Archives » Friday, November 30, 2007
-
David Botti
|
Nov 30, 2007 02:49 PM
As the war continues it sometimes seems the number of articles chronicling daily troop life in Iraq are far less than in previous years. Recently, however, two articles were published taking extensive looks at specific units -- in some respects a modern day Band of Brothers (in reference to the HBO mini-series). Not only do these articles provide profiles of individual soldiers, but take a broader look at the character of their units.
The first comes from the Boston Globe which took a look at a Marine Reserve infantry battalion as its members readjusted to civilian life. The unit, First Battalion/25th Marine Regiment, served a seven-month deployment in and around Fallujah in 2006 (disclaimer: my own former unit belonged to the same regiment). The article is profound in the way it contrasts moments in Iraq with the repercussions at home months later. Additionally, we are given vivid narrative descriptions of the Marines' experiences.
For the second time that day, an explosion of shrapnel tore up through the belly of a Weapons Company Humvee. Murray was thrown more than 50 feet from the vehicle, "like a Kung Fu fighter flying around on fire," as he later put it. Goldman was popped from the turret like a champagne cork. Burke remained trapped in the passenger side of the crippled Humvee as it careened to a stop. He was pulled out just before it burst into flames.
Murray remembers trying to crawl to the curb for protection as insurgents opened fire. Sergeant Scott Parish of Andover, Mass., ran out and covered Murray, returning fire. Humvees circled like a wagon train to protect the wounded.
Back at Camp Baharia, Wills was lying on his bunk, writing in a journal about the devastating loss earlier in the day of his friend Valdepeñas.
"Moments ago," he wrote, "we learned Whiskey 3 was hit. My little buddy Val is gone. Hill is in critical. I can't believe this."
Then Wills heard an explosion outside the wire. A desperate voice came over the radio, calling in "mass casualties."
More
Loading Menu