I saw a Doonesbury comic recently about the war, it was a comic of a guy that goes on a mounted hummvee patrol, gets shot at while in the turret, returns fire, he comes home to his bunk for a few hours of sleep, gets woke up 4 hours later to go on another patrol, goes out again to get shot at, returns again to his room to play a video game. His roommate asks him how the patrol went, and all he says is "I don't want to talk about it."
That's kinda how I feel today. Running convoys in Iraq is a little like Russian roulette, and my number came up today. Got hit today by an IED, a 155 artillery round buried in the side of the road, went off about 10 feet right in front of me, I was in the passenger side of the hummvee.
It really is amazing all of the things that happen while you're getting attacked in Iraq.
First off our camp had already gotten a mortar attack during the AM, two rounds flung into the perimeter, one exploded, and one didn't, it stuck in the dirt like a lawn dart with the fins up, and we had cordoned it off as an unexploded ordnance (UXO). Called up EOD (The bomb squad) to come over to camp and dig it out and remove it.
I was going to hitch a ride with a combat patrol into the meeting I needed to attend; unfortunately, I changed my plans and decided to ride with some of our guys when they headed that way.
Got picked up and as soon as I got in the hummvee, I was like, oh boy. Some raggedy ass POS. I'm like, MAJ B is driving and I'm sitting there looking at him like-this is your truck? He says-hey, it's a loaner-it gets better-wait until you see who we're riding with.
We're rolling in an Iraqi resupply convoy, all Iraqi trucks down the highway. Oh boy.
We start headed out the gate and down the highway, and we're barely a mile outside of the gate when the IED goes off, right between the lead Iraqi Nissan truck and us in the Hummer, not more than 10 feet or so right in front of me. Just the split instant before the explosion, I could just feel this electricity in the air, this feeling of danger all around me. And then, just like that, a huge black cloud of smoke envelopes our truck, loud ass explosion, ears are ringing.
B, we got hit! The first thing in my head was "This is just like the videos I've seen of Iraq, where the convoy gets hit. I wish I had my movie camera to take this footage."
Gunner in the turret starts yelling-they're shooting at me-someone is shooting at me. Rounds are pinging around and impacting near us, all around us, mass confusion. We're in the middle of a big ass black cloud of smoke and rounds are hitting all around us.
I remember being relieved that the gunner was ok-he starts rattling off rounds out of his automatic machine gun--what a wonderful sound that was--keep pumping them out, buddy-give em hell.
Iraqi soldiers are shooting rounds (luckily controlled and aimed bursts-no spraying and praying!). Rounds are flying everywhere, automatic machine gun fire everywhere.
B-we gotta move, man-they're shooting at us. He tries to drive in reverse, hummvee is barely moving, the engine is messed up or something, we're creeping back in reverse and all I see out the window is the front end of a big Mac truck-and the only thing I thought was "Holy shit, this is it, that's a big ass suicide VBIED in a the form of a freakin' mac truck, and I"m about to meet my maker." What I didn't know is that mac truck was part of our convoy, and it scared the shit out of me. I'm like "B, what the hell is that truck doing here? Is that part of our convoy??" He just starts cracking up laughing-I'm thinking-man this guy is crazier than I am, for sure.
So out we go, out of the hummvee, Iraqi soldiers stopping traffic in both directions, Maj B and I are running around, directing security, looking for insurgents, and it is so surreal--the Iraqi people around us never really even stopped what they were doing--the broken down truck up the road-those guys continued to fix the truck by the side of the road like nothing was going on. I mean, we weren't shooting at them, this is an every day occurrence in Iraq.
I'm standing there in the middle of the road, I have no idea if the Iraqis have casualties, I have no idea if their truck is able to drive, I have no idea if our truck can be driven.
Fight or flight-forget that-I had fight and flight going through my head. Looking around for a target to shoot at, looking around to avoid getting shot, where can I take cover if I start getting rounds, and thinking to myself-let's just get in this hummvee and roll away from this mass confusion.
