About the Book
To preserve the memory of their service during the tumultuous decade since their commissioning as Army officers, members of the West Point class of 2004 have written The Strong Gray Line. This class suffered the highest casualty rate since those that graduated during the Vietnam War. In this book, thirteen of their classmates who lost their lives fighting the Global War on Terror are profiled to help the reader gain an understanding of the bond forged between classmates during time at West Point, a bond that transcends the separation of death.
In addition to the stirring profiles, thirteen personal essays detail some of the most brutal fighting of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in addition to the struggles endured by those on the home front. These stories range from visceral observations of combat to a wife’s anxious wait for her husband to return home. Holistically, these stories define an emotional spectrum that enables the reader to connect not only with the experience of the Class of 2004, but with every man and woman who served their country in a time of war.
What separates The Strong Gray Line from other war memoirs is the illustration of the endurance of the bond forged at West Point. It is fitting that these exceptional young service members be remembered and revered, not only as examples of selfless and intrepid officership, but also as monuments to the thousands of fellow Americans who served alongside them.
Table of Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
The Fallen
Interlude
The War
Hope
Anger
“Hier kannst du nur Krieg fuhren” (Here you can only wage war)
Love
Dismay
Epilogue: The Long Gray Line Continues
Glossary and Terms
Bibliography
Endnotes
About the Author :
Cory Wallace is currently serving in the U.S. Army as an armor officer. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2004.
Review :
An extraordinary set of stories. Graduating from the orderly world of West Point into the violent complexity of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Class of 2004 earned a special place in The Strong Gray Line – and paid dearly for it. Like their predecessors who fought at Shiloh, the Argonne, and the Ia Drang Valley, these cadets-turned-officers tell the story of West Point, warfare, and what living West Point’s motto of Duty-Honor-Country looks like up close.
In citing West Point's contributions to this great country, General MacArthur told the Corps of Cadets in the spring of 1962 "The Long Gray Line has never failed us!" It never has, and thanks to the heroism and sacrifices of West Point's young graduates, it never will. The moving tributes offered by members of West Point's Class of 2004 to their deceased classmates who fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan remind Americans again of this timeless truth.
The West Point Class of 2004 has a story to tell that is unique in the 21st century history of the United States Military Academy. For the first time in many generations, a class entered the Academy when the Nation was at peace but was destined to spend the entirety of their time there in training and preparation for wartime leadership.
The Strong Gray Line tells this story extraordinarily well, in a way that only those who experienced it first-hand can. From inauspicious beginnings during a rain-soaked first summer of initial training and through the myriad challenges that cadet life entails, that story has now become one of battle-hardened, experienced professionals who are doing the Nation’s work in a way that brings distinction to a Class that has earned an honored place in West Point’s illustrious history.
Told through the eyes — and the lives — of several of the men and women of the Class, The Strong Gray Line resonates for all of us that have served through the years, and encourages all Americans to live lives that are worthy of the sacrifices of the graduates of the Class of 2004.
As has happened to any number of West Point classes over the past two centuries, the world changed dramatically from the day the Class of 2004 arrived at West Point in June 2000 to the day the class graduated in May 2004. This volume is the chronicle of a class called to duty leading American soldiers during the longest period of sustained combat operations in the nation’s history. The story is at once inspirational as well as heart-rending. It vividly recounts the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of the young warriors from the Class of 2004. Conversely, it illuminates the human toll of America’s longest war, a toll whose cost will continue to grow for decades. The record of service and sacrifice compiled by the West Point Class of 2004 compels our attention as American citizens, even if that record is far from complete. In the end, their story is America’s story, for the generation serving today already deserves a place of honor alongside previous generations for the courage they have shown and the sacrifices they have made and continue to make every day.
Remembrance has always been one of the duties of the soldier, and The Strong Gray Line is in keeping with that vital tradition. With this book the West Point class of 2004 honors their fourteen members who have fallen in service to their country, and they provide us a window into the diverse experiences of one class during the past decade of war. In that regard, this books stands as a further act of service to their country.
In my 40 years of service in the United States Army I have yet to encounter a narrative as visceral and unfiltered as The Strong Gray Line. Presenting an alternative narrative to those often found on current bookshelves; The Strong Gray Line traces the experiences of the USMA Class of2004, the USMA class that suffered the highest casualty rate during the Global War on Terror. Told from their perspective, The Strong Gray Line provides an unembellished account of the Global War on Terror; skillfully depicting the gritty reality of war, the heartbreak of loss, the triumph of returning from a mission completed, and the epitome of honorable service. The Strong Gray Line deftly traces the physical peaks and valleys of the frontline and the emotional highs and lows of the homefront and their impact upon the individuals caught up in the war as well as the USMA Class of 2004.*
*The views expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
While you will likely never walk a mile in their dusty boots, reading The Strong Gray Line will help you understand, and certainly respect, the courage, sacrifice, and leadership of the West Point Class of 2004.
In The Strong Gray Line, members of West Point’s class of 2004 reflect on their trials and triumphs during the last ten years of fighting the nation’s wars. Their moving stories give the reader insight into the human experiences behind the headlines – what it actually feels like to lead soldiers in Iraq, lose comrades in Afghanistan, or return home with injuries both visible and not. We can better understand the complexities of war as experienced through the eyes of young leaders – stories of valor, sacrifice, and loss that need to be heard.
The men and women of the West Point Class of 2004 have proven themselves under fire on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the Army they have served with such distinction, they have adapted to the hard demands of counterinsurgency warfare, and written with their sweat and blood a proud page in military history.
A truly riveting read. The Strong Gray Line captures vividly the experiences of the members of the USMA Class of 2004, the West Point class that sustained the highest losses since the Vietnam era. I addressed them at West Point and later led many of them during the surges in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they were magnificent. Indeed, few classes experienced the challenges, complexities, successes, and setbacks on the battlefields of our post-9/11 wars as the members of the Class of 2004 did. And through it all, their valor, their selflessness, their professional competence, and their devotion to their soldiers and to each other were awe-inspiring. The Strong Gray Line recounts all of that -- and more -- brilliantly.
"These heartfelt memorials include 19 pages about Capt. Daniel P. Whitten, an artistic soul with 'unconditional love'. .. .T.J. Root’s staccato 'All the Pieces Matter' is a narrative that makes you hope the helicopter pilot keeps writing."
