WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:03.399 And I said, they got too scared, aks, can I engage? 2 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:03.960 And said what? 3 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:09.480 And I repeated myself, and then he relays it the. 4 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.000 Company as I couldn't talk company, just betune. 5 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:19.359 And while they're whatever they're figuring out, apparently my big mouth, 6 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:19.760 I don't know. 7 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:22.280 These guys in the truck. They must have known the 8 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:23.160 jig was up. 9 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:29.320 So yeah, they they lurched forward, but only like five 10 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:31.359 or ten feet, so they're a little bit behind us. 11 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:35.840 And then they all spilled out. And when they all 12 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:39.679 spilled out, then all the vehicles behind us and everybody 13 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:43.039 saw all the weapons, and as soon as that happened, 14 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:45.880 it was on and the vehicle behind us just pink 15 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:50.799 misted everybody with the main gun just just firing into them. 16 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:52.799 And then all hell broke loose. 17 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:57.079 Those other two vehicles got immediately destroyed, and we started 18 00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:58.039 pushing forward. 19 00:00:58.200 --> 00:01:06.239 And then the whole battalion kept moving forward at a slow. 20 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:10.599 Pace, and we, I mean, everything with the heat signature 21 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:11.719 got destroyed. 22 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.079 And our air officer called in the brevity for. 23 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:19.159 You know, to get all the available air on station, 24 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:22.439 because we had spotted tanks. 25 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:24.359 They were moving some T. 26 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:28.560 Fifty fives or something, some tanks around trying to come. 27 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:29.920 In close enough to fire on us. 28 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:35.680 So then we got all the available air on station 29 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:43.239 and it was just just incredible show of vast destruction. They, 30 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:47.599 I mean, that union got wiped out. I think three 31 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:52.400 or four hundred of them got killed and only we 32 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:58.519 had some very slightly wounded, but nobody killed. 33 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.200 So I want to take a minute today to tell 34 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:07.120 you guys about the Perfect Gene. I've been wearing them 35 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:09.520 for a few weeks now and really enjoy them, and 36 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:12.400 I just want to share it with our audience. You know, 37 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:15.919 sometimes jeans have this problem where you know, you guys 38 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:18.639 all have seen these skinny genes that they like crush 39 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.240 your balls and you know it's just not comfortable to wear, 40 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:23.879 or the other way around. 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Eddie served in Marine recon and he 108 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:12.560 was just telling me that this is the twenty first 109 00:06:12.600 --> 00:06:16.399 anniversary of his alive day since the attack that he 110 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:21.600 was injured in overseas. So we're pumped about that. Pumped. 111 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:24.040 Have you here and thank you for coming on the 112 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:25.319 show tonight, Eddie. 113 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.639 Thanks Jack, thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Yeah. 114 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:33.120 So, you know, I start off asking most of our 115 00:06:33.160 --> 00:06:35.519 guests about their origin story. Tell us a little bit 116 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:38.040 about where you grew up in what your path was 117 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:41.800 that took you towards the Marine Corps. 118 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:45.600 I was born in Chicago. My mom was an imprint 119 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:50.079 from Ireland. She met my dad. Nurse met my dad. 120 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:50.519 He was a. 121 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:53.040 Resident at the University of Chicago Medical School. 122 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:55.839 My brother and my sister and I were all born 123 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.480 in Chicago. We moved to. 124 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:03.319 California for a bit a year or two and then 125 00:07:04.040 --> 00:07:10.399 up to Washington State and my parents split. So my 126 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:12.920 dad soldiers practice during the Air Force, so I became 127 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:16.920 a military brad. So I jumped around a bit with that, 128 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:19.000 but mostly, you know, I grew up with my mom 129 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:23.920 and I'd say Seattle. Seattle would be what I considered 130 00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:34.439 my hometown outside of Chicago or where Texas, And so 131 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:37.240 you wanted to know about how I got into what 132 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:40.480 what drove me to get into the Marine Corps. When 133 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:43.279 I was very young. I used to get up for 134 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:47.519 him with my dad whenever I'd be hanging with him summers, 135 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:52.120 and it was endurance athlete, so we would he would 136 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:53.399 run and I. 137 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:54.319 Would just ride a bike. 138 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:58.160 And you know, like I said, So, there was a 139 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:01.560 time when he was stationed at Blackland Air Force Base, 140 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:06.240 and so we'd be, you know, up four am or so, 141 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.639 and I'd be riding my bike, little kid, and then uh, 142 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:12.839 you know, riding alongside my pops, and we used to 143 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:15.920 run by the I guess they had the Marine Corps 144 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:17.639 Canine Training school there. 