On This Day

On this day on the second xmas of the Iraq war, I was in a HMMV in a convoy hating every minute of it. It was cold, wet and the enemy didn't stop because Christmas was near. So we set out from our FOB and the heaters in the hummv where doing the best that they could. I can remember it like it was yesterday. We were sent out to set up surveillance on a particular area of Iraq, and if needed we could use an Iraq's house as a lookout point for insurgents or bombs. We hated doing that, but sometimes it needed to be done...Hopefully not this time. So as we stroll along, a guy named Kevin asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I replied that I wanted some testicle warmers and wife some kids and a dog. We all laughed and then we rolled on. As we made it to one area of town that was known for violent acts of insurgency, we set up a check point. When this happens, you dismount the vehicle and everyone spreads out and you have people in the front, the middle and the rear protecting you while checking cars for things that they shouldn't have. Well that went ok, and we don't ever stay any longer than a few minutes because then you get ambushed..So we hop back into the vehicle and try to get warm again. We move on down the roadway watching out for craters from previous blasts and we come upon a neighborhood. I remember that something was wrong... It was too quiet. Kids were running home, fires were burning but unattended and Kevin said check your weapons, its showtime. We radioed to the other to be on the lookout for unfriendlies and posers. The Guys in the turrets scan looking any chance to save our ass. The streets were quiet. We ride for about a quarter mile and we pass the IP(Iraqi Police) and they wave and have flashing lights. We all say almost at the same time that the IP are no good. We go on and the IP are out of sight and then BOOM! A rpg hits the truck in front of us and we get ready to form a dismount. One vehicle is on fire and we dont know the casualties. We return fire from within the HMMV while other vehicles dismount and return fire and tend to the burning vehicle. We finally dismount and i tell a guy by the name of pike to open fire on a lone car. I told him that it may be a car bomb and he did. Nothing. I guess someone just got there car riddeled with bullet holes for nothing. Back to the action We continue to fire into the direction of the rpgs and i call in for air assests. After about 4 minutes of firing, there is no enemy to return fire. We set up a perimeter and look at the bird(helicopters and jets) as they fly over head giving us air to ground info on the insurgency. All is clear says one pilot. He radioes back and makes the comment that he was too late to have a little fun with the "ragheads" and he is flying back to the air craft carrier. I didnt agree with them being called ragheads but i bit my tounge and continued on the ground. Well like clock work, a few Iraqis come out to survey the damage and Kevin tells them in there native langauge to go back inside and they do.... All except for one kid. he refuses to listen. he is a teen with short hair, nicely dressed and dark. When i mean dark, i mean that he is dark, i mean his soul is dark. It is one of those things that i guess you have to be witness too. I could tell that his hatred runs deep. I radio to the Lt. to ask for permission to take a clean head shot. Permission denied. I ask again, and permission is denied with agression in his voice. I keep my sights on him and he wont listen to commands. Warning shots are fired and they dont phase him. One last time, he is warned...then he raises his head and screams allah akbar and then boom. he detonates a strap with explosives taped to his body and i remember being hit with shrapnel. The flak jackets that we used at the time were very poor. It was standard army issue equipment and i shouldnt have been wearing them, but i damaged my air force issue one. I can remember the hot pieces of fire hitting me all on my back and torso. Burning my flesh. I was down, ears ringing, damaged but not wounded. I mustered up the strength to stand up after tellling the medics that i was ok and they needed to tend to the other guys. Blood was all over my uniform. I had pieces of this young kids flesh on arms and head. I wiped my face and secured the area. Another kid comes out, and goes into his shirt and i burst twice into him. He falls. His mother comes out crying over his body and stands up and runs toward us. She gets a burst into her. She falls. A young girl is standing there. Looking and staring at us and then them, and back to us and to them. I turn and fix my sights on the young girl. She is about 5 or six years old. I dont trust her. Her whole family just came close to killing me and there is a part of me that wants her to go back inside. I know that if she makes a sudden move, that i wont hesistate. I wont hesistate to come home. A older girl pulls her back inside. The marines come. The adrealine wears off. I have blood dripping from my body like sweat. I hurt... i sting... i collapse. I get flown out of the area...then to germany to recover from flesh wounds. Wounds that will stay with me forever. People ask me now..hey where did you get those scars on your chest and back from. I tell them. Saddam. They look at me funny. They ask if im iraqi.. i tell them im an american. This day i will never forget