Back in the Fight: The Explosive Memoir of a Special Operator Who Never Gave Up

Joseph Kapacziewski · Charles W. Sasser

May 2013 · Macmillan + ORM

About this ebook

The inspiring and thrilling combat memoir of the only Army Ranger serving in direct combat operations with a prosthetic limb.

On October 3, 2005, Kapacziewski and his soldiers were coming to the end of their tour in Northern Iraq when their convoy was attacked by enemy fighters. A grenade fell through the gunner's hatch and exploded, shattering Kapacziewski's right leg below the knee, damaging his right hip, and severing a nerve and artery in his right arm.

He endured more than forty surgeries, but his right leg still wasn't healing as he had hoped, so in March 2007, Kapacziewski chose to have it amputated with one goal in mind: to return to the line and serve alongside his fellow Rangers. One year after his surgery, Kapacziewski accomplished his goal: he was put back on the line, as a squad leader of his Army Ranger Regiment.

On April 19, 2010, during his ninth combat deployment (and fifth after losing his leg), Kapacziewski's patrol ran into an ambush outside a village in eastern Afghanistan. After a fellow Ranger fell to withering enemy fire, shot through the belly, Sergeant Kap and another soldier dragged him seventy-five yards to safety and administered first aid that saved his life while heavy machineguns tried to kill them. His actions earned him an Army Commendation Medal with "V" for Valor. He had previously been awarded a Bronze Star for Valor—and a total of three Purple Hearts for combat wounds.

Back in the Fight is an inspiring and thrilling tale readers will never forget.

Ratings and reviews

This memoir is why I read this genre of story. If you've ever faced hard dark times in your life, just seeing how these guys pick themselves up, dust themselves of and just battle on with their lives is truly inspirational, and a timely reminder that without these brave men and women fighting for our freedoms that we take for granted, really evil people will let us know that freedoms can be so easily lost. Thank you for a great read.

I can't appreciate enough SFC Kapacziewski and his wife Kim for taking the time to share their story. You can tell the words are truly him and his wife's when you read them. For anyone down and out with the military and trying to stay or get back in, this book will motivate the hell out of you. Hands down, this is my favorite book of all time. Rangers lead the way!

As a former U.S. Army Ranger of the 3rd Ranger Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment of FT. Benning and having served 6 Tours in IRAQ and 7 Tours in Afghanistan and then being blown up by an I.E.D. in the Wardack Province of Afghanistan I think that this book is a phenomenal read and the Soldier in this book is my brother and is an amazing version of what INTEGRITY HONOR SELFLESSNESS AND COURAGE IS ABOUT

About the author

SFC JOE KAPACZIEWSKI is the only amputee in Army Rangers history to return to combat, serving nine tours in the Middle East. On May 24, 2011, he became the first enlisted soldier ever to receive the No Greater Sacrifice Freedom Award, given to individuals who epitomize selfless service to the nation. Since losing his leg, he has completed three triathlons and finished the New York Marathon twice. When not deployed to war zones, he often visits wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center and Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio.

CHARLES W. SASSER served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, the Green Berets, for thirteen years, and has spent time in Vietnam and Central America as a war correspondent. He has been a full-time freelance writer/journalist since 1979 and has over 30 published books to his name, including None Left Behind and Raider. He lives in Oklahoma.