145 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:20.480 And they'd be running information in the mornings. I don't know. 146 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:22.879 I was just a kid. I thought they were cool. 147 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:27.240 And then, of course, uh at my age being influenced 148 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:30.560 by all those awesome movies that came out in the eighties, 149 00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:35.679 you know, the cheesy ones like you know, like the Schwartz, 150 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:38.279 Neigga Ones, Commando or Rambo or. 151 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:42.559 Uh yeah, even Heartbreak Ridge. I thought it was the 152 00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:47.440 endless movie, the kid walking, What's Happening? 153 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:52.399 Yeah, So, you know, my past of the Marine Corps 154 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:54.759 was a little different than most people because I was 155 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.240 an angry kid, uh, living with my mom in Seattle 156 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.399 and in the early nineties. It was a little back then, 157 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:06.279 and they had a thing that was like a forced 158 00:09:06.279 --> 00:09:08.559 integration where they'd send kids from one side of the 159 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:11.399 city to the other side to go to school. And 160 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:14.960 so I hated my schools forty five minute bus ride 161 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:16.960 each direction, and. 162 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:21.399 I just started skipping school. So I got off to 163 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:22.399 a rocky start. 164 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:25.720 And then, of course, who you're going to hang out 165 00:09:25.720 --> 00:09:28.159 with if you're skipping school, but other kids that are 166 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:31.919 to know good I suppose. So, long story short, I 167 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:33.879 ended up getting into a lot of fights, which got 168 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.360 me in a lot of trouble. I actually, I guess 169 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:38.720 not very many people know this, but I actually was 170 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:43.159 like a white kid in a Simoan gang, you know, yeties, and. 171 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:49.960 So that you know, kind of escalated the trouble that 172 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:50.799 I got into. 173 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:53.559 How'd I got to ask you, Eddie, how did that work? 174 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:56.799 I mean, the Islanders are pretty insular normally, aren't they. 175 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:02.080 Yeah, But I'm an Islander too, am Irish, so I 176 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:05.480 don't know, you know, And I was people like to fight. 177 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:12.279 I I just had a few of them as friends, 178 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:17.879 and then you know, uh just started gradually, you know, 179 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:20.240 hanging out with them. They got to know me, and 180 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:24.320 I really didn't get too much respect from him until 181 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:32.320 they saw me fighting, and and then, uh, you know, 182 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:35.679 they knew that that that I would fight, so they 183 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:37.759 kind of respected that, like I wouldn't back down. 184 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:38.360 You know. 185 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:41.279 There was a point where I was getting bullied and 186 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:44.519 somewhere along the early part of my sophomore year, I 187 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:48.000 just couldn't take it any and so I decided I 188 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:51.879 would feel better being beat up than to live with 189 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:54.879 myself and to just let these guys pump me out 190 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:58.159 and treat me like this. So I stood up to 191 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:00.840 the bully and I knocked out in front of our 192 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:03.600 math teacher in Hallway West Yet High School. 193 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:08.360 I was shocked. You know. It was a lucky hit, 194 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:10.120 I think, and as he fell, he hit his head 195 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.120 on the locker, so he's done ski well. Word travels 196 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:17.039 fast in school. So then I had to, you know. 197 00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:20.639 I just started getting in a lot of fights because 198 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.480 it felt so much better than the opposite of where 199 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:27.320 I was just always getting picked on. And I went 200 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:30.600 a little too far, and then I ended up getting 201 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:32.399 jumped into the gang and then I had to fight 202 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:36.440 one of them one on one, and and I knocked 203 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:39.440 that dude down too, so I guess all the every 204 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:41.919 day fighting with my brother, my little brother, who's you know, 205 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:43.600 oally a year and a half apart, but he's bigger 206 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:48.120 than me, you know. Apparently I was learning how to 207 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:51.399 fight like we used to get knocked down dragouts, like 208 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:57.600 real fights, my brother and I and uh yeah, and 209 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.879 I just went a little crazy the other way and 210 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:06.759 took the whole code of the gang or gangster just 211 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:11.200 quite literally too far. So if I heard somebody was 212 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:15.399 talking about me, I would if I saw them, I 213 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:18.519 would call them out. We'd be fighting, and it just 214 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:20.679 you know how kids are. They talk trash. But I 215 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:23.960 would find them and then we be fighting. I didn't 216 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:25.879 win every fight. I don't know how guys are like. 217 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:28.080 I've never lost a fight. I've had my ass with 218 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:31.559 plenty of times. I've been jumped down. I couldn't count 219 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:33.639 them in a number of times I've been kicked in 220 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:36.480 the head or something, which which doesn't. 221 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:38.360 Help when you get blown up by an IMPG. But 222 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:41.120 so I had a lot of hard work to do. 223 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:45.240 I ended up going to Juvi for twenty months, the 224 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:48.080 best thing that could happen to me. Yeah, I. 225 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:54.879 So I I ended up in Juvi from all that nonsense. 