thedrifter
04-30-07, 06:46 AM
Injured war hero aims to inspire others with book
The story of Iowan Brad Kasal's rescue mission in Iraq and his painful recovery goes on sale Tuesday.
By WILLIAM PETROSKI
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
April 30, 2007
Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal still thinks every day about death, sacrifice and honor in Iraq, even though he's back in Iowa. The war hero has written a book in hopes of inspiring other Marines.
Kasal, 40, said he can't forget what happened on Nov. 13, 2004, while he was engaged in urban combat against insurgents in Fallujah.
It was there that he earned a Navy Cross for leading a mission into an enemy-held house to rescue wounded Marines. He killed one insurgent in the house in a face-to-face encounter. Then he was shot seven times by an enemy fighter with an AK-47 assault rifle and absorbed the brunt of a grenade blast while shielding another badly injured Marine with his body.
"I have regrets about that day - that I lost a Marine and that 13 other good Marines were wounded," Kasal said recently. "But I don't have any regrets about going into that house. If I had it to do over again - even knowing what happened - I would do it all over again."
A book about Kasal's career in the Marines and his combat experiences in Iraq goes on sale nationwide Tuesday in major bookstores. It can be pre-ordered through Amazon.com.
The memoir, "My Men Are My Heroes," is published by Meredith Books of Des Moines.
The cover shows a widely circulated photo of the blood-stained Kasal, still clutching a 9 mm pistol, as he was helped by two Marines from what has become known as the "Hell House" in Fallujah.
"When there is an Iowa angle on something of national significance, it gets your attention," said Larry Erickson, an executive editor for Meredith Books. "We thought, 'Who better to publish an Iowan's story than an Iowa publisher?' "
Kasal (pronounced "castle") grew up on a farm near Afton in southwest Iowa. He's a former East Union High School wrestler who has spent 23 years in the Marines. For the past year, his job with the Marines Corps' recruiting district based in Des Moines has been to supervise and mentor Marines in Iowa, Nebraska and part of Illinois.
He wrote the book in cooperation with Nat Helms of St. Charles, Mo., a Vietnam War veteran who has covered military issues for Soldier of Fortune magazine, the DefenseWatch online newsletter and other publications.
The book is aimed at readers who have an interest in the military and the Iraq war. Kasal hopes it will be included on the Marine Corps commandant's official reading list, which could boost sales considerably.
Helms said he first heard about Kasal in November 2004, just a few days after the Iowan was wounded. A Marine general sent a copy of the now legendary photo of the wounded Kasal to DefenseWatch with the notation, "This guy is going to get the medal," meaning the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award.
Ultimately, Kasal didn't receive the Medal of Honor, but received the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps' second-highest award. Another Marine with Iowa ties, Sgt. R.J. Mitchell, a graduate of Riverside Community High School in Oakland in western Iowa, accompanied Kasal on the Fallujah rescue mission and also received the Navy Cross.
Kasal initially rebuffed all offers for a book deal, but relented after Helms told him he could use the book to discuss how well his men performed in Iraq.
Kasal also said he recalled reading about famous Marines years ago and he hoped he could help to inspire younger Marines. Finally, Kasal said he wanted to talk frankly about the seriousness of his wounds and his personal battle to recover, which has included bouts with depression.
Although Kasal marched before a Marine Corps general at Camp Pendleton, Calif., with no apparent limp when he was awarded the Navy Cross on May 1, 2006, he disclosed recently that his right leg has never fully recovered from his wounds.
"I can hide it pretty well if I need to, and right then I was hiding it very well," he said.
In the weeks and months after Kasal was injured, doctors recommended amputation of his lower right leg, but he strongly resisted. Then he surprised medical professionals, who had predicted he would never walk again on the leg, by recovering to the point where he passed the Marines' physical fitness test last November with a first-class score. The test includes a three-mile run, pull-ups and abdominal crunches.
But his leg still hurts and he has chronic swelling because of circulation problems, he said. He'll never be able to deploy overseas again with a Marine infantry unit, he added, because his leg couldn't withstand cold weather and the stress of living in the field.
Lt. Cmdr. Paul Girard, a Navy orthopedic surgeon who treated Kasal, is quoted in the book as describing the Iowa Marine as a model for severely injured patients.
The physician also said the emotional difficulties experienced by Kasal and other wounded warriors struck down in their prime are not unusual.
"These young men - strong, healthy go-getters - are injured in an instant and their life is changed. They don't have any time to accommodate or get used to what is going on. Their expectations are naturally very, very high. They want to get back to right where they were the split second before they were shot. Generally it is not realistic," Girard said.
As Kasal travels around Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois while wearing his Marine uniform, he said it's not uncommon for him to stop at a restaurant for a meal and to find out later that someone has paid his bill.
But there are other times, he added, such as a visit to an eastern Iowa restaurant earlier this month, when people give him dirty looks.
"You could look at it one way and it could make you mad. Here you are, serving your country, making sacrifices, and people hate you because of what you do?" Kasal said.
"Or you could look at it the way I do. The reason that I am making sacrifices and wearing that uniform is so that everybody can have those opinions, whether I agree with them or not."
