Victory Point

Operations Red Wings and Whalers - the Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan

By: Ed Darack

Narrated by: John Pruden

In late June, 2005, media sources recounted the tragic story of 19 US special-operations personnel who died at the hands of insurgent/terrorist leader Ahmad Shah - and the lone survivor of Shah's ambush - deep in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. The harrowing events of Operation Red Wings marked an important - yet widely misreported - chapter in the Global War on Terror, the full details of which the public burned to learn.

Victory Point reveals the complete, as-yet untold story of Operation Red Wings (often misreferenced as "Operation Redwing") and the follow-on mission, Operation Whalers. Together, these two US Marine Corps operations (that in the case of Red Wings utilized Navy SEALs for its opening phase) unfurl not as a mission gone terribly wrong, but of a complex and difficult campaign that ultimately saw the demise of Ahmad Shah and his small army of barbarous fighters.

Due to the valor, courage, and commitment of the Second Battalion of the Third Marine Regiment in the summer of 2005, Afghanistan was able to hold free elections that fall. Here is the inspiring true account of heroism, duty, and brotherhood between Marines fighting the War on Terror.

©2009 Ed Darack (P)2018 Tantor

both too long and too short

the first three or four hours is all a history of Afghanistan. It's interesting, sure, however when you pick up a book like this typically you're interested in the action. I wanted to hear more about the battles, more about the Marines, more about what really happened with Operation Red Wings, but what I got was some of that with a whole lot of Afghanistan's history. The book is good and worth the read, however the first three or four hours is tough to get through.

Must Read

This book is a must read. Having spent time in AFG this book brought me back and the way the author painted the scenery, terrain, and events it really transported me there. Great narration and great story. Highly recommend, you won't regret it

Gods bless the US MARINES.

More and more as I read the heroics of our troops in wartime I m impressed at their dedication and valor.
And less impressed with the poor planning of the supposed higher command of said forces. And the lack of being held accountable for the screwups they planned. We can put men on the moon but not develop adequate communication systems for our warriors.

Well done, it is a great story

Marines get it done, I am extremely grateful for these Marines,. I recommend this audible recording to anyone.

The Marine Corps always gets the job done

this was a great story of leadership suffering endurance in the United States Marine Corps taking the fight to the enemy this time and every time

The Deeper Story

An author, who you can tell, spent time on the ground with the grunts. Well done.

Unbelievable story

Compelling accurate detail of a gallant and determined US Marine Corp battalion against overwhelming enemy force in a land unknown to the majority of Americans. If only all would read/listen perhaps America would not be where it is today in November 2021.
Thank you for telling this story. Thank you you for your courage bravery and sacrifice.
Blessings to all. Thank

Marines carrying on the tradition.

As I listen to other books on Afghanistan I see how the succeses of missions are paid for at a high from previous missions. Camp Blessing is one of those examples.

For Posterity

It's good to have a civilian accounting of these two operations. This is a vibrant historical report.

entertaining

If you've read any other books on Afghanistan, then the first 1/3rd of this book is a slog to get through. The history lesson was unnecessary. After getting through the history, the rest of the book feels short in comparison. I never really felt like I was there , as I have with other books on this theater of war. I'd reccomend "The Outpost" if you want a book really detailing the life on the ground in Afghanistan. plus, I could have done without some of the accents the narrator tried to do.