Warrior King: The Triumph and Betrayal of an American Commander in Iraq

• Author: James T. Hill
• Position: Judge Advocate, U.S. Army
• Pages: 204-212

204 MILITARY LAW REVIEW [Vol. 206

WARRIOR KING: THE TRIUMPH AND BETRAYAL OF AN

AMERICAN COMMANDER IN IRAQ1

REVIEWED BY MAJOR JAMES T. HILL*

I. Introduction

On 3 January 2004, a platoon of U.S. Soldiers detained two Iraqi

males for violating curfew in Northern Samarra, Iraq.2 The Soldiers

handcuffed the two Iraqis, took them to a bridge overlooking the Tigris

River, and forced them to jump.3 Later, allegations arose that one of the

Iraqis may have drowned.4 When the brigade commander, Colonel

(COL) Fred Rudesheim, became aware of the incident, he discussed it

with the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Nathan

Sassaman.5 During the conversation, COL Rudesheim told LTC

Sassaman, “If water was involved, soldiers are going to be court-

martialed.”6 Afterward, LTC Sassaman determined “the subject of water

was best omitted from any future conversations”7 and told the Soldiers’

company commander and platoon leader, “Don’t say anything about the

water.”8 In the months following the incident, two Soldiers would be

court-martialed9 for their involvement and LTC Sassaman would receive

nonjudicial punishment, irreparably damaging his career.10

Nathan Sassaman, now retired, begins his tell-all autobiography,

Warrior King, on 13 March 2004 in Tikrit, Iraq.11 He is awaiting the

arrival of Major General (MG) Raymond Odierno,12 who will preside

over Sassaman’s nonjudicial punishment hearing to address an allegation

* Judge Advocate, U.S. Army. Presently assigned as Brigade Judge Advocate, 2d

Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

1 LIEUTENANT COLONEL (RET.) NATHAN SASSAMAN, WARRIOR KING: THE TRIUMPH AND

BETRAYAL OF AN AMERICAN COMMANDER IN IRAQ (2008).

2 Id. at 240.

3 Id. at 240–41.

4 Id. at 240.

5 Id. at 253.

6 Id.

7 Id.

8 Id. at 245.

9 Id. at 287–90.

10 Id. at 265, 269.

11 Id. at 1, 5.

12 Id. at 5–6.