And then, like some kind of act of God, the EOD convoy coming to take away our mortar round from camp is coming down the highway at us. I have never in my life been so happy to see a bunch of Marines--a bunch of armored hummvees with heavy machine guns and one very big EOD truck. I could have shed tears right there in the middle of the highway in Iraq.
I run across the highway and get right in their path-they stop, I run up to the lead truck, door opens, I start passing the info--we got hit by an IED, no idea yet on casualties, 5 US Marines inside are looking out at me-I had to be yelling--Man, you guys have no freakin' idea how happy I am to see you!!! 5 jaws drop, almost in unison.
And then the Marines did their thing-pulled security, set up a perimeter, started evaluating the IED explosion site-155 round buried in the ground. Pulled a big old piece of flak out of the dirt to keep as a souvenir, all jagged edges, weighed probably 3 pounds or so, that bad boy had my name written all over it.
Everything kind of slowed down in the whole process, I'm happy to say it's all over, it's a big relief, really, and everything just seems that much more enjoyable today. The food in that chow hall for dinner tasted that much better, the sun seemed a little more intense, the thought of going to bed and laying down in my bunk makes me a little happier-I always did relish sleep, and now, I'm exhausted and just getting over the whole event.
Anywho, just another convoy somewhere in Iraq. I'm sure there will be another one soon, and hopefully my number doesn't come up in the big game of Russian roulette that we play each day
That's kinda how I feel today. Running convoys in Iraq is a little like Russian roulette, and my number came up today. Got hit today by an IED, a 155 artillery round buried in the side of the road, went off about 10 feet right in front of me, I was in the passenger side of the hummvee.
It really is amazing all of the things that happen while you're getting attacked in Iraq.
First off our camp had already gotten a mortar attack during the AM, two rounds flung into the perimeter, one exploded, and one didn't, it stuck in the dirt like a lawn dart with the fins up, and we had cordoned it off as an unexploded ordnance (UXO). Called up EOD (The bomb squad) to come over to camp and dig it out and remove it.
I was going to hitch a ride with a combat patrol into the meeting I needed to attend; unfortunately, I changed my plans and decided to ride with some of our guys when they headed that way.
Got picked up and as soon as I got in the hummvee, I was like, oh boy. Some raggedy ass POS. I'm like, MAJ B is driving and I'm sitting there looking at him like-this is your truck? He says-hey, it's a loaner-it gets better-wait until you see who we're riding with.
We're rolling in an Iraqi resupply convoy, all Iraqi trucks down the highway. Oh boy.
We start headed out the gate and down the highway, and we're barely a mile outside of the gate when the IED goes off, right between the lead Iraqi Nissan truck and us in the Hummer, not more than 10 feet or so right in front of me. Just the split instant before the explosion, I could just feel this electricity in the air, this feeling of danger all around me. And then, just like that, a huge black cloud of smoke envelopes our truck, loud ass explosion, ears are ringing.
B, we got hit! The first thing in my head was "This is just like the videos I've seen of Iraq, where the convoy gets hit. I wish I had my movie camera to take this footage."
Gunner in the turret starts yelling-they're shooting at me-someone is shooting at me. Rounds are pinging around and impacting near us, all around us, mass confusion. We're in the middle of a big ass black cloud of smoke and rounds are hitting all around us.
I remember being relieved that the gunner was ok-he starts rattling off rounds out of his automatic machine gun--what a wonderful sound that was--keep pumping them out, buddy-give em hell.
Iraqi soldiers are shooting rounds (luckily controlled and aimed bursts-no spraying and praying!). Rounds are flying everywhere, automatic machine gun fire everywhere.
B-we gotta move, man-they're shooting at us. He tries to drive in reverse, hummvee is barely moving, the engine is messed up or something, we're creeping back in reverse and all I see out the window is the front end of a big Mac truck-and the only thing I thought was "Holy shit, this is it, that's a big ass suicide VBIED in a the form of a freakin' mac truck, and I"m about to meet my maker." What I didn't know is that mac truck was part of our convoy, and it scared the shit out of me. I'm like "B, what the hell is that truck doing here? Is that part of our convoy??" He just starts cracking up laughing-I'm thinking-man this guy is crazier than I am, for sure.
