Kevin LaczRecensioni

The Last Punisher, A SEAL Team THREE Sniper's True Account of the Battle of Ramadi, by Kevin Lacz with Ethan E Rocke and Lindsey Lacz (audio book ~9 hours). This book is a very personal, often raw, occasionally profane account of SEAL Kevin Lacz’s journey through SEAL training, his indoctrination into one of the most effective fighting forces in the U.S. military, his combat time in Ramadi, Iraq, the deaths of comrades, and his return to civilian life. He served alongside Chris Kyle (American Sniper), one of the most famous U.S.military snipers, and served as an expert during the filming of the American Sniper movie (Clint Eastwood). Lacz’ book was written with testosterone, not ink, and was inscribed on an American flag that had been soaked in piss and vinegar. I think American Sniper was a bit over the top with bravado (though a good accounting of the life of a deadly sniper), but The Last Punisher reeks of excessive machismo. That’s probably understandable in a book about elite warriors, but I’ve read too many first person accounts of battlefield bravery to think it’s needed to convey the story of day-to-day though exceptional heroism. The information in this story is helpful in understanding the SEAL combat culture and brotherhood, and the actual combat operations, including wounded and dead comrades, and is sufficiently detailed to let the reader at least partially understand or appreciate the horrific conditions of battle. This is a good, but not great book about combat in Iraq. Of the two, I’d recommend American Sniper over this one, but you might want to read both because they are complementary.

Not a book for everyone, but I loved it wholeheartedly.

Current events tale about US military operations during the Battle of Ramadi. Lacz is a Polish Catholic who joined the Navy after 9/11 to become a frogman and SEAL team member. Lacz was trained as a medic and sniper. As a sniper he worked alonside of Chris Kyle who was a sniper with one of the highest confirmed kill counts in the US. This audiobook ends with Kyle's death stateside.
Short on details due to DOD censorship (hammer and anvil tactic against the mujahideen with regular Army being the hammer and the SEALs being the anvil) the SEALs are successful though they do begin to take losses like all other engaged units. These deaths/woundings are taken hard by the team members but it does add realism to the bravado which got to be a bit much. No criticisms were made of the SEAL commanders who put them in non-Special Operations environments and put their lives at risk in the process. That is always a receipe for disaster (daylight presence patrols with indigenous forces of dubious quality). A decent book effort for a guy who did two combat tours and survived. Lacz learned that dialogue is the key to any story so he wisely puts in as much as possible even when it is meaningless banter among the SEALs themselves. The audio version of this book was better for me personally since I think it would have been tedious to read through some portions where background material was given mainly for context. The main reason for the book was to show Lacz' appreciation for his team members and the comradery built over deployment time. The phrase "Teams and shit" is meant to convey this but to the average reader it cheapens it since the meaning can be taken as anything not SEAL oriented is not valued. I have lots of respect for the members of the military and even more so the combat veterans. This was a basic book employable for men looking to enter the military in a combat capacity. It seemed almost to have a recruiting element as a basic thrust. Lacz is not a lifer and left the military but he clearly wants other to join and experience what he himself felt was a defining period in his life. The title comes from the shirts the team members wore which showed The Punisher Marvel skull and was informally adopted as the team logo.

Navy SEAL Kevin Lacz was a part of SEAL Team THREE with Chris Kyle who was the major focus of American Sniper. We experience Mr. Lacz from early childhood to hiswanting t o becoming and then becoming a SEAL. His deployment to Iraq, his first mission to his first kill.

The Last Punisher is an in your face soldiers story told by a soldier.It’s a no-holds-barred account of a part of the Iraq War. Kevin Lacz tells the story of his tour in Iraq with SEAL Team THREE, the elite unit of the Navy. This legendary unit, known as “The Punishers,” included Chris Kyle aand other brave men who fought and were woundeed and died in securing the key locations in the 2006 Battle of Ramadi.
Mr. Lacz puts us in the training, in the battle, as he gives us first hand details of his team’s missions in Ramadi. He gives the reader a glimpse into the fog of war, the harsh and extreme conditions, and horrific experiences they faced every day. Mr. Lacz also tells of how he was and is proud of his kills of the ”Muj” and how he was doing his duty for his team and his countries mission.Mr. Lacz strongly and with conviction tells how these experiences made him a better man and how proud he is of his contributions to one of this country’s most difficult military campaigns.

I received this as an audiobook as a part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

The Last Punisher is an autobiographical account of a operator from SEAL Team Three. It is a mix of philosophy, narrative history and personal anecdotes. It will not occupy the annals of great literary works, but it is an enjoyable read nonetheless. The exploits Kevin describes are his, and the view of life and war that he ascribes are also his. He does not pretend to portray the mindset of all SEALs, nor does he say much about 'the American War Machine' as he calls it, other than expressions of admiration for its abilities.

The book as a whole is about Kevin, his entry into the SEALS, his training, his time as a newbie, finding his place in the battle for Ramadi and a bit about life post-military. The first third of the book passed slowly and felt more reflective. The anecdotes and storyline of the latter two-thirds were far better. At times, his accounts are full of braggadocio and light on tactical and technical detail. Nevertheless, I am thankful for the role that SEALS and other Special Ops play in our military. There are not many books written by recent former SEALs and that makes this book worthy of consideration. The Last Punisher is an entertaining and quick read.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. As I am a Veteran myself, I appreciated Kevin Lacz's no nonsense perspective on the war in Iraq. I will say that the narrator was not familiar with military terms and I noticed the narrator's misreading of military acronyms and abbreviations. I knew exactly what the author had written, a non-military reader/listener would probably not even notice that minute detail. Overall, a very good listen. I would recommend to anyone looking for an accurate, well written account of Navy SEAL operations in Iraq.

Reviewed for Library Thing Early Reviewers, audio format.

This is a riveting account of one Navy seal's combat experience during the battle for control of Ramadi, Iraq during mid-year 2006. The author does a fine job of providing insight into his motivations to undergo Seal training, his desire to serve his country, and his reaction to combat once he was deployed. Combat is never a cake walk and Lacz's telling of his experience with "seeing the elephant" ring true. His somewhat gushing declarations of love and care for his team members seem a bit forced to this Vietnam veteran. Living with the same men day after day in an environment both strange and dangerous taxes even a Saint's best impulses. It is one thing to admire the bravery of his fellow Seal's; another to profess maternal concern for each and everyone of them.
The book provides a detailed look at the equipment and tactical approaches used during the street to street fighting in Ramadi allowing the reader/listener to feel a part of the action; a feeling enhanced to a great extent by the excellent reading performed by Timothy Phillips. The descriptions of snipping enemy combatants combines both the mechanical and the mental activities utilized by the military sniper. One gets a fair dose of Chris Kyle as "The Legend" which I found distracting and unnecessary as Mr. Lacz own experiences were plenty interesting. I was annoyed by the mispronunciation of the Vietnam sniper Carlos Hathcock's name spoken as Carlos Hatchcock.
I liked the book and came away admiring the author and the brave Seals and soldiers who fought this battle. I think a more extensive epilogue discussing the end result of the sacrifices made by these warriors would have provided a long term perspective on the their bravery and blood. Perhaps such a discussion was too painful to undertake in view of the nearly complete desertion of our fighting men by the general population. But for this reader it was a blessing to know such warrior/patriots still stand guard over the gate to liberty.