On
November 02, 2001 I signed enlistment papers to join the Marine Corps at the
age of 26. The last six months were spent praying and contemplating this very
action. I remember feeling nervous not knowing what to expect yet excited at
the challenges that would lie ahead. Little did I know the role I would play in
the fight against terrorism in Iraq?
Upon
entering recruit training I can remember the same nervous feelings and fear of
making a bad decision. However three months of physical and mental testing
brought me to graduation at Parris Island and being pronounced a United States
Marine. Upon graduation I was granted a
couple days leave before starting marine combat training and then finally my
military occupational school as a combat engineer. November of 2002 I finally
saw the end of my training and the start of my reserve time.
Upon
checking into the reserve center I started to get acquainted with the men in my
platoon and squad. Being the boot of the
men meant doing the menial chores and giving instruction in front of the
company. Bridge company bravo was going some huge changes. In the last few
months before my arrival all the men had to receive new training as combat
engineers so the unit could switch from a bulk fuel company to a bridge
company. At my second weekend of training or drill time along with 12 other
Marines I had been activated to support Operation Iraqi freedom 1. A lot of
time could be spent talking about the first deployment but for lack of time and
space I must move to my second deployment.
On
June 28, 2004 a convoy brief was scheduled to take place for a convoy I was to
go on. Upon arriving at the wooden picnic area built by the army a few of us
started to discuss the possibility of soon going home. Being in country for 124
days with a speculated 93 more to go most were anxious to return home. Missing
family and loved ones has been the hardest test for most of us. Sergeant
Sherman stood in the midst of us and yelled attention to the crowd. Being
respected as a leading Marine meant that most dropped and listened. My vehicle
was to be a military tactical tractor trailer type vehicle called an lvs. Cpl
Lawless was to be my driver. Time was spent going over each vehicle and its
occupants and standard operating procedures for the convoy as usual.
The
only unusual news at this convoy was to be national news as well. America was
handing power over to the Iraqi government on the day we were to convoy
equipment to our next operating base. Most units were not sending convoys for
fear of any actions by the enemy. I don’t remember much of our preparations to
leave but I do remember walking to the vehicle lot in the back where the
Humvee’s were loading up there personnel. Being a little envious of those
riding in the hummers because they didn’t have to carry their gear across base
to the vehicles we were riding in. A 7 ton truck was utilized to cart every one
to their vehicles. A lot of excitement could be felt in the air it was as if we
were on top of the world and everyone was watching us.
The
handing of power over and realizing as Marines we would continue with business
as normal made us feel a little more powerful then our army comrades
surrounding us. Loading our gear on the vehicles and chatting with each other
had become rituals by this point in time. We knew no fear and subjected
ourselves to think of only those things that would encourage us to continue on.
The heat, and dust were not enough to keep our spirits down as we knew home was
soon to be ours.
As
we moved our convoy down the road some jets took off to our right giving each
and every one of us a show of how great our military strength can be. As usual
on the way out of the base we gave the army a motivating shout because we are
Marines and we feel that we are superior to them.
On
a four lane highway just outside of a town with a city coming up I remember
watching the area searching for any possible problems or people. As I was
scanning the area my body felt the earth shake. It was as if God himself
grabbed the world and shook it a few times to wake us up. A huge cloud of smoke
covering four lanes of traffic and beyond reached into the sky more then one
hundred feet. My driver instantly asked me what we should do and as if in a
trance remembering the convoy brief the night before I told him to stop and
that we were to provide security and let the react vehicle do their job.
Jumping five feet to the ground pulling my rifle to my shoulder and holder my
finger over the trigger guard I started to scan more ferociously along the
roadside. Initially one Iraqi man in civilian attire ran along the road in
front of me towards the blasts then back to a hut along side the road. Not
seeing a weapon or a firing device I was not able to kill the man where he ran.
I had my sights on him for a time and even once or twice clicked the safety off
stopping short of engaging my finger on the trigger. Scanning the crowd, and
the many buildings in the area for a possible trigger man. I needed only to see a weapon or triggering
device in their evil hands. Fear was not present only hate, pure hatred for the
Iraqi people not being grateful for our sacrifice.
I
wanted to shoot the man running up and down the road and even contemplated
opening fire on him. Knowing the Marines behind me would open up and kill far
more innocent people I could not get the vengeance I felt was necessary. At some
point I took my focus off this man and started to look ahead to the vehicle in
distress. Our combat lifesavers had already ran the two to three hundred yards
to assist doc with those on their death bed. Two of the five would walk away
with minor wounds the other three would never rise from their stretchers.
For
this reason I am forever indebted to Sgt Sherman, Cpl Todd III, and Lcpl Adle
three of the six Marines in which I had acquaintance that gave their lives for
freedom. All have given some but they gave all.
