The Fighting 69th

On the eve of September 11, 2001, New York City's National Guard regiment, the Fighting 69th Infantry, was not fit for duty. Most of its soldiers were immigrant kids with no military experience and no intention of serving their country very long. Once an all-Irish outfit, the 69th was now a mix of Latinos, African Americans, Eastern European Americans, Asian Americans, and a few token Irish Americans. Their uniforms were incomplete and their equipment was downright derelict. Then came September 11. Sean Flynn, himself a member of the 69th, chronicles the transformation of this motley band of amateur soldiers into a battle-hardened troop, now at work in one of the most lethal quarters of Baghdad. At home on the concrete and asphalt like no other unit in the U.S. Army, Gotham's Fighting 69th brings its own rough justice to this lawless precinct by turning to the street-fighting tactics they grew up with.--From publisher description.