Battle Scars

"Chip Reid has given the American people an important and enduring gift - up close and personal profiles of Marines who spent precious time on front lines while their families held down the home front. Too often the men in uniform in dangerous places are a fleeting image on a tv screen. Chip reminds us they and their families are on duty 24-7 and deserve our support every waking moment." ~Tom Brokaw, Former NBC Nightly News anchor and author of "The Greatest Generation"

“If this were only the dramatic, heart-pounding tale of U.S. Marines going to war, it would be a great story. But Chip Reid has taken the role of war correspondent to a new level: finding those Marines two decades later, to learn how the Iraq war changed their lives and the lives of their loved ones, too often turning them upside down.  Reid’s reporting confirms that combat is full of human error, heartbreaking loss, guilt and pain to last a lifetime, alongside moments of heroism and joy. And yes, deadly sober warnings for those who would wage war in the future.” ~Judy Woodruff, Former anchor of PBS NewsHour

"In Battle Scars, readers are treated to a vivid account of one Marine battalion’s experiences during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  In the style that made him a successful broadcast journalist—and endeared him to hundreds of wives, parents and children watching his daily reports during the early days of the war—Chip Reid artfully narrates the individual stories of several Marines and corpsmen who were then part of the 3d Battalion, 5th Marines.  Their accounts are gripping and at times painfully sobering; their stories, like their scars, are real.  Ultimately, I hope this book offers other veterans some comfort in the realization of a shared experience, and a renewed desire to live for those who made the ultimate sacrifice." ~Lieutenant General Sam Mundy

"Chip Reid’s Battle Scars is one Hell’va book!  Reid, a CBS News National correspondent and embedded journalist with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, authored a riveting account of the “March up” to Baghdad, Iraq in 2003.  Battle Scars is Reid’s compelling personal account that captures the essence of young Marines in combat and the aftermath of their experiences twenty years later.  Reid draws upon dozens of veteran interviews to tell their story in a comprehensive and exciting ground-level—in the mud—eye witness account" ~Colonel Richard D. Camp, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)

"An intense ride with the Marines on the 'Tip of the Spear' in Iraq, and thoughtful follow-up years later." ~Lieutenant Colonel David Kelly, USMC, Retired