So out we go, out of the hummvee, Iraqi soldiers stopping traffic in both directions, Maj B and I are running around, directing security, looking for insurgents, and it is so surreal--the Iraqi people around us never really even stopped what they were doing--the broken down truck up the road-those guys continued to fix the truck by the side of the road like nothing was going on. I mean, we weren't shooting at them, this is an every day occurrence in Iraq.
I'm standing there in the middle of the road, I have no idea if the Iraqis have casualties, I have no idea if their truck is able to drive, I have no idea if our truck can be driven.
Fight or flight-forget that-I had fight and flight going through my head. Looking around for a target to shoot at, looking around to avoid getting shot, where can I take cover if I start getting rounds, and thinking to myself-let's just get in this hummvee and roll away from this mass confusion.
And then, like some kind of act of God, the EOD convoy coming to take away our mortar round from camp is coming down the highway at us. I have never in my life been so happy to see a bunch of Marines--a bunch of armored hummvees with heavy machine guns and one very big EOD truck. I could have shed tears right there in the middle of the highway in Iraq.
I run across the highway and get right in their path-they stop, I run up to the lead truck, door opens, I start passing the info--we got hit by an IED, no idea yet on casualties, 5 US Marines inside are looking out at me-I had to be yelling--Man, you guys have no freakin' idea how happy I am to see you!!! 5 jaws drop, almost in unison.
And then the Marines did their thing-pulled security, set up a perimeter, started evaluating the IED explosion site-155 round buried in the ground. Pulled a big old piece of flak out of the dirt to keep as a souvenir, all jagged edges, weighed probably 3 pounds or so, that bad boy had my name written all over it.
Everything kind of slowed down in the whole process, I'm happy to say it's all over, it's a big relief, really, and everything just seems that much more enjoyable today. The food in that chow hall for dinner tasted that much better, the sun seemed a little more intense, the thought of going to bed and laying down in my bunk makes me a little happier-I always did relish sleep, and now, I'm exhausted and just getting over the whole event.
Anywho, just another convoy somewhere in Iraq. I'm sure there will be another one soon, and hopefully my number doesn't come up in the big game of Russian roulette that we play each day
posted by Chairborne Stranger at 12:37 AM
9 Comments:
Wow. Sounds like even when I think I'm having problems some people are having WAY more problems than me huh? Good luck to you and stay safe, I'll keep checking out your blog.
Sydney told me about your blog... very interesting. Take care and we will keep up with you and your days.. A GREAT big HUG to you and the guys you are with... from ME
Hey, I found your blog via Sydney's site. Is this your first deployment to Iraq? My little brother was there for a year about a year ago. Now he's being sent back for another year. =(
I guess the good thing is he'll have more access to the web this time, so we should be able to communicate more.
Stay safe!! Now I'll be worrying about you too!
Thanks for you note. My first dog, Eicko is not posted. I need to do that. He was my best friend for almost 12 years. I think of him everyday. Had him creamated, he will be with me with I go. ( I told the kids to hide the box if they needed to...lol) I truely loved that dog. Will try and find his photo. Take care, Hugz to all you guys.
Just found your blog. You've got an amazing blog here! Can't wait to read more! Be safe and take care!
hey, thanks for coming to my blog, I'll be visiting yours more often. I liked your post. Be safe.
Hey , thanks for visiting my blog.. I read your blog, sounds like an amazing story.Sometimes its crazy to think, things like that happen on the other side of the world.Im happy you came safe out of that situation.I'll pray for you, stay safe.I'll keep on visiting ur blog,its very good.
jen..
hey...appreciate the comment on my blog, glad i can be of some lighthearted entertainment to those i owe so much to...i'll have to sit down and really read yours someday...what i was able to look over thus far was fantastic; so thankful for people like you. keep up the comments..be safe
Sorry your comment got cut off at my blog. Keep coming back. I'd be happy to hear your opinions. And here's a change from most blogs.....I want to hear them even if you disagree. :) Be safe. BTW, my husband spent a lot of time playing military strategy computer games when he was over there. I pointed that Doonesbury out to him right away.
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