Reporter William Petroski can be reached at (515) 284-8547 or bpetroski@dmreg.com
Ellie
The story of Iowan Brad Kasal's rescue mission in Iraq and his painful recovery goes on sale Tuesday.
By WILLIAM PETROSKI
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
April 30, 2007
Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal still thinks every day about death, sacrifice and honor in Iraq, even though he's back in Iowa. The war hero has written a book in hopes of inspiring other Marines.
Kasal, 40, said he can't forget what happened on Nov. 13, 2004, while he was engaged in urban combat against insurgents in Fallujah.
It was there that he earned a Navy Cross for leading a mission into an enemy-held house to rescue wounded Marines. He killed one insurgent in the house in a face-to-face encounter. Then he was shot seven times by an enemy fighter with an AK-47 assault rifle and absorbed the brunt of a grenade blast while shielding another badly injured Marine with his body.
"I have regrets about that day - that I lost a Marine and that 13 other good Marines were wounded," Kasal said recently. "But I don't have any regrets about going into that house. If I had it to do over again - even knowing what happened - I would do it all over again."
A book about Kasal's career in the Marines and his combat experiences in Iraq goes on sale nationwide Tuesday in major bookstores. It can be pre-ordered through Amazon.com.
The memoir, "My Men Are My Heroes," is published by Meredith Books of Des Moines.
The cover shows a widely circulated photo of the blood-stained Kasal, still clutching a 9 mm pistol, as he was helped by two Marines from what has become known as the "Hell House" in Fallujah.
"When there is an Iowa angle on something of national significance, it gets your attention," said Larry Erickson, an executive editor for Meredith Books. "We thought, 'Who better to publish an Iowan's story than an Iowa publisher?' "
Kasal (pronounced "castle") grew up on a farm near Afton in southwest Iowa. He's a former East Union High School wrestler who has spent 23 years in the Marines. For the past year, his job with the Marines Corps' recruiting district based in Des Moines has been to supervise and mentor Marines in Iowa, Nebraska and part of Illinois.
He wrote the book in cooperation with Nat Helms of St. Charles, Mo., a Vietnam War veteran who has covered military issues for Soldier of Fortune magazine, the DefenseWatch online newsletter and other publications.
The book is aimed at readers who have an interest in the military and the Iraq war. Kasal hopes it will be included on the Marine Corps commandant's official reading list, which could boost sales considerably.
Helms said he first heard about Kasal in November 2004, just a few days after the Iowan was wounded. A Marine general sent a copy of the now legendary photo of the wounded Kasal to DefenseWatch with the notation, "This guy is going to get the medal," meaning the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award.
Ultimately, Kasal didn't receive the Medal of Honor, but received the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps' second-highest award. Another Marine with Iowa ties, Sgt. R.J. Mitchell, a graduate of Riverside Community High School in Oakland in western Iowa, accompanied Kasal on the Fallujah rescue mission and also received the Navy Cross.
Kasal initially rebuffed all offers for a book deal, but relented after Helms told him he could use the book to discuss how well his men performed in Iraq.
Kasal also said he recalled reading about famous Marines years ago and he hoped he could help to inspire younger Marines. Finally, Kasal said he wanted to talk frankly about the seriousness of his wounds and his personal battle to recover, which has included bouts with depression.
Although Kasal marched before a Marine Corps general at Camp Pendleton, Calif., with no apparent limp when he was awarded the Navy Cross on May 1, 2006, he disclosed recently that his right leg has never fully recovered from his wounds.
"I can hide it pretty well if I need to, and right then I was hiding it very well," he said.
In the weeks and months after Kasal was injured, doctors recommended amputation of his lower right leg, but he strongly resisted. Then he surprised medical professionals, who had predicted he would never walk again on the leg, by recovering to the point where he passed the Marines' physical fitness test last November with a first-class score. The test includes a three-mile run, pull-ups and abdominal crunches.
But his leg still hurts and he has chronic swelling because of circulation problems, he said. He'll never be able to deploy overseas again with a Marine infantry unit, he added, because his leg couldn't withstand cold weather and the stress of living in the field.
Lt. Cmdr. Paul Girard, a Navy orthopedic surgeon who treated Kasal, is quoted in the book as describing the Iowa Marine as a model for severely injured patients.
The physician also said the emotional difficulties experienced by Kasal and other wounded warriors struck down in their prime are not unusual.
"These young men - strong, healthy go-getters - are injured in an instant and their life is changed. They don't have any time to accommodate or get used to what is going on. Their expectations are naturally very, very high. They want to get back to right where they were the split second before they were shot. Generally it is not realistic," Girard said.
As Kasal travels around Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois while wearing his Marine uniform, he said it's not uncommon for him to stop at a restaurant for a meal and to find out later that someone has paid his bill.
But there are other times, he added, such as a visit to an eastern Iowa restaurant earlier this month, when people give him dirty looks.
"You could look at it one way and it could make you mad. Here you are, serving your country, making sacrifices, and people hate you because of what you do?" Kasal said.
"Or you could look at it the way I do. The reason that I am making sacrifices and wearing that uniform is so that everybody can have those opinions, whether I agree with them or not."
Reporter William Petroski can be reached at (515) 284-8547 or bpetroski@dmreg.com
Ellie