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One Million Steps

A Marine Platoon at War

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One Million Steps

By: Bing West
Narrated by: Ray Porter
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Battalion 3/5 suffered the highest number of casualties in the war in Afghanistan. This is the story of one platoon in that distinguished battalion. Aware of U.S. plans to withdraw from the country, knowing their efforts were only a footprint in the sand, the fifty Marines of 3rd Platoon fought in Sangin, the most dangerous district in all of Afghanistan. So heavy were the casualties that the Secretary of Defense offered to pull the Marines out. Instead, they pushed forward. Each Marine in 3rd Platoon patrolled two and a half miles a day for six months—a total of one million steps—in search of a ghostlike enemy that struck without warning. Why did the Marines attack and attack, day after day?

Every day brought a new skirmish. Each footfall might trigger an IED. Half the Marines in 3rd Platoon didn’t make it intact to the end of the tour. One Million Steps is the story of the fifty brave men who faced these grim odds and refused to back down. Based on Bing West’s embeds with 3rd Platoon, as well as on their handwritten log, this is a gripping grunt’s-eye view of life on the front lines of America’s longest war. Writing with a combat veteran’s compassion for the fallen, West also offers a damning critique of the higher-ups who expected our warriors to act as nation-builders—and whose failed strategy put American lives at unnecessary risk.

Each time a leader was struck down, another rose up to take his place. How does one man instill courage in another? What welded these men together as firmly as steel plates?

This remarkable book is the story of warriors caught between a maddening, unrealistic strategy and their unswerving commitment to the fight.

Fearsome, inspiring, and poignant in its telling, One Million Steps is sure to become a classic, a unique and enduring testament to the American warrior spirit.

©2014 Bing West (P)2014 Random House Audio Afghan War International Relations Military Politics & Government Wars & Conflicts Veteran War Warrior

Critic reviews

“A compelling account of what these men endured . . . [Bing] West is at his best describing the tactical decisions of small-unit leaders. The opening chapters give a heart-pounding portrayal of the battalion’s brutal first month. . . . What makes these Marines so impressive is not that they are superhumans for whom danger and exhaustion are their natural habitat and killing a joy, but very young men for whom the prospect of walking 2.6 miles a day for six months over IED-riddled ground is no more appealing than it would be for anyone else. . . . Only two years after 3rd Platoon’s final patrol there, the district’s governor was proclaiming, ‘Sangin is like an open space for the Taliban.’ If we’re going to do better in the future, stories like this need to be told.”—Phil Klay, The Washington Post

“A gripping, boot-level account of Marines in Afghanistan during the bloody struggle with Taliban fighters . . . [West’s] style is narrative, almost novelistic, capturing the personalities of individual Marines and their roles in the platoon. . . . His approach here is pointillist, sharp colors that blend into a cohesive picture.”—Los Angeles Times

“A blistering assault on America’s senior military leadership.”—The Wall Street Journal
Riveting Storytelling • Authentic Combat Depiction • Excellent Narration • Powerful Marine Experiences • Emotional Impact
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There is a documentary out about this very book and watching combined with reading really telegraphs the experiences well and unlike most imbedded journalist books this one stands out as a true story of a battle on the front lines and isn't focused on the journalist but rather the soldiers in the field and they're tactics and experiences

Excellent

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I served with 1st Battalion 5th Marines Bravo Co. 1st platoon. And we replaced this Battalion and I was at PbFires. This book brings back a lot of memories, some of which I have forgotten. I recommend this book so our story and what we been through can be heard. ... All gave some, some gave all.

Touching

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I couldn't stop listening. You are warriors 3/5. I'd like to hear more about 3/5 in Sangin

Wow!

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Journalist, Bing West, stayed with Platoon 3 and wrote the true story of, One Million Steps, from his notes, what he saw and from the diaries of the Marine's themselves. I've found, having read many books about many wars, there are soldier's who do keep a diary of their days during their war.

