision of John Wayne on the Sands Of Iwo Jima, with his helmet strap hanging and throwing his hand high in the air and yelling "follow me!". I am proud of their service, and as well they should be as indicated in their story. But they do make an excellent point of the emptiness of the way the battle ended without closure. By all means I recommend this book to anyone. It is a fitting account to read for any 18 year old going into Military service. It should tone down an individuals affixation with the need to mount weapons and go off killing folks without knowledge of what it leaves you feeling like.
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15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ FOR ANYONE!, November 24, 1999
By A Customer
This book is the most provocative account of modern battle I have ever been exposed to. The authors translate their experiences through the eyes of the platoon leader, the heart & soul of our fighting forces. This is a "must read" for anyone who wants to know what combat is like. There is more to the story than bullets and bombs...there is the human emotion that takes place behind the triggers. This is the only book I have ever read, and I've read almost everything out there, that takes the reader into the minds of the platoon leader. It reveals the challenges faced by junior military leaders facing an unsure future. This book has the potential to be a best seller and will move the reader in ways that no other book has been able to do. I cried, I laughed, I trembled, and I was humbled all within the pages of this book. This is the first time I actually experienced anything like this. Most of all, I COULD NOT put it down once I began reading.
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