Capt. Elliot Ackerman, USMC, Afghanistan, Iraq, Battle of Fallujah

Elliot Ackerman knew at a young age that he wanted to be in the military. He wanted to serve his country and he wanted a job where it was imperative to succeed. After completing the ROTC program at college, Ackerman was commissioned as a a Marine Corps officer in 2003. The next six years would bring five tours of duty between Iraq and Afghanistan.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Ackerman takes us inside the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004 and what it was like to be the tip of the spear as the Marines plowed through that insurgent stronghold. He also shares some of his most difficult moments in Afghanistan, including how to recover the body of a fallen Marine without getting many more men killed in the process.

Finally, Ackerman describes his new book "The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan." He describes his experience in the frantic networking of veterans, active duty forces, reporters and others who worked to get Afghan allies and their families out of the country in August 2021. He also discusses some of the most important lessons our nation ought to learn from our 20-year war there.