Night of the Hawk

Night of the Hawk by Dale Brown.

One of the most stirring sights I have ever witnessed was in Vilnius, Lithuania, in May of 1991, only four months after the Soviet Army occupied the capital and massacred thirteen civilians in the street. I saw hundreds of Lithuanians waving their (then illegal) national flag, erecting posters and memorials, chanting slogans and singing songs of freedom and defiance-right in front of the Red Army tanks surrounding the national television studio. I didn't know how long it would be before Lithuania and the Baltic states would regain their freedom, but I knew they deserved it. They wanted freedom, and they were willing to fight for Night of the Hawk is dedicated to the peace-loving people of the world, and especially our friends in the now-independent republics of the former Soviet Union. May the entire world's transition to democracy and freedom be a peaceful one.

This book is also dedicated to the memory of my aunt, Mary Kaminski, and my uncle, Richard Brown. They have left behind some very fond memories and the most wonderful relatives a guy like me could have.

Acknowledgments.

W

hen you talk about infantry weapons, you can learn only so much from a book-you eventually have to get out to the range, get a gun in your hand, and return some lead to the earth. I was lucky enough to find the best in the business to help me.

Thanks to Jefferson "Zuma Jay" Wagner, surfer chief and president of Movie Arms Management, Inc., and his partners, Ben Sherrill and Jared Chandler ("Razor" in the movie Flight of the Intruder), for taking me out to the range and showing me how to use some of the weapons described in Night of the Hawk. It was an awesome experience I'll never forget.

Special thanks also to Bill Hazen, also of Movie Arms Management, who gave me specific suggestions and details on U.S. Special Forces tactics employed in many of the scenarios I built for this novel.

Special operations is very much a multiservice tasking, and I've received assistance from just about all of them.

Although not officially a part of U.S. Special Operations Command, the U.S. Marine Corps is usually the spearhead in most military operations overseas and has a wealth of experience and talent in the world of special operations-I hope I've done justice to the time and attention they've given me. I'd like to thank Major Mark Hughes and Chief Warrant Officer Charles Rowe, USMC Public Affairs in New York, for a great wealth of information on Marine Corps special operations. Special thanks also to First Lieutenant Mike Snyder, who provided me with tons of information on Marine Corps weapons and equipment.

Very special thanks go to First Lieutenant Todd Yeatts, deputy public affairs officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, Parris Island, S.C. When I needed information on the USMC

Confidence Course, Todd went out with a videotape camera and ran it for me, each and every obstacle, without a single hitch. That's an American Marine!