(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)
Tough, Rugged Bastards by John A. Dailey is a memoir about the author’s experience helping to form and lead DET 1, a Marine special forces unit that was created after the 9-11 attacks. The book is refreshing and checks some important boxes for me (unlike many other warfare and combat books) specifically when it comes to humility, humor, and most importantly, humanity.
Other than simply explaining how the unit was formed and giving some background into the history of special Marine units, Dailey does a far deeper dive on the intricacies and challenges they faced while developing it. The book then brings us along on several of the missions of the newly minted DET 1 unit as they seek to prove themselves in the tight-knit spec-ops world.
Thankfully, I found that the narrative was not filled with the sort of boastful, “I (we) were bad asses! The baddest of them all!” bluster, so common in other military memoirs. Instead, it’s honesty and feelings of self-doubt are ever present as Dailey and the others under his command constantly worry about whether they are up to the task. This self-reflection is never more poignant than when Dailey shares his own feelings after killing a young man who was part of a terrorist cell.
This is a brutally honest book about the horrors of war, as well as the euphoria of being a part of something larger than yourself. I highly recommend this book for both veterans, and non-veterans alike.
