They Called Us ""Lucky""

The Life and Afterlife of the Iraq War's Hardest Hit Unit

By: Ruben Gallego, Jim DeFelice

Narrated by: Ruben Gallego, Stephen Graybill

From Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, a ""powerful"" and ""searing"" memoir of his journey from childhood poverty to Harvard to the Marine Corps, where served in the hardest-hit unit of the Iraq War

At first, they were “Lucky Lima.” Infantryman Ruben Gallego and his brothers in Lima Company—3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, young men drawn from blue-collar towns, immigrant households, Navajo reservations—returned unscathed on patrol after patrol through the increasingly violent al Anbar region of Iraq. After two months, Lima didn't have a casualty, not a single Purple Heart, no injury worse than a blister.

Then, in May 2005, Lima’s fortunes flipped. Unknown to Ruben and his fellow grunts, al Anbar had recently become a haven for al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. The bin Laden-sponsored group had recruited radicals from all over the world for jihad against the Americans. On one fateful day, they were lured into a death house; the ambush cost the lives of two men, including a platoon sergeant. Two days later, Ruben’s best friend, Jonathon Grant, died in an IED attack, along with several others. Events worsened from there. A disastrous operation in Haditha in August claimed the lives of thirteen Marines when an IED destroyed their amphibious vehicle. It was the worst single-day loss for the Marines since the 1983 Beirut bombings. By the time 3/25 went home in November, it had lost more men than any other single unit in the war. Forty-six Marines and two Navy Corpsmen serving with the battalion in Iraq were killed in action during their roughly nine-month activation.

They Called Us “Lucky” details Ruben Gallego’s journey and includes harrowing accounts of some of the war’s most costly battles. It details the struggles and the successes of Ruben and the rest of Lima Company following Iraq, examining the complicated matter of PTSD. And it serves as a tribute to Ruben’s fallen comrades, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

A heroic story humbly told!

I suspect Representative Gallego would most desire that we simply regard him a good Marine. I am happy to oblige, speaking for myself. That said, I would add good American at a time when our domestic politics are chaotic and frightening, even terrifying. Whether we collectively know it or not, the future of this great country rests on his shoulders and those who share his values and integrity.

Story grabs your attention

Listen to the whole book in a day. Wish there was more books written like this.

Soulful writing and a vulnerable performance

I easily imagined talking side by side with the author about his life story, and felt honored to hear stories of his personal losses. I valued his perspective as a hard working Lcpl, a rare perspective one seldom has access to. A great option for a guided book club, discussing loss, military to civil transitions, a focus on military familys, mental health in the military and USMC History.

Lima 3/25

This subject, Lima Company 325 is held near to my heart. A young man that I know was apart of this unit. He came home to his loving family unlike many of his Marine brothers. He is my hero!! The story was told well, my heart breaks for all the families that lost a child, a husband, brother or grandchild. However, the story was spoiled by current issues in the past year, such as the election. I thought it was about Lima Company, not Biden and Trump, i.e. politics. Sorry you didn't stick to the subject.

Thank you!

They are humans who had to work for their country and do things that others don't dare. What I liked most was the end, they did what they had to do! his work!