Alone at Dawn Audiobook By Dan Schilling, Lori Longfritz cover art

Alone at Dawn

Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman and the Untold Story of the World's Deadliest Special Operations Force

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Alone at Dawn

By: Dan Schilling, Lori Longfritz
Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel, Betsy Foldes Meiman
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The astonishing true account of John Chapman, Medal of Honor recipient and Special Ops Combat Controller, and his heroic one-man stand during the Afghan War, as he sacrificed his life to save the lives of 23 comrades-in-arms.

In the predawn hours of March 4, 2002, just below the 10,000-foot peak of a mountain in eastern Afghanistan, a fierce battle raged. Outnumbered by Al Qaeda fighters, Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman and a handful of SEALs struggled to take the summit in a desperate bid to find a lost teammate. Chapman, leading the charge, was gravely wounded in the initial assault. Believing he was dead, his SEAL leader ordered a retreat. Chapman regained consciousness, alone with the enemy closing in on three sides, beginning the most difficult and exceptional fight of his life.

John Chapman's incredible display of valor - first by saving the lives of his SEAL teammates and then, aware that he was mortally wounded, single-handedly engaging two dozen hardened fighters to save the lives of an incoming rescue squad - posthumously earned him the Medal of Honor. Chapman is the first airman in nearly 50 years to be given the distinction reserved for America's greatest heroes.

Alone at Dawn is also a behind-the-scenes look at the Air Force Combat Controllers: the world's deadliest and most versatile special operations force, whose members must not only exceed the qualifications of Navy SEAL and Army Delta Force teams, but also act with sharp decisiveness and deft precision - even in the face of life-threatening danger.

Drawing from firsthand accounts, classified documents, dramatic video footage, and extensive interviews with leaders and survivors of the operation, Alone at Dawn is the story of an extraordinary man's brave last stand and the brotherhood that forged him.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz (P)2019 Grand Central Publishing
Afghan & Iraq Wars Afghan War Armed Forces Military Military & War Special & Elite Forces Wars & Conflicts Air Force War Solider Middle East US Air Force Nonfiction Military Nonfiction Military Psychology

Critic reviews

"The men who serve in Combat Control whose incredible story is presented in this book aren't asking for recognition. No late night talk show, video game, or film could possibly begin to convey the intensity of the experience, the fear, the sense of duty and valor, the bonds that unite these men and, above all, the inner feelings and motivation of someone who has stepped up and accepted the challenge of this toughest of Missions." (Jeffrey "Skunk" Baxter, musician, national security specialist)

"Alone at Dawn is riveting and powerful. This stunning account reveals for the first time one of the most extraordinary acts of valor and courage in the annals of US history. With this book, USAF CCT John Chapman now rightfully takes his place as an iconic hero of the Afghanistan War. All Americans should honor and enshrine the memory of such undaunted self-sacrifice and valor." [Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, USA (ret.), author of On Killing, On Combat, and Assassination Generation]

"As one of our nation's most elite special operations forces, Combat Controllers not only jump, dive, shoot, and maneuver with the best, they uniquely combine these skills with absolute mastery of three-dimensional battlespace to deliver lethal and precision airpower, making them the deadliest force on any battlefield. Among even this exceptional and select brotherhood, John Chapman's heroism on Takur Ghar is without equal in America's longest war." [Lt. Gen. Donny Wurster, USAF (ret.), former commander, Air Force Special Operations Command]

Heroic Sacrifice • Gripping Combat Narrative • Detailed Military History • Emotional Storytelling • Inspiring Patriotism
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Great. fucking. book. Period.

I have spent time listening to all of the other books concerning the events during and outcome of the Battle for Roberts Ridge, aka Takur Ghar, aka Operation Anaconda. Only one I enjoyed half as much of this was from Pete Blaber. CCTs are an unrecognized and absolutely integral part of modern day warfare and this book lays it out there for what they stand for and one of the single most documented MoH write ups to date.

Great Book from the CCT POV

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loved it Rip John Chapman. truly there are few who can consider themselves your equal.

powerful story

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Interesting story of the evolution of the US Air Force Combat Control field, from lessons learned during WW2, to its early Vietnam era to the book’s culmination in Operation Anaconda, where MSgt Chapman unfortunately lost his life while saving others.

The history part was very interesting, as the field almost sprung up organically in the forests of Vietnam, Laos and nearby.
Great background info on the circa-2000 training and employment methods used by combat controllers. Good biography about John Chapman which turned into the story of his actions saving lives while under the realization he’d been left for dead by his team.

The story also not so subtly pointed fingers to those who’s glory-dogging led to plans that had a direct hand in the fiasco that led to so many US deaths. Unfortunately they deflected blame on more junior people and were subsequently rewarded with higher responsibility and grade.

The biggest detractor was the overly wrought, overly dramatic narration, which was more than a bit repetitive and distracting from the story at hand.

Part history, part great biography

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I had no idea these men existed until I read this book. The book was very informative and I couldn’t stop listening until it was over. A really good book.

A great book

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An amazing glimpse into CCT and the heroic story of John Chapman. Well worth your time.

Epic

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Amazing! An awesome account of an American hero. Thank you for everything. Great! We will not forget.

Thank you, John.

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Loved this book. The details and lead up were astounding. RIP John Chapman and his brother's who fell. You'll never be forgotten ♥

Amazing and Sad

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Excellent audio book, one of the best I've heard.
This book extols the virtues and talents of an elite, yet unsung group of professionals rarely getting credit for their actions. It features the life, journeys and eventual heroic last stand of USAF CCT John Chapman in one of the most documented battles in history.
As a former FAC and Fighter Pilot, I had the privilege of working alongside CCT, PJs and JTACs (two other USAF unsung career fields) on three deployments to Iraq. These quiet professionals perform two of the most important jobs on the battlefield, Close Air Support and Combat Rescue.
This book deftly chronicles numerous actual engagements where CCT was critical to mission accomplishment alongside telling Chapman's story and eventual final firefight. I personally know two other warriors present on the mountain that day and both attest to his unselfish heroics.
Excellent listen, highly recommended!
RR

Sierra Hotel!

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Spectacular book. From the origin and the history of the combat controllers to Chapmans background this book lays a solid foundation for the epic battle that will take place. One can appreciate the level of detail and research that went into both the background information, training of combat controllers and finally the incredible fire fight on top of that mountain.

Riveting story

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John was one of my supervisors when I got to the 21rst at Pope AFB.

Brought back a lot of memories.

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