There were 500 men in the Battalion 3/5 and 50 men in the 3rd Platoon. The Marine's in 3rd Platoon knew that the war in Afghanistan would soon be over. However, the Marine's continued to fight as hard as if the war had just began. The Marine's fought in Sangin, the most dangerous district in all of Afghanistan.


Every soldier patrolled 2 1/2 miles everyday, to alert his fellow Marine's if the Taliban were seen. The Taliban would pop up at anytime. There may be a group of them or two of them.
There were innumerable IED's planted everywhere, under the dirt in the roads, under the dirt in the cornfields, under trash or even under a dead dog. Every step a Marine took, he never knew if he would be blown up. The IED's were searched for by the Marine's. Sometimes the wick could be seen, some of the IED's were placed in a shallow hole. The only equipment given to the Marine to try and find an IED's was the same instrument a person would see on the beach, where someone was searching for money. I would hope that there is research being done to help our men and women detect these IED's that cause the loss of limbs and other injuries as well as death.

The soldier's feared the IED's more than fighting the Taliban. The Taliban would be seen or found because of where a shot came from. The number of casualties in Battalion 3/5 numbered 500. These men would usually lose one or more of their limbs. However, at times the injuries would be elsewhere. There were 500 marine's killed in the 6 months that Battalion 3/5 was in Afghanistan. The numbers were so high that the Department of Defense gave the Battalion an opportunity to come home. The Marine's chose to stay and fight.

The Marine's who fought on the front line were known as grunt's. Many but not all of the men, chose to be a grunt. The Marine's were extremely tough men. When the Taliban came up against a Platoon of Marine's they knew that were up against the best. Marine's fight and come back and fight some more.

Aristotle said this centuries ago, We became brave by doing brave acts, finish every fight, standing on the enemies ground. I believe this sounds like a Marine.

The book was well written. The narrator, Ray Porter, did an excellent job. His voice emulated the scene and I would think and would visualize it in my mind. I would feel the emotions when he spoke. I would suggest to other's that this is a great book to read. However, the reader would be more likely to enjoy the reading material if he or she liked this genre of book. There were times that would make me stop and think about how tough it has to be for these Marine's to have one of their brother's die or be injured. Yes, the Marine who was injured or killed would be replaced but he does not fill the void of the Marine who was being replaced.










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Marines Always Fight to Win

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Great story with great detail! I highly recommend this book.
Gives many key perspectives.

Great detail!

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Excellent book. This book made some major flaws in military tactics very apparent to me. West is the go to writer if you want to read about Marines.

Political Nightmare

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! It kept my attention throughout the whole book and now I am planning to download other books by West.. Well worth the money or credits

Great book!!

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Bing West was tailor made to tell this story of the Marine infantryman in Sangin Afghanistan. With his past marine service , he can relate and therefore convey the sentiments and experiences better than any other writer.
This book jumps right into the thick of it, needing no lengthy back story or premise due to the fact that the story doesn't center on just one individual.
By the time you finish this book you will have laughed ,cried and most importantly you will have had a glimpse of what these remarkable young men dealt with while serving in the most dangerous area of that country. This book is never dull or boring. It will leave you in awe of the courage and willingness to self sacrifice these Marines embody. This is a book you will listen to more then once and great addition to any library.

Best account of the Marines in Sangin

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This is one of the best books I have ever read. You get to see what drives our brave men and women and you will be in awe of their heroic service. Highly recommend!

Humbling

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As a former Tank and Scout Platoon Leader in Iraq from 2003-2004 and then serving as an advisor to the Marines and NATO in Helmand in 2010, I thought this book did an excellent job describing the fight at the platoon level. It wasn’t an action book (too many idiot “war hero” books with play by play descriptions meant to fatten the pages out there these days), but an intelligently written look at the situation those young Marines were in at the time and the political goat rodeo they were forced to participate in. I enjoyed the story, the narrator was excellent, and feel it was worth the listen. I would recommend it to others with an interest in the topic.

Excellent platoon level look at small unit combat operations

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