Former navy seal howard wasdin discusses his new book the last rescue, and shares his struggles and victories upon returning home. Several had asked about public events, and this is one of very few. Former navy sniper howard wasdin, 49, details his life of secret missions and. Id rather be shot three more times than have to go through what i went through coming back to normal life, wasdin said in an interview with the steve malzberg show.
May 04, 2011 author howard wasdin and fellow specialops soldiers. Wasdin on navy seal team 6, secret missions, deadly force. I wanted to get them into a book, knowing id be limited in what i could write. The film features a large ensemble cast, including josh hartnett, ewan mcgregor, eric bana, tom sizemore, william fichtner, sam shepard, and tom hardy in his. When the navy sends their elite, they send the seals. This is the official site of howard wasdin, seal team six sniper and military keynote speaker, whose story in mogadishu, somalia was honored in black hawk down. Wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of navy seals and special forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of basic underwater demolitionseal budsthe toughest and longest military training in the. Howard wasdin was injured at the battle of mogadishu, the inspiration for the film black hawk down. When members of seal team six attacked the compound of alqaeda mastermind osama bin laden in abottabad, pakistan, the unit was still. Wasdin and coauthor templin spend enough time on his upbringing and family to humanize a military professional who otherwise could have come. We did the vetting ourselves and cited case in point, making sure we werent giving up the cias information.
Former navy seal team 6 sniper tells story of his last rescue. Black hawk down, corey whelan, eye on veterans, howard wasdin, navy seal. Howard wasdin recalls days as seal sniper howard wasdin s own experiences taking on the enemy as a seal sniper. May 05, 2011 blurbing the book seal team six is a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency.
The new york times best selling book that takes you inside seal team six the covert squad that killed osama bin laden. But the events that inspired black hawk down also took place, unfortunately right at a high point of the mission when the soldiers were talking about going home. I started the book in 1994, a few months after i got shot. Howard will be speaking and doing a book signing at the book loft on wednesday, march th in fernandina, fl. After the battle of mogadishu, where he was awarded the silver star, wasdin medically retired from the navy in november, 1995, after 12 years of service. Author howard wasdin and fellow specialops soldiers. I am neither so i can only tell you what i have read from third party accounts.
Black hawk down is a 2001 war film produced and directed by ridley scott, from a screenplay by ken nolan. These details were later confirmed by seal team six sniper howard e. He was medically discharged due to the injuries sustained in somalia. Elite navy seal sniper howard wasdin survived the infamous battle made famous in the hit movie black hawk down, but medical retirement and coming home, presented him with challenges he. Howard wasdins success post military life october 23, 2014 at 8. In that conflict he was wounded three times and nearly lost a leg. A story of modern war from the worlds largest community of readers. In this dramatic, behindthescenes chronicle, howard wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of navy seals and special forces snipers, beginning with. Navy seal howard wasdin 2nd l with the sniper team at the pasha. Following his honorable discharge, he cowrote the autobiographical memoir seal team six. The commandants choice for 1993 was we were soldiers. Howard now lives in georgia, where he is a practicing doctor of chiropractic. While most are aware that the seals are americas military elite, few know that when the seals send their elite, they send seal team six, a group tasked with.
Mark bowdens black hawk down is the best story of modern war, as the subtitle calls it, i have ever read. The depth and multitude of personal accounts of the battle that day in october 1994 is unbelievable. The somalia conflict would later become more commonly known as black hawk down. Wasdin was subsequently awarded the silver star for gallantry in. Though templin is a coauthor, the bulk of this book belongs to wasdin, a veteran of the infamous black hawk down incident who reflects on his service and life after the navy seals. Powers spends a few moments with howard wasdin, author of the last rescue. Oct 30, 2014 howard wasdin, a former navy seal injured in the legendary black hawk down incident, tells the steve malzberg show that readjusting to civilian life was tougher than some of his most dangerous missions. Dec 01, 2014 former navy seal howard wasdin discusses his new book the last rescue, and shares his struggles and victories upon returning home after being injured in the battle of mogadishu. The story continues with the transition from seal team two to team six and sniper school, and culminates with the story of the seals in mogadishu in the run up to the battle depicted in black hawk down. It is based on the 1999 nonfiction book of the same name by journalist mark. Howard wasdins success post military life october 23, 2014 at 5.