226 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:57.399 And the camp they sent me to was outside of 227 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:00.440 the city. It was in western Washington, and and that's 228 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:06.200 where I started to thrive. You know, I've noticed throughout 229 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:08.480 my history of my life, if I was in a 230 00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:15.600 structured environment, be it unfortunately Juvi or maybe when I 231 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:20.120 played rugby before the Marine Corps, and you know, of 232 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.279 course the Marine Corps, I thrive. I do pretty well. 233 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:27.159 I was just kind of lost. So being in Juvie 234 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:35.919 gave me an opportunity to finish high school. And you 235 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:38.919 know by finish, I mean I hurried up and I 236 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:40.799 got my g D while I was there, and then 237 00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:43.200 I went out. I had a work through that worked 238 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:47.519 outside of wire, so to speak, and we worked for 239 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:50.480 Department of Natural Resources there in Western Washington. So we 240 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:53.440 did a lot of things like pre commercial thinning of 241 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:57.919 forest land we did. We planted ten of us kids 242 00:13:57.919 --> 00:13:59.759 in there in one season, planned to two hundred and 243 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:03.840 forty thousand trees. We did trail maintenance, firebreaks. It was 244 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:06.519 hard work, but we were outside. I loved it, and 245 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:12.080 so I was able to do some college classes while 246 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:13.960 I was in dub and that was great. And so 247 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:16.960 I get out, I'm on probation. I buy a pistol 248 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:19.639 from a buddy. We go fire it off into into 249 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:22.639 a tree stump, walk out of the woods, and well, 250 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:23.919 the cops are waiting for us. 251 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:28.039 And so because I was on probation for my juvenile 252 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:31.480 fighting and all that on my assault charges, I got 253 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.639 that was a pellony to have a firearm. So here 254 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:38.639 I am again. I set myself back, and I still. 255 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:42.759 Wanted to be a marine, but this really really put 256 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:44.600 that goal farther out of reach. 257 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:48.159 So that took a couple of years to settle. 258 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:50.919 I ended up having to do a couple months in 259 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:56.360 King County downtown in Seattle, and forgot community community service, 260 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:00.480 and I was able to give my probation, transferred to Oklahoma, 261 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:01.759 where my dad was. 262 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:05.799 Stationed at that time in the reserves. 263 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:09.440 With this private practice, and I just went immediately on 264 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:12.279 the straight and narrow. I went to school, I would 265 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:16.559 play rugby every chance I got. I connected with the 266 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:19.159 marine recruiters. They told me what I had to do 267 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:21.720 to Jordan, what I had to do to Jordan Marine Corps, 268 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:23.559 which is quite a bit. I had to do, pay 269 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:28.679 some restitution. I had to do almost three hundred dollars 270 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.519 of community service. I did a bunch of volunteer work 271 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:38.559 and I collected some letters of reference that had an 272 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:41.960 impact on the Recruiting Command's decision to give me the 273 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.919 waivers to join, because at this point I have a ged, 274 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:47.960 a juvenile felony and an now an adult family, and 275 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:52.279 you know it was going to be a miracle. But 276 00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:54.799 you know, I think one of the letters just just 277 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:56.600 the hard work I put in and getting to know 278 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:59.200 the recruiters over a couple of years and becoming friends 279 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:02.679 with them, that helped. But I got a great letter 280 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.799 of recommendation from a friend of the family that my 281 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.320 dad had gotten to know because he was a patient 282 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:11.879 of his who was a World War Two marine for 283 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:13.960 three and a half years. He was with Fourth Marines 284 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:18.519 on Prigador, and so I think his letter, you know, 285 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:20.840 he got to know me. I think that letter carried 286 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:25.559 the most weight. And then also my relationship with the 287 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:29.039 recruiters and the fact that I had done everything above 288 00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:31.879 and beyond but what I had to do, so I 289 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:34.080 couldn't believe it. They gave me the way I had 290 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:37.360 downloaded the application for the French Foreign Legion. If the 291 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:39.320 Marine Corps didn't take me, I was out like I 292 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:43.080 wasn't going to settle. I was working two three jobs 293 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:46.120 at a time. It all worked around my rugby schedule, 294 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:50.799 but I was doing something. And you know, after knowing 295 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:52.919 some guys that went to the Legion, I'm glad I 296 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:53.320 didn't go. 297 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:56.000 It's foul stories. 