Blood Stripes ─ The Grunt's View of the War in Iraq

A sometimes harrowing, often humorous, and occasionally tragic look at the Marine Corps from the inside out in its struggle with the insurgency in Iraq. Drawing from personal experience in the confusing, deadly conflict currently being fought in the streets and back alleys of Iraqi towns and villages, Danelo focuses on the young Marine leaders--corporals and sergeants--whose job it is to take even younger Marines into battle, close with and destroy an elusive enemy, and bring their boys back home again. Sadly, there are losses, but true to the Marine Corps spirit, they soldier on, earning their blood stripes the only way they know how--the hard way. The author interviewed charismatic and controversial Marine Gen. James N. "Mad Dog" Mattis, a legendary Marine commander revered by the grunts and uncovered new details about the fierce battle for Fallujah.

David J. Danelo, a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry captain, deployed to Camp Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. While overseas, he served in several billets, including the Operations Officer, Intelligence Officer, and Convoy Commander for the I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group. A 1998 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Danelo was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat "V," Combat Action Ribbon, and Purple Heart. Danelo also speaks, reads, and writes Arabic. He lives near Scranton, Pennsylvania.