It is based on the 1999 nonfiction book of the same name by journalist mark bowden, about the u. The last rescue by howard wasdin available wherever books and. Seal team six share book recommendations with your. Seal team six is a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. Though templin is a coauthor, the bulk of this book belongs to wasdin, aveteran of the infamous black hawk down incident who reflects on his service and life after the navy seals. When members of seal team six attacked the compound of alqaeda mastermind osama bin laden in. Howard wasdin, a former navy seal injured in the legendary black hawk down incident, says readjusting to civilian life was tougher than some of his most dangerous missions. I read the book, watched the movie and have listened to the audible audio several times. From the inside track on the operation that killed the worlds most wanted man to his own experience of the gruelling st6 selection processes to his terrifying ordeal at the black hawk down battle in somalia, wasdins book is one of the most explosive military memoirs in years. The somalia conflict would later become more commonly known as black hawk down, nicknamed after the story depicted by mark bowden in his book and movie of the same name. In the aftermath of war, anavy seal finds faith, hope, and love. Memoirs of an elite navy seal sniper twentytwo weeks on the newyork times bestseller list, survived the firestorm made famous in blackhawk down only to return to a world without support, without a mission, andsoon without his family.
As a navy seal, howard wasdin survived the firestorm made famous in black hawk down only to return to a world without support, without a mission, and soon without his family. Navy seal remembers the battle of mogadishu youtube. May 10, 2011 i wanted to get them into a book, knowing id be limited in what i could write. He was haunted by his pastthe battle immortalized in the film black hawk down, when a small group. Former navy seal howard wasdin discusses his new book the last rescue, and shares his struggles and victories upon returning home after being injured in the battle of mogadishu. Going back i read the autobiography of howard wasdin a seal team six member that fought in the battle of mogadishu, and gothic serpent, yes there were actually 4 seals. Author howard wasdin survived the firestorm made famous in the movie black hawk down only to return to the real world without support, without a mission, and soon without his family. But a couple of years later in 1999 mark bowden comes out with black hawk down, and now everybody knows everything.
Howard wasdin lived with chronic pain, survivors guilt, and depression. In his book the last rescue, he tells of his battles at war and at home. This book is the story of howard wasdin who survived what would have killed most men. Elite navy seal sniper howard wasdin survived the infamous battle made famous in the hit movie black hawk down, but medical retirement and coming home, presented him with challenges he never. Already a classic of war reporting and now reissued as a grove press paperback, black hawk down is mark bowdens brilliant account of the longest sustained firefight involving american troops since the vietnam war. Given his military background, personal childhood experiences. Dec 02, 2014 former navy seal howard wasdin discusses his new book the last rescue, and shares his struggles and victories upon returning home after being injured in the battle of mogadishu. In the aftermath of war, a navy seal finds faith, hope, and love. While most are aware that the seals are americas military elite, few know that when the seals send their elite, they send seal team six, a group. May 07, 2015 howard wasdin is a former member of seal team six who was wounded in the battle of mogadishu, made famous in black hawk down. Memoirs of an elite navy seal sniper wasdin, howard e. But the events that inspired black hawk down also took place. His story takes you deep into the world of navy seals and special forces snipers. When the seals send their elite, they send seal team six.
After shattering a bone in his leg when he was shot during the battle of mogadishu, wasdin escaped the tragedy immortalized in black hawk down only to realize that more than his leg was in need of healing. Wasdin became one of the best snipers in the world, but risked. In his book the last rescue, he tells of his battles at. Howard now lives in georgia where he is a practicing chiropractor. In this dramatic, behindthescenes chronicle, howard e. Marine corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all marines. Former seal team 6 sniper tells of finding peace after black. The somalia conflict would later become more commonly known as black hawk down, nicknamed after the story depicted by mark bowden in his book and. Former seal team 6 sniper tells of finding peace after. In this dramatic, behindthescenes chronicle, howard wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of navy seals and special forces snipers, beginning with the grueling. He was awarded a silver star and purple heart for his involvement in the battle of mogadishu in 1993 known as black hawk down.