Veterans day

As my eyes focus, I notice a loud ringing in my left ear and can hear the sound of shrapnel falling around what is left of the Humvee. I look down at my chest and see a large piece of the hood from the Humvee sticking out of my body armor. Snapping back to reality I realize our convoy has been hit by a chain of three IEDs, and the soldiers from the vehicles that weren't hit were forming a perimeter around what was left of the convoy. As I scanned what remained of our Humvee I saw that the front half was in pieces all over the road along with the broken bodies of Cpl. Stevenson, our driver. As well as Sgt. Lee, who we called J Lee because of his ability to run up to a Humvee and with assistance from his arms do a front handspring over a whole Humvee without even showing the slightest effort. Refocusing I heard the screams coming from all around me, "MEDIC!" and realizing I may be the only one still alive, I staggered out of my seat which was miraculously still attached to the Humvee. Only to grow faint and collapse realizing that there was a piece of the radio cover sticking out of my ankle. Against my fading strength I stood back up and ran to the location of the nearest screams, only to find it was another soldier crouching over J lee. He was in one piece but both legs were broken and he seemed to make this almost in-audible gurgling noise so after I splinted his legs, one with his rifle and the other with one of the front axles from our Humvee, I began checking him out. He had a weak pulse but still a pulse and as I ran my fingers up his neck I saw the light leave his eyes, and found that the top three vertebrae in his neck were shattered. I ran my fingers over his eyelids as I felt my self getting hot with anger, I instructed the soldier with me to take him to the nearest Humvee. Turning in the direction of another yell for help I slid on my good leg up to Cpl. Stevenson who was missing everything from the waist down with half the steering wheel embedded in his stomach, and yet was still breathing somehow. As I studied over him for some glint of hope that he would survive, he motioned for me to come in close. I placed my ear to his mouth as to hear him over the ringing in my other ear, and he whispered to me. " Tell my wife that I love her, and I didn't feel a thing", was not easily heard over his choking from the blood filling his throat. "You ll be telling her yourself brother," I said back though I knew momentarily he would be gone, I heard the shouts of cover fire as I took his hand and squeezed it. " lets have a beer when we get back stateside", I told him hoping it would help give him the strength to hold on. I caught a wry smile as he answered me "done" as he faded away, his grip on my hand softening as a hail of bullets were hurled in our direction from a field to our southeast. As I stared into his lifeless eyes I began to wonder, would those at home remember what happened today? I picked up my rifle, and aimed it in the direction of the incoming fire believing that these men didn't die for nothing. As I was able to focus on the figures far out in the field, I brought up my sights and zeroed in on one with what I was sure was an RPG. I took a deep breath and as I squeezed the trigger, I relayed a whisper, " Lord not for revenge but an act of justice", watching the bullet jet ever closer to the body in the cross-hairs of my rifle. At that moment the entire ridge in the field where our attackers were ambushing from erupted in fire and smoke as a millisecond view of an F-16 rushed in and out of view, " be at peace brothers", I thought as I turned back to the scene of destruction that lay behind me. They had pulled Sgt. Brock out of the seat next to me and bandaged him up, being in good shape other than missing part of his lower leg which we could not find. As we all loaded up in the remaining vehicles and got medics for the severely injured men, we pulled away from the sobering scene at what seemed like Mach 2 rolling back to base.

Today 11/11/2012 I stand at Arlington National Cemetery at the burial of my brothers in arms, Sgt Brock standing next to me in full dress as well with a prosthetic leg from the knee down. As they commence the guns I saw family all around the graves morning those we lost, wondering why they are jumping at blanks being fired, not knowing how devastating it is when you hear the real bullets zing by your head as you are watching your brothers die around you. As they finish the salute I lower my hand to my side catch a glimpse of Cpl. Stevenson's grave and Whisper because I know he can hear me yelling inside, " You still owe me that beer Sir."