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Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988

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I was there. I am former U.S. Navy Petty Officer Mark Haynes, and was aboard the USS Fox during the summer of 1987. After the attack on the USS Stark, the USS Acadia was dispatched to the Persian Gulf to begin repairs on the ship. The Acadia needed an armed escort, and that's how my ship, the Fox, found its way into the gulf. It was a very tense time for the sailors in the Persian Gulf, and a scary time for me, as it was my first deployment. I wrote a book about my own experiences aboard the Fox during that time, called Liberty Call - USS Fox (CG-33). Although that work was never published, the author of Inside the Danger Zone found it online and contacted me for permission to quote my work in his. I gladly gave him permission. Harold drew from a large number of personal accounts such as mine, and has written an all encompassing book about this important part of US Naval history. Harold's work is a page-turner. Based to a large extent on first-hand accounts from sailors and officers who were there, this book offers what the news stories of the time could not - an inside look at the actions and emotions of the military personnel that were in the heart of the conflict. Inside the Danger Zone is not just history, it is drama. Highly recommended.

As one who was there and in the middle of all of this, I can tell you that Harold Wise has done his homework. A great book, dutifully researched. He talked to the right guys in the interviews. Paul Evancoe and Chuck Angelo were and are the real deal. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know some of the earlier history of our ongoing War with Islamic fascists.

Someone who was involved in the hostilities with Iran during the 1987-88 period recommended this book to me, and I'm very glad he did. This well researched fairly handled story of the tensions, mistakes and victories of the largely unknown skirmishes between Iran and the United States during the Iraq-Iran War stands out as an early indicator of some of the problems we face yet today. It also serves as a warning that gutting our military, as has occurred during supposedly peaceful times, and as was done with our minesweepers and response teams after the Vietnam War, can come back to haunt us, as we are seeing again in the Iraq War today. Some peace dividend, huh? Thank God for the brave SEALS and Commanders who used creative ingenuity and sheer guts and skill to outfit and place an oil service barge named Hercules where it would do the most good - striking out of the darkness at the minelayers Iran had denied existed. This is not a pretty story; mistakes at the command level, errors at the presidential level. Ships sunk, Sailors dying. A commercial jet accidently shot down in flames. But this is a story which must be told. It showcases the fear of young soldiers and sailors in harm's way for the first time, the raw kids trained but inexperienced, who see firsthand the hatred of people they don't know. Then there's the grizzled pro, the hardened hero who understands duty, the guy who expects to earn his Hazardous Duty Pay and doesn't ask for reward -- just completion of mission.

INSIDE THE DANGER ZONE provides a useful and informative backdrop for the Persian Gulf conflicts of today. Harold Lee Wise has done an outstanding job preparing INSIDE THE DANGER ZONE. Hopefully, this country learned some lessons and will not repeat its mistakes.

I served on board the USS KIDD during the time frame this book was written in. This book validates for me the personal experience. It is very accurate, engaging, and as fair a representation of situation as I think is possible. I'm grateful to the author for undertaking this work which is important not only to me personally but to all would seek to understand the Tanker Wars.

Count me as another participant in Operation Earnest Will who strongly recommends this book. I served aboard the USS Hawes (FFG-53) as an electronic warfare operator in the summer and fall of 1987, between the Stark and Samuel B. Roberts attacks, and during the Iran Ajr capture and destruction.

Despite the fact that my ship merits only a single mention, I found this book to be factually accurate and very, very well written. I've been waiting for this book for 20 years, and it was worth the wait.

The only thing this book lacks is something that likely would only be verifiable by a select few that further mitigates the actions of the USS Vincennes' tragic engagement and destruction of the Iranian Airbus in 1988. I know from personal experience (via electronic intelligence) that the Iranians flew F-14 and F-4 jets out of Bandar Abbas in the radar shadow of civilian airliners. They no doubt sought to mask the presence of these military flights, but that subterfuge was undermined by the fact that these aircraft invariably used their radars, and the radar used on the F-14 was unique to the point that it could not possibly be misidentified as anything other than the AN/AWG-9 radar used on the F-14. Other than that, Mr. Wise does a fine job of describing this and all other events.

Frankly, I'm grateful that Mr. Wise's description of events refreshed many forgotten memories I had of my participation in the Gulf in 1987. His fine account corrected many things I misremembered of that time, and put the importance of my ship's participation in a proper (i.e., objective) context.

can write a book that clearly, succinctly, and engagingly tells the story in question. Lee managed to do that at every turn. I'm not a history buff. I routinely did poorly in history in part because the people that wrote the books knew a lot about their subject, but little if anything about how to tell a story. He knows how to do both.

The best thing about this book is that it tells the story from the bottom up. He interviewed the people who were actually there. Men that fought and bled at the battles in question. The events are made more real by the anecdotes and bracketed where necessary by higher level political goings on. It gave great insight into how ships are run and decisions are made in the 20th century military.

I highly recommend this to anyone interested in seeing what went on during the Tanker Wars and who might want a glimpse into the early days of our current involvement in this part of the world.

"Inside The Danger Zone: The U.S. Military In The Persian Gulf, 1987-1988" by Harold Lee Wise (Adjunct History Professor at Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, North Carolina) is a model of scholarship in describing and documenting a history of United States military involvement in the First Gulf War that began in May 1987 when an Iraqi plan fired two missiles into the USS Stark (a lone American navy frigate on patrol in the Gulf) resulting in the death of 37 sailors and major damage to the vessel. It was a time of 'burning ships, air strikes, and secret missions' that served as a prelude to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the American and Allied response code-named Desert Storm That resulted in the defeat of the Iraqi occupational forces, the liberation of Kuwait, and sowed the seeds for the next war that would come as a part of the American 'War on Terrorism' after September 9, 2001. This chronological account is enhanced with a list of acronyms, extensive notes, a lengthy bibliography, and a comprehensive index, making it a seminal contribution and strong recommendation for personal, academic, and community library American Military History collections and critically important reading for non-specialist general readers wanting reliable historical background information to America's continuing military involvement in Iraq under the present Administration..

I am another reader who was very involved in these events. Excellent book which required an extensive amount of research into a little known period of recent history.

Having never been into reading military non-fiction, I was hesitant to start this book. However, it read like a Clive Cussler novel and was a true account taken from numerous sources who were in the Gulf during this time. The book gives tremendous insight into the geographic, political and military background of the region.

Mr. Wise obviously did a great deal of painstaking research for the book. He managed to weave all the accounts into a story that flows as well as any book I have read lately. Particularly interesting to me was following the experiences and decisions of Hal Bernson, the great Admiral/Diplomat in the region at the time. I look for more great books to come from this author.

This book is truly an amazing one. From the beginning to the end you feel like you are watching an action packed movie -- not reading a non-fiction novel. The story is gripping as well as very detailed and educational. Harold Wise truly has mastered the art of making history come to life with Inside The Danger Zone. This is a must read. I can't wait for his next book.