Odd, hard times, 19 years and counting

[JBoyette]

I am awake at 00:40 never do I stay awake this late, then it dawn's on me, it's late March.

I was part of the invasion of Iraq, HHC 1/325 AIR, 2nd BDE, 82nd Airborne, Div. We crossed the L.D. on 26-7 March, 2003 I think.

I lay now in bed realizing this. How odd ones brain works. Oh how time is wasted. Here I am typing in bed, on my phone.

Combat, it's on!

Day 2.

I think about the conversation I had with my men that day, I think about the talk I had with Jake Butler later that same day. I told him, they were crossing the final phase line. His lack of understanding what that meant to him and his level of security has shaped my life since that day.

Never will I be like him, not understand the context of what one tells me...

Battle of Samawah (2003) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

When you look at the picture of the black smoke rising up in that link, know that's Jake Butlers body and Humvee burning, it's not just smoke... Not cool, context of what one see's matters....

Only thing I can say is, dumb ass. I hate to say it about the war dead, but it's true. I heard the RPG hit his vehicle. And seen the smoke for the whole day. Hell I got pictures in my house of his burnt vehicle, what's left of it How it all could of been avoided.

Seconds later after his CAV Scout patrol left, I had a RPG shot at us. I watched the RPG cork screw with it's smoke trail aimed right at us. One, two circles, here it comes!.

Holly hell!

No tree, no wall to hide behind Just a 6" pile of trash, DUCK.

Boom!

Purple smoke dust. I was so damn pissed that idiot shot a smoke at me, I shot off 30 rnds at the RPG gunner's location for being a dumb ass not firing a HE round at us.

I seen the smoke for 8+ hours, SGT Butler burns. Knowing it would take days for us to reach him and his team.

Next day, I lost a Soldier in my team due to a polish ambush, of all things. Again he was someone who knew it all. But was also a coward to the core. He got shot by being a bitch and that placed more of us in danger to go get him. Not all Purple Heart's given out are worth the parking space at Harris Teeter.

Some of this will not make since to you, that's ok. I hope I can sleep now for the next few weeks.

We had a hell of a fight and we earned our C.I.B's over the next nine months

All the way, Let's Go.

Airborne..

Red68C out

 

[Crazy Carl]

A good buddy of mine who did multiple tours in Iraq & his dad who saw his share of ugliness in the Congo & Vietnam, told me they cope by talking about it with other vets & trusted family & friends. Keeping it in just lets & fester & slowly poison you.

Never had to deal with your particular circumstance, but we all leave the big green machine with more issues & trauma than when we entered. Just a price we pay. The difference is in how we deal with it. You can let it eat you up, or you can let it out, try to process it & then move forward.

 

[GymB]

Can’t like your post, but thanks for sharing and seriously thanks for your service and sacrifice.

 

[Chuckman]

I don't know about "more issues and trauma than when we entered," but a damn different perspective for certain.

Thanks for sharing. It's weird: for people who have never been in, there's no adequate explanation. For people who have, no explanation is needed.

 

[JBoyette]

 

[Car0linab0y]

Son-in-law was with 3rd ID for invasion and went up to the Baghdad airport. He did 3 more tours in iraq; doesn't talk about it much and NO details. When he gets together with other combat vets they sometimes talk amongst themselves.

The man has 7 campaign stars; did some shit. Closest we know of anything specific is from his Sgt who got a bronze star for an engagement; he tried to refuse it because s-in-law was side by side but only got arcom. He bitched about it and let slip some details; other than that it's just "did some stuff and came home".

Hats off to all who saw the elephant; this usaf vet was chained to the Pentagon for 1st gulf War and retired before the second. Wasn't there but respect for you that were.

 

[teamglock2002]

Thanks for sharing @JBoyette . Can't say I know what it was like since I was never in the military. But I can say Thank You For Your Service Sir !!! You and other vets are appreciated.

 

[MCQUADE]

My late pop’s never spoke of his time in ‘Nam when I was young. One night, after I served and was out, we were sitting around a fire drinking beer when it started coming out. He knew that I would understand. I’ll never forget that night. I think it was as good for me as it was for him. He was a great man and I miss him every damn day.

 

[Hammer12b]

My wife has never asked what I did in Afghanistan and wants to know even less about what our son did over there. Both of us has some PTSD. Neither of us sleep all night. We’ll pass each other in the hall at 0300 in the morning. I have dreams and nightmares, I can only guess that he does as well. He works the night shift as a Deputy Sheriff. We talk about some things, mostly cryptic, short conversations. I tried to explain to her what he does and she doesn’t want to know. He was drinking a little one night on the back porch and started talking, she got up and left. It scared the hell out of her. We were both 12B Combat Engineers. We specialized in IEDs, minefields, unexploded ordinance and explosives. We were truly, the tip of the spear, EVERYONE followed us. All my guys came home. Not all of them in one piece, not all of them in a good place mentally, but they came home. Looking for IEDs for a year at a time is taxing on you both mentally and physically, not to mention the fire fights, RPGs, recoiled rifles, VBIEDs, watching your back from the ANA and ANP and everything else. I didn’t trust the Afghan National Army or the Police as far as I could throw them.





RPG round to the fuel tank.

Combat at night.


Rule number 1. Don’t chase the bad guys into these places. They. Will. Kill. You!


Wonderful place to vacation. Who would want this crap hole!? No water, no plants, no trees, just dust…in everything. Your food, your sleeping bag, your underwear, your hair, eyeglasses…everything.