Left Hook: The 24th Infantry Division in Operation Desert Storm

The largest armored assault since the Second World War took place on the desert sands of the Middle East in early 1991. The campaign was named Operation Desert Storm. The mission was to oust Iraqi forces from their illegal military takeover of their neighbor, Kuwait. Left Hook is the story of the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division in that fight.

Even though the 24th Division was but a slice of the massive American-led international coalition unleashed on the enemy, it filled a key and decisive role. The 24th spearheaded an audacious attack to crash through the enemy’s far western flank, cut off his retreat, and destroy his most elite forces.

Major General Barry McCaffrey, perhaps America’s best fighting general since World War II’s George Patton, led the division. McCaffrey and his senior commanders had been shaped by their service in Vietnam, years earlier. They vowed such a tragedy would not happen again. Left Hook is their story. Just as importantly, it is the story of the junior officers that grabbed hold of awesome responsibility, the sergeants who took soldiers through grueling combat under treacherous conditions, and most especially, it is the story of the brave soldiers who fought that fight.

The author devoted over two years to research, exploring archives and examining troves of untapped primary source materials. He spent hours conducting in-depth interviews with thirty-five key battle participants, including most of the 24th Division’s senior leaders. The result is a riveting account of the decisive Left Hook that spearheaded victory in the Gulf War. More than pure history, it is also an engaging human interest story. The narrative is written in a style that will appeal to a broad reading audience.

William Reeder is a retired U.S. Army colonel, highly decorated with extensive combat experience (Silver Star for gallantry, Valorous Unit Award, two Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, three Purple Hearts for wounds received in combat). In Vietnam, he was an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter pilot. Later in his career, he flew the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. He is also a former prisoner of war (POW) in Vietnam. After military retirement, Reeder earned a PhD in history and led training and leader development initiatives with the United States Army and NATO Special Operations forces for over twenty years. He lives in Seabeck, Washington.