Fire in the Hole

<p><strong>Paving the road to Hell...one kill zone at a time.</strong></p><p></p><p>In the Vietnam War few units were more essential-or more overlooked-than the US Army's combat engineers. Operating in some of the most hazardous terrain in Southeast Asia they cleared roads built fortifications set obstacles detonated explosives and reinforced fighting positions-all while facing the constant threat of ambush mines and enemy fire.</p><p></p><p>On August 25 1966 during a route-clearing mission in support of Operation AMARILLO Specialist Dan Crowley and his demolition team from Charlie Company 1st Engineer Battalion found themselves thrust into a major battle. Along Highway 16 an American patrol had been surrounded by the Viet Cong. In the scramble to save them Charlie Company was thrown into a hastily-assembled rescue force. The fight that followed would be remembered as the Battle of Bong Trang.</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Fire in the Hole</em></strong> presents a detailed ground-level account of Charlie Company's 1965-66 deployment to the Republic of Vietnam. Drawing on extensive interviews with four veterans-Dan Crowley Larry Blair Chuck Humphrey and Jay Franz-this book offers a rare and deeply personal look at the combat engineer's role in Vietnam.</p><p></p><p><strong>Inside these pages you'll witness:</strong></p><ul><li>Road-clearing missions under constant threat</li><li>Mines booby traps and sudden explosions that reshaped the land-and the men</li><li>Close-quarters firefights where engineers became frontline soldiers</li><li>The grit nerve and loyalty that held Charlie Company together.</li></ul><p></p><p>Raw immediate and impeccably-researched <strong><em>Fire in the Hole </em></strong>is a ground-level journey into the world of America's combat engineers-ordinary men thrust into extraordinary danger shaping the battlefield one blast at a time.</p>