Fearless
Authors: Eric Blehm
Fearless
“As a rule, we don’t endorse books or movies or anything regarding the command where I work—and Adam Brown worked—but as the author writes in
Fearless
, you have to know the rules so you know when to bend or break them. This is one of those times. Read this book. Period. It succeeds where all the others have failed.”
—A
NONYMOUS
, SEAL Team SIX operator
“There is a quote from the Bible etched on the memorial that stands in the shadow of World Trade Center steel that resembles a massive trident: ‘Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” ’ That was Adam Brown.
Fearless
is a clear and deeply honest portrait of an authentic American man who lived and loved with an intrepid personal velocity. For most of us, the failures and disappointments in life take their toll. Not for Adam Brown. He vanquished all life’s heartbreaks with faith, humility, and hard work. His commitment to his family and his friends helped forge Adam Brown into the rarest of warriors. Long live the Brotherhood.”
—K
URT
J
OHNSTAD
, screenwriter of
Act of Valor
and
300
“Adam Brown’s zest for life led him down a few dark alleys and more than one dead end. Kindhearted and wild, Adam led a life that lacked direction. God, a woman, and the U.S. Navy gave it to him.
Fearless
is a love story … several love stories: a man for his woman, a warrior for his team, parents for kids, and soldiers for their country. There is no greater love than that a man lay down his life for his friends. Be warned—reading
Fearless
will change the way you see the world.”
—S
TU
W
EBER
, veteran Green Beret, pastor, and author of
Tender Warrior
“When people know they are going to die, often their one regret is that they didn’t say ‘I love you’ enough. Adam Brown never had to worry. His life was about love: love of God, family, friends, country, his fellow SEALs, and the Afghan children who worshiped him. In
Fearless
, Eric Blehm does a marvelous and moving job uncovering the man—the men—beneath the SEAL mythology of elite, rock-hard warriors renowned for their courage and skill. The SEALs in
Fearless
hug their children, seek comfort from their wives, wear Batman briefs, answer to names like Big Bird and Fozzy, mourn lost buddies, and risk their lives to rescue civilians from the field of fire. This is a stirring, revelatory, heartbreaking story.”
—J
AMES
C
AMPBELL
, author of
The Final Frontiersman
and
The Ghost Mountain Boys
“
Fearless
is a vivid account of one man’s journey from all-American boy to all-American hero. Blehm’s writing takes you beyond the battlefield and right to the heart of the personal battles, sacrifices, and triumphs of one of America’s elite warriors. Anyone looking for an inspiring story of inner strength and courage will be richly rewarded by this book.”
—E
RIC
G
REITENS
, former Navy SEAL and
New York Times
best-selling author of
The Heart and the Fist
“This is not another SEAL book about ego; this is a powerful book about perseverance that will absolutely inspire everybody. Adam was a warrior in the truest sense—courageous, compassionate, intrepid, and humble. And his dedication to God, country, family, and the Brotherhood was genuine and exceptional. This book will motivate you to challenge yourself to be … fearless.”
—S
EAL
teammate of Adam Brown, BUD/S Class 226
“
Fearless
stands unique among works of modern combat literature through author Eric Blehm’s masterful weaving of a fallen Navy SEAL’s professional war-fighting life with his complex personal victories and travails. Rich in detail and captivating in its honesty, you won’t put
Fearless
down once you read the first page. Read it and prepare to learn a whole new world of life as a Navy SEAL.”
—E
D
D
ARACK
, author of
Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalers—The Marine Corps’ Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan
“
Fearless
is a
timely
book for Americans transfixed by our military elite and the fight against terrorism. Author Eric Blehm provides an intimate look at the stamina, toughness, and mindset of Adam Brown, who, against all odds, became a Navy SEAL.
Fearless
is also a
timeless
book about the human condition. This true story is an emotional roller coaster about betrayal and love, despair and faith, tragedy and triumph, life and death, the grace of God. This story will bring tears to your eyes, and yet your spirit will soar.
Fearless
is destined to be a classic—a story about hope, now and forever.”
—L
ARRY
B
ECK
, P
h
D, professor, San Diego State University, and author of
Moving Beyond Treeline
“Eric Blehm’s
Fearless
is an unforgettable tale of bravery, loss, redemption, joy, sorrow, serenity, and integrity. As topical as today’s headlines,
Fearless
at its heart deals with eternal verities that are timeless in their importance and significance.”
—J
IM
O’N
EILL
, author of
Laus Deo
, BUD/S 62, UDT-21, SEAL Team TWO
LSO BY
E
RIC
B
LEHM
The Last Season
The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How
Eleven Green Berets Fought for a New Afghanistan
Molly the Owl
F
EARLESS
P
UBLISHED BY
W
ATER
B
ROOK
P
RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (
NIV
) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc.
TM
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
www.zondervan.com
.
Some dates, locations, times, distances, and names (including those of some civilians) have been changed; faces in photographs obscured; and military tactics, techniques, and procedures altered in order to maintain operational security for the safety of the U.S. Navy SEALs and those who work alongside them.
eISBN: 978-0-307-73071-8
Copyright © 2012 by Eric Blehm
Cover design by Kristopher K. Orr; cover image of Navy SEAL Trident by Corbis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.
W
ATER
B
ROOK
and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.
v3.1
This book is dedicated to the fallen American heroes killed in action on August 6, 2011, in Wardak Province, Afghanistan
.
Adam Brown’s civilian and military life has been recounted to me by his family, friends, and teammates—all eyewitnesses to each event portrayed in this book, including what Adam told them directly about his history and spiritual testimony. I also used official documents, statements, military records and reports, criminal records, family archives, letters, e-mails, and journal and diary entries. Some dates, locations, times, distances, and names (including those of some civilians) have been changed; faces in photographs obscured; and military tactics, techniques, and procedures altered in order to maintain operational security for the safety of the U.S. Navy SEALs and those who work alongside them.
All information about the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the SEALs, and individuals (including the use of real names) has already been published widely by the media and is deemed common knowledge. Nearly a dozen active-duty SEAL operators—including those in leadership roles—have unofficially, but no less meticulously, reviewed this manuscript for factuality and to point out any issues that might endanger lives in future operations. I have removed or rewritten sections to their approval, and in the few cases of discrepancy among the operators, I went with the majority. Any vagueness in the manuscript is intentional, to protect these men and their allies.
All quotes, slang, inner thoughts, dialogue, and descriptions have been conveyed to me by those intimately involved in the story to the best of their ability and individual memories. Nothing has been contrived, dramatized, or fabricated.
What you are about to read is the account of an American hero who bravely gave permission in his final written requests to share his journey, from small-town America to the gutter to jail to Jesus to war to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team SIX.
F
ROM
M
AY THROUGH
J
ULY
2011, when it seemed that every journalist on the planet was scrambling to get an inside angle on the Osama bin Laden kill mission in Pakistan, I was making my way around the United States interviewing over a dozen U.S. Navy SEALs. Although most were from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group or, as the Obama administration announced to the world, SEAL Team SIX—the team that had taken out bin Laden—I was meeting with them for a different reason altogether.