Karen’s Blog

One Bullet Away The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathanial Fick

Interesting nonfiction story of a Marine officer, Nathanial Fick, from his decision to enlist, through the opening of the current Iraq war, and on. The title comes from the phrase they hear in training - “What’s the difference between the officer in charge and the second-in-command?” “One bullet.”

Marine Fick comes across as intelligent and thoughtful, as well as patriotic, belying the stereotype of Marines is gung-ho grunts. He stays away from national politics that surround the war except for the effect they have on him and his men. You get a lot of inside detail on the different types of people in the Marine Corps, as well as getting to know individuals in his squad very well. He shares his experiences - and frustrations - with the military command structure, dealing with officers of widely varying levels of competence being in charge of he and his squad.

The book takes us with Officer Fick an his squad over to Iraq, and just as important, deals with the aftermath of their experience as well. This is no “Mission Accomplised - book ends” - he intelligently deals with his men as human beings, and talks about what we rarely hear - how one adjusts when coming back to “normal life” after being in a war.