298 00:16:56.039 --> 00:16:59.360 You can tell I'd be speaking French probably, but yeah, 299 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:00.559 I hear, it's really rough. 300 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:01.759 Yeah. 301 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:05.079 So and I made it to the Marine Corps and 302 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:07.799 it was a lifelong dream and I always wanted to 303 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:10.920 be a reconnaissance marine, so that that was something I was. 304 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:12.160 Of heartbreak ridge. 305 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:16.480 Now as I got older, I started to read all 306 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:21.799 the books I could on Vietnam. It was really into Vietnam, 307 00:17:22.200 --> 00:17:26.160 and I was into I would read stories about green Breys, 308 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:29.319 I'd read stories about Navy seals, Army ALURP units, and 309 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:33.480 then something about the recon units, like being a reconnaissance 310 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:39.160 green really really appealed to me and I thought the 311 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:42.039 stories were great. And one book that I read it 312 00:17:42.119 --> 00:17:44.720 is called First reecond Second to None by Paul Young. 313 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:49.079 That one was one of the most influential books for 314 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:52.599 some reason, which coincidentally I got to meet him years 315 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:55.480 later after I was wounded at a reunion and he 316 00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:57.920 gave me his own personal copy of that book with 317 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.480 little little missives in it, you know, notes on pages 318 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.519 like from his buddies that he served with, and little 319 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:08.480 ace and death card and there, and I you know, 320 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:10.200 it was out of reunion in d C. I was 321 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:13.000 still an impatient in the hospital. My team leader came 322 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:16.000 and dressed me up with my Charlie's I was for ail, 323 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:20.160 like a skinny body, big head, pale, and I don't 324 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:22.880 I don't think I even had prosthetics. 325 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.680 My my Charlie uniform was just baggy. You know. 326 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:30.119 That's the the tan khaki sugar, the blue paints with 327 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:34.920 the n c O stripe. So, you know, it's weird 328 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:38.400 how these things happened. And I'm ahe around full circle 329 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:40.079 this story. 330 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:40.559 In my life. 331 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.119 That's surreal. So, uh, your dream of joining the Marine 332 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:48.440 Corps comes true. You fought to get in harder than 333 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.680 most people from everything he told me, literally, and figured. 334 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.640 Out a lot in my way. Yeah, but I knew. 335 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:58.319 I knew that if I didn't try everything that I could, 336 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:01.079 And this was the same attitude I had when I was, 337 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:04.839 you know, becoming a reconnaissance marine, when I was in 338 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:08.519 the Marine Corps if I didn't, there was no excuse 339 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:10.440 for me not to try as hard as I could 340 00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:13.039 and if and if I didn't, then I knew that 341 00:19:13.079 --> 00:19:15.400 I would look back and I would regret it, and 342 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:17.680 that would be one of these guys that's always. 343 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:22.680 Said I was gonna Uh but yeah, yeah, there's as everywhere. 344 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:30.000 So you get into the Marine Corps. I take it 345 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.440 you came in as what is it the Marines called 346 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:33.559 as zero three eleven? 347 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:41.119 Yeah, I got guaranteed oh three, And uh I did 348 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:42.200 well in boot camp. 349 00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:44.839 I wasn't gone, uh you know, a guide or anything. 350 00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:48.200 I think one of my dr instructors like me, put 351 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:50.880 me in as a squad leader during boot camp. But 352 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:53.279 as soon as another you know, the senior came in, 353 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:55.839 that was out. Yeah, and uh I was glad. I 354 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:59.240 didn't want any extra responsibility like that or pay somebody 355 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:04.519 else's mistake at that time. And then at School of Infantry, Uh, 356 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:06.440 you know, I got stuck with the three week guard 357 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:09.759 duty in winter, standing outside on the ranges and gonna 358 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:12.279 be seed. But you know it wasn't so bad. But 359 00:20:14.119 --> 00:20:16.720 I was able to graduate School of Infantry with the 360 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:22.440 highest GPA and the highest physical fitness score of my class, 361 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.000 my company, and so they meritoriously promoted me to the 362 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:26.559 lance corporal. 363 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:29.200 So I picked a plan school right out of amazing 364 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:34.960 sy I thought I was badass, I learned I wasn't anything. Yeah, 365 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:36.559 like here you get to the fleet. 