Operating as four to eight-man teams, they are the eyes, ears, and heavy firepower of the units they serve; their missions have been marked in history by close combat, extraordinary bravery, and unbelievable survival while directing and spotting lethal air strikes and deadly naval gunfire bombardment. The heroic exploits of the US Marine’s Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) have never been revealed until now.
ANGLICO: Lightning from the Sky, Thunder from the Sea is a narrative nonfiction book I'm writing detailing the history and combat experiences of the men who served in these unpublicized elite teams. One of the US military’s most unique, yet misunderstood organizations, ANGLICO has been vital to the battlefield success of joint, allied, and coalition forces operating adjacent to US Marines since the end of World War II. This book will detail the astonishing history of ANGLICO, from its creation and baptism by fire during the Korean War to the current counterinsurgency missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Historians, veterans, military buffs, and war enthusiasts alike will be amazed to discover that it was an ANGLICO team that saved portions of the US Army from annihilation during the famous Chosin Reservoir retreat; in Vietnam, they operated from spotter planes, conducted deep reconnaissance patrols, fought side by side with the Korean marines, Australian forces, and Vietnamese marines until finally withdrawing as the last combat unit to leave that war torn country; in Beirut, they directed 2,000-pound shells from the USS New Jersey onto militia positions overlooking the city; during the invasion of Grenada, while serving with the 82nd Airborne, they directed gunship attacks against communist forces; in the nineties, while working with Special Forces A-teams, they punished an advancing Iraqi armored unit with countless air strikes before almost being overrun during the infamous Battle of Khafji; in the War on Terror, they helped secure key objectives with the Royal Marine Commandos in March 2003, fought off the Mahdi militia in Najaf in 2004, and conducted counterinsurgency operations with US Army sniper teams and Navy SEALs in the insurgent hotbed of Ar Ramadi during 2005 and 2006. Over the years, ANGLICO teams, with their expertise in small team operations, close air support, and naval gunfire, have become some of the most efficient, deadly, yet unknown US Marine units.
I got a good response from Trident Media when I a query to one of their agents. They requested my proposal, which I sent, but thought that it was not for them. They liked my writing, the subject and the way I layed it out but thought the non fiction was tough right now. He did give some good suggestions as to the smaller military publishers.