The Shot: The Harrowing Journey of a Marine in the War on Terror

The Shot: The Harrowing Journey of a Marine in the War on Terror

Bill Bee, Wills Robinson
$31.50
Publication Date: September 13th, 2022
Publisher:
Knox Press
ISBN:
9781637583012
Pages:
272
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Description

Sergeant Bill Bee’s brush with death was broadcast on TV screens and published in newspapers around the world, but behind the cloud of dirt caused by a Taliban sniper bullet is a story of heroism, tragedy, and fighting an invisible war.

Sergeant Bill Bee is the Marine in one of the defining images from the War on Terror. He responded to gunfire without protective gear when a Taliban sniper shot hit a sandbank just a few inches from his head in Garmsir, Helmand Province. When his world plunged into darkness, he thought his luck had run out. But he somehow survived, and his brush with death on May 18, 2008, was captured by a Reuters photographer. The images were broadcast around the world and became an iconic display of bravery at a time when support for the war in Afghanistan was low. People remember the reckless Marine who risked his life, but the story of the man reeling behind that cloud of dusk is one of an invisible war he is still fighting to this day.

About the Author

Sergeant Bill Bee spent thirteen years in the Marines after growing up in rural Ohio, where he spent hours outdoors developing survival skills as a Boy Scout. In high school he focused on books, music, and a career in the military. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the men in his family and serve his country. He enlisted at the age of seventeen, started boot camp two weeks after graduation, and was sent overseas almost immediately after watching 9/11 unfold in his barracks. He moved through the ranks from rifleman to Staff Sergeant with a tour of Guantanamo Bay and four deployments in Afghanistan where he fought the Taliban in Kandahar, Garmsir and during the battle for Marjah. When his Marine career came to an early end, he settled down in Jacksonville, North Carolina, with his wife Bobbie and son Ethan, who was born while he was on the battlefield. He now works on a Marine training range at Camp Lejeune, plays video games and rides his Indian motorcycle in his spare time.

Wills Robinson is an editor for politics at the DailyMail.com and a journalist with a decade of experience in both the U.S. and U.K. He started his media career at the age of fourteen by writing reports of his school rugby games and now has a portfolio that includes investigations into government corruption, stories about the treatment of veterans, and coverage of the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Praise for The Shot: The Harrowing Journey of a Marine in the War on Terror

“The good, the bad, and the ugly—The Shot runs the full gamut, telling it like it was from a Marine ‘grunt’ level. Bill Bee and cowriter Wills Robinson take readers on a rollercoaster tour of America’s War on Terror, with stops in Guantanamo and especially Afghanistan. Hit by an IED, Bee struggled to overcome injuries physical and mental, trekking through terrain nearly as treacherous as that held by the Taliban. The Shot should be mandatory reading for new recruits—and future policy makers.”
— Jim DeFelice, #1 New York Times best-selling co-author of American Sniper, and most recently, Swords of Lightning

“The good, the bad, and the ugly—The Shot runs the full gamut, telling it like it was from a Marine ‘grunt’ level. Bill Bee and cowriter Wills Robinson take readers on a rollercoaster tour of America’s War on Terror, with stops in Guantanamo and especially Afghanistan. Hit by an IED, Bee struggled to overcome injuries physical and mental, trekking through terrain nearly as treacherous as that held by the Taliban. The Shot should be mandatory reading for new recruits—and future policy makers.”
— Jim DeFelice, #1 New York Times best-selling co-author of American Sniper, and most recently, Swords of Lightning

“The Shot offers a highly intriguing look into the life of a combat Marine in the war against terrorism—before, during, and after his tours of duty. Staff Sergeant William Bee is a true frontline infantryman, the defender who’s sweating in the blistering heat, exposed to the enemy, doing an extremely hard job with little thanks. His wife, Bobbie, is equally a hero, who went through hell while Bill was away and when he came back. Today, they’re both making their way forward, helping each other and their elite peers return to a new sense of normalcy and hope. Their courageous story is well-written, full of action, and told in all its rawness. It left me inspired, grateful, and humbled.”
— Marcus Brotherton, New York Times bestselling author of A Bright and Blinding Sun

“Retired Marine, William Bee, delivers a gut-wrenching glimpse of what many veterans and their families suffer as a result of their wartime experiences; and returning home to everyday life can begin the most difficult battles they ever encounter. Saying ‘Thanks for your service’ often doesn’t seem enough.”
— Carole Engle Avriett, author of Marine Raiders: The True Story of the Legendary WWII Battalions

“An incredible story. The Shot gives a clear view of not only a pivotal moment of combat, but of the often-overlooked human life surrounding it as told in Sgt. Bee’s own words.”
— Jason Van Camp, Retired U.S. Army Special Forces and author of Deliberate Discomfort

“Marine Staff Sergeant Bill Bee is immortalized in a combat photo that perfectly describes the War on Terror. The Shot is a book everyone needs to read to get an understanding of what our warriors go through to defend our freedom. The picture and Bill’s story encapsulate the speed, the noise, the horror, the permanence, the complete chaos of war and the brotherhood. From losing teammates right in front of you, sharing stories about colleagues and deployments and keeping tabs on who you’ve served with, this book goes into detail about the casualties in combat and the unseen wounds brought home that never go away. A lot was asked of our Marines. Every day is a battle. We owe them.”
— Rob O’Neill, SEAL Team Six member in raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, author of The Operator and The Way Forward

“A raw, evocative, and desperately moving account of war as it truly is. Bill Bee’s breathtaking story is about the costs of combat and how one Marine fought a different, unseen, enemy and ultimately prevailed.”
— Toby Harnden, author of First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11

“An incredible story. The Shot gives a clear view of not only a pivotal moment of combat, but of the often-overlooked human life surrounding it as told in Sgt. Bee’s own words.”
— Jason Van Camp, Retired U.S. Army Special Forces and author of Deliberate Discomfort

“Retired Marine, William Bee, delivers a gut-wrenching glimpse of what many veterans and their families suffer as a result of their wartime experiences; and returning home to everyday life can begin the most difficult battles they ever encounter. Saying ‘Thanks for your service’ often doesn’t seem enough.”
— Carole Engle Avriett, author of Marine Raiders: The True Story of the Legendary WWII Battalions

“The Shot offers a highly intriguing look into the life of a combat Marine in the war against terrorism—before, during, and after his tours of duty. Staff Sergeant William Bee is a true frontline infantryman, the defender who’s sweating in the blistering heat, exposed to the enemy, doing an extremely hard job with little thanks. His wife, Bobbie, is equally a hero, who went through hell while Bill was away and when he came back. Today, they’re both making their way forward, helping each other and their elite peers return to a new sense of normalcy and hope. Their courageous story is well-written, full of action, and told in all its rawness. It left me inspired, grateful, and humbled.”
— Marcus Brotherton, New York Times bestselling author of A Bright and Blinding Sun