366 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:39.359 One of my n cels who picked me up, the 367 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.119 three Marines came picked up three of us that went 368 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:44.599 out to twenty nine Palms as an O three eleven riffleman. 369 00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:46.480 But we went to a unit called Third Light Armed 370 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:49.440 Reconnaissance Third l R. I had no idea what third 371 00:20:49.559 --> 00:20:52.720 la R was. One of my n CEOs picked us up. 372 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:55.799 He was you know, everybody's in their alphas and he's 373 00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:59.200 a lance corporal also, but he's only an Alliance COBO 374 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:02.359 because he'd been bust it down from sergeant for hazing. 375 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:05.319 But you know, it was back in the day before 376 00:21:05.400 --> 00:21:08.640 nine to eleven. There was there was no It didn't 377 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:11.279 stop him from continuing, you know. 378 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:13.160 So I got a good pick to the old school, 379 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:15.519 old school hazing and one on Palms. 380 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:16.200 That is great. 381 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:20.000 Yeah, hey, guys, I want to take a moment to 382 00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:22.799 tell you about tonight's sponsor for the show, which is 383 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.640 Ridge Wallets. I've been using this for about six months now. 384 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:31.279 Really enjoy it. This wallet is made out of carbon, fiber, titanium, 385 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:34.599 and steel, and it really holds up and lasts. So 386 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:38.319 you know, in the past, I carried a leather wallet. 387 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.599 You know, it's made by you know professional has a 388 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.279 small shop and makes does leather work. 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So your first unit going to 426 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.200 the fleet, well, I mean you started to describe a 427 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:50.240 little bit of it, but what was that experience like 428 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:52.279 as you went on through your early career. 429 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:57.000 Well, I remember when we got to twenty nine Palms. 430 00:23:57.400 --> 00:23:59.599 It was, you know, pitch black outside and all I 431 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:03.480 could see were lights in the distance, and I had desolate. 432 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:06.640 It was until the next morning when the sun came up, 433 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:11.480 which we didn't get much sleep. Immediately, like the whole 434 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:14.400 in every every boot or so so called boom, a 435 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:15.720 new guy that had showed up. 436 00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:19.160 That day to the unit. We were field day in. 437 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:22.279 The barracks and scrubbing the catwalks with two brushes and 438 00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:29.079 just nonsense for hours. And so the sun comes up 439 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:31.799 and you know, I realized, well there's nothing out here, 440 00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:34.000 and okay, so. 441 00:24:35.480 --> 00:24:38.319 We you know, I. 442 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:40.119 Got introduced to the fleet and all my n c 443 00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:43.400 O s and and just started getting with it. And 444 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:49.519 I was lucky because our company H brought a company 445 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:53.240 third l R. We were part of the UDP program 446 00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:55.599 that came up soon after I got to the fleet. 447 00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:59.079 I think I got to the fleet in March, our 448 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:03.559 second of both one. And I, uh, you know, because 449 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:06.759 I went to boot camp in two thousand and uh, 450 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:16.240 I I think, yeah, we left, maybe it was July. 451 00:25:16.599 --> 00:25:19.759 I think we went on the udip'd Okanawa and. 452 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:20.240 So I love. 453 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:25.880 What's the UDP for those of us, I'm sorry, it's. 454 00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:27.039 A unit deployment program. 455 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:31.039 So they have like a battalion landing team and marines 456 00:25:31.079 --> 00:25:37.079 will do a rotation every six months through oknow cool, 457 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.680 and so you'll have marines of different moss but there's 458 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:45.440 always an infantry infantry component and an L A R 459 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:47.559 component and other units. 460 00:25:47.640 --> 00:25:54.160 And so I was that to me was great. I 461 00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:55.119 was all about it. You know. 462 00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:57.880 Now you know I'm traveling the world. That's exactly what 463 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:02.440 I expected. And I was a boot and that's a 464 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:04.920 new guy, you know. So as a boot, we all 465 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:07.440 had to shave our heads back then, so we're all 466 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:10.440 running around with bald heads so that we're known to 467 00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:14.799 all then. And there was a lot of cool training 468 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:20.200 and hazing is hot in a way that was hotter 469 00:26:20.279 --> 00:26:22.759 than twenty nine pounds because of all the humidity. You know, 470 00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:26.240 by lunch, if you had time at lunchtime, you run 471 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:28.680 back to the barracks and swap your skiv shirt out 472 00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:31.680 for a dry one because you'd be soaked sweat. Yeah, 473 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:35.640 and I really enjoyed it. And while we were there, 474 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:40.559 we I had a great opportunity because my opportune commander 475 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:45.200 was prime enlisted and he knew about a training opportunity 476 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:50.000 in Australia and he organized this for three of the 477 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:54.640 LA R scouts, which was three eleven, myself and three 478