Farid Hotaki
| Farid Hotaki | |
|---|---|
| File:Farid Hotaki.jpgFile:Farid Hotaki.jpg | |
| Born | Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| 💼 Occupation | Author, linguist, and veteran |
| Notable work | Torn in Two: Valor of a U.S. Marine |
| 👶 Children | 3 |
| 🌐 Website | faridhotaki |
| Twitter= | |
Farid Hotaki is a United States Marine, linguist and author who received a Navy Achievement Medal for his actions during combat operations in the War in Afghanistan. He wrote the novel Torn in Two: Valor of a U.S. Marine, which was based on his experiences in Afghanistan.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Farid Hotaki was born in Afghanistan. In 1980, Hotaki's family left their home in Kandahar and moved to Pakistan, fleeing the Soviet invasion of Afganhistan. They later moved to the United States in 1983.[1]
Military career[edit]
Hotaki enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2006. Being fluent in Pashto, he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008, as a military linguist with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. In 2009, he was reattached as an interpreter with K Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines. He served a 16-month tour behind enemy lines during the War in Afghanistan.[1]
In early 2009, Hotaki and his unit were deployed in Golestan, Farah Province to assist in mentoring and training Afghan National Police, and in providing security to rural communities in the area.[2] As part of their mission, Hotaki's unit gathered intelligence on insurgent activity and address local concerns.[3] The unit also cleared roadways of IEDs and other hazards.[4]
[edit]
While escorting Afghan National Police through a valley in the Farah Province, Hotaki's unit was ambushed by RPGs and small arms fire. Near the beginning of their march, Hotaki had received local intelligence that there had been insurgent activity in the valley recently, and that proceeding might be dangerous. However, his commander made the decision to proceed anyway.[5]
Hotaki's unit had difficulty targeting the insurgents, who were taking cover in small caves and were camouflaged by the mountainous terrain. They advanced towards a mountain where several insurgents had been spotted. Hotaki and one of his intel lieutenants scaled the mountain to evaluate the terrain and casualties, when they confirmed that there was nearby enemy activity.
While returning to their convoy, they were ambushed with machine gun fire. Hotaki left his cover and laid down suppressing fire to get the intel sergeant, who had been deafened by firing an anti-tank weapon earlier and was unaware that they were being fired upon. Hotaki and the sergeant alternated laying down suppressing as they returned to the convoy under enemy fire. The two men [5]
Hotaki returned to retrieve a cellphone containing critical intelligence, including the names of local informants, while still under fire. He crawled to the location of the phone while fire intensified, before grabbing the phone and running back to the convoy. The marines in Hotaki's units then laid down fire as the insurgents approached. During the firefight, most of the insurgents were killed or captured.[6]
For his actions during the operation, Hotaki was awarded with a Navy Achievement Medal with combat valor on September 1, 2009. In a subsequent interview, Hotaki stated that "When we were up there, the only thing I could think about was getting us to safety. Fear is a natural instinct, but after that, it's the adrenaline that pumps you up. You don't think about anything other than what the mission is and the fact that lives are at stake."[6]
Post deployment[edit]
In September 2015, Hotaki appeared on One America News Network's Daily Ledger show, where he discussed Ben Carson, the experiences of Muslims in America and the need for background checks during immigration.[7]
Hotaki is part of a class action lawsuit against 3M for defective earplugs which were provided to United States military personnel in Afghanistan.[8] Hotaki stated that he has difficulties hearing and struggled with tinnitus after being exposed to noise from vehicles and firefights.[9]
Writing career[edit]
Hotaki authored the historical fiction novel Torn in Two: Valor of a U.S. Marine. The book, which was published by Austin Macauley Publishers in 2018, centers around an Afghan-American Marine. It is largely based on Hotaki's personal experiences in Afghanistan.[10] Hotaki acted in the 2021 horror-crime film Clowns starring Jeremy Marr Williams.[citation needed]
Personal life[edit]
Hotaki lives in Virginia with his wife and three sons.[8]
Selected bibliography[edit]
- Torn in Two: Valor of a U.S. Marine. Austin Macauley Publishers. 2013. ISBN 1641826398. Search this book on
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dulaney, Brandon (November 11, 2009). "Afghanistan-born Marine's devotion to Corps saves lives, intelligence". Roto-Vue.
- ↑ "3/8 Marines secure Golestan". DVIDS. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ↑ "Photos". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ↑ "Clearing the Route". Leatherneck Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dulaney, Brandon (November 24, 2009). "Afghanistan-born Marine risks all during combat operations in Helmand Province". Roto-Vue.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dulaney, Brandon (December 9, 2009). "Courage Under Fire". Roto-Vue. p. 13.
- ↑ "Muslims in America". The Daily Ledger. September 22, 2015. One America News Network.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Vets Tormented by Hearing Loss Face 3M in Earplug Mass Lawsuit". Bloomberg Government. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ↑ "Vets sued 3M in Earplug Lawsuit". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2021-12-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Book Signing for Torn in Two: Valor of a U.S. Marine by Farid Hotaki". Austin Macauley Publishers. 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
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