Black Hearts and Painted Guns: A Battalion's Journey into Iraq's Triangle of Death

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Kelly Eads Daniel S Morgan

Black Hearts and Painted Guns

A Battalion's Journey into Iraq's Triangle of Death

Kelly Eads, Daniel S Morgan

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English

Casemate Publishers
30 June 2025

Middle Eastern history; 21st century history: from c 2000 -; Military history; Military life & institutions

""a pageturner that reads like a novel, made better by the fact that it is true."" - ARMY Magazine Kelly Eads joined the 101st Airborne Division soon after 9/11, his experience reflecting the patriotism and commitment of so many young men and women who responded to the attack. He deployed to Iraq twice with the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. Early in their deployment to Iraq, the 2nd Battalion brought the fight directly to the enemy by setting up patrol bases in the local areas where they lived and operated. Soon they built a reputation for themselves, becoming known to the enemy as the Black Hearts-The 502nd had been distinguished on the battlefield by black hearts on their helmets since World War II. Their Scout Platoon became known as Painted Guns due to their practice of camouflaging their rifles. During Eads' deployments, the battalion would experience thousands of Improvised Explosive Devices and firefights. They would spend countless hours in blistering 120degree desert heat, controlling roads and preventing enemy freedom of movement; and would dedicate months to hunting enemy mortar teams and terror cells. With the help of Dan Morgan, an Infantry officer who deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan as a commander and operations officer, Eads takes the reader on a rollercoaster of combat experiences during the hunt for the most violent terrorist in Iraq, Abu Mu??ab Zarqawi, bringing to life the painstaking and horrid details of combat in a sectarian war. He tells the story of the soldiers' camaraderie, built through adversity, and the love of family that sustained them.

AUTHOR: Daniel S. Morgan graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, DC with degrees in national security and defense industry. He retired as a US Army Colonel in 2018. His experience has taken him from policy making to congressional legislative affairs to defense strategy across the world. Dan deployed worldwide to multiple combat operations at every level in peacemaking, counterterrorism, counterinsurgency and major combat operations. Over half his military active duty service was in hostile combat zones. In the 1990s, he supported counternarcotic strategy and operations across the globe to include serving in the Clinton Administration at the highest levels. He is a published author on leadership, military strategy, counter narcotics, and US policy. Today, Dan works in the defense industry, providing cutting-edge intelligent sensing technology across space, air, land, and maritime domains. Today, he lives in the Hill Country in Texas west of Austin.

100 photographs

By: Kelly Eads, Daniel S Morgan
Imprint: Casemate Publishers
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781636245348
ISBN 10: 163624534X
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 30 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgements Military Terms and Ranks Introduction Prologue Chapter 1 A Call to Serve Chapter 2 The Legacy of the 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” Chapter 3 Training for War Chapter 4 Deployment to Hell Chapter 5 The Grim Reaper (a.k.a. Route Motorhead) Chapter 6 Kill Zone Chapter 7 “Blue on Blue”: The Chaos and Confusion of War Chapter 8 Patrol Base Gator Swamp Chapter 9 Operation Glory Light Chapter 10 Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown Chapter 11 Offense is the Best Defense Chapter 12 Battalion Scout Reconnaissance/Sniper Platoon Chapter 13 Clearing the Chakas Chapter 14 Keeping up the Pressure Chapter 15 Heading Home Chapter 16 The Kitchen Table Battlefield Epilogue Appendix I In Memoriam Appendix II Memorial Photos

Kelly Eads grew up in Cameron, MO and joined the US Army as an infantryman after high school. He deployed twice to Iraq, supporting counterinsurgency and counterterrorist operations. He was awarded as a Distinguished Member of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, a designation that he holds close to his heart. He lives in Kansas City with his wife and their two children. Kelly continues to serve his nation and community as a police officer, where he focuses on the safety of the areas he works in and still assists in counterterrorism efforts. Daniel S. Morgan graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, DC with degrees in national security. He retired as a US Army Colonel in 2018. Dan deployed worldwide to multiple combat operations at every level. In the 1990s, he supported counternarcotic strategy and operations across the globe. He is a published author on leadership, military strategy, counter narcotics, and US policy. Today, Dan works in the defense industry, providing cuttingedge sensing technology across space, air, land, and maritime domains.

Reviews for Black Hearts and Painted Guns: A Battalion's Journey into Iraq's Triangle of Death

""...will give readers a feeling for what it was like to fight in the Global War on Terror and the kind of young people who stepped forward to do it.""-- ""On Point: The Journal of Army History"" ""The authors are both Iraq War veterans, with Eads a veteran of this unit covered in this book. The work is an intimate and well-done memoir of one unit's experiences in Iraq.""-- ""Military Heritage Magazine"" ""...a page-turner that reads like a novel, made better by the fact that it is true. This is a story about faithful and selfless service to the nation, the valor of America's 21st century warriors and the sacrifices of the families at home.""-- ""ARMY Magazine"" ""The ending is really why you should read Eads and Morgan's work because it shows the costs of long and multiple deployments.""-- ""Musings on Iraq""