Its Only One Marine’s View
Hello VA JOE-
Thanks to all who have accepted me to be a guest blogger here. You can go to my first post in
Iraq and see where I’m coming from HERE.
For those who are still on the pointy end of the spear kicking butt, you know you have our support. Keep your mind focused on what you are doing and home will be here when you get back.
(A memory from my tour in
Afghanistan)……………Its 2004, it’s a cold night following a raid, cordon and search on a small village of know Al Quada hideout. The men did good today and we are really getting good at running around these 10,000 – 14,000 ft mountains killing badgyuys. God Bless the Air Force as they always had an A-10 (yikes I say because A-10s like to shoot up Marines occasionally) or a B1 above cutting circles in the sky waiting for a call to come get some and cause hate and discontent on some poor mud village.
Its now 0100, Im cold, my radio operator is cold and we are at a relaxed state so the men can rest. We call in and check in with the available air pkgs above in case things get froggy that night. They didn’t until about 0300 when I was in a nice dream state and we heard some small arms fire. Probably nothing as it was the norm around there. To keep the air guys above engaged we called and informed them of the sit and what we were doing. They asked if we wanted a “Show of Force”……………I looked at the radio operator, 22 yrs old from Okalahoma and we both said “what”. We told the bored guys circling that we didn’t need any ordnance dropped. They confirmed and asked the question again. We confirmed and told them as long as you aren’t dropping or shooting anything we were ok with their intent and gave them out coordinates of our position again.
The rogered up and then told us to sit back. Cold, unshowered and kinda grumpy I gave the Lance Corporal the radio back and said for him to monitor the radio. Just then off in the distance you heard a unique noise, saw blue afterburners that reminded you of soft lightening. The B1 dropped below our position and began a run towards the village as we watched at 10,000 feet on a mountain side looking down at the B1. The plane was invisible except for the hot exhaust. Then the sound caught up after the B1 stood on its tail and disappeared into he sky and every window was blown out of the village below.
The mud huts that have glass have thick old glass from all kinds of places. Donkeys began making noise, dogs barked and Marines laughed………this place would be a pretty place, if it weren’t for someone running around trying to kill you.
Semper Fi-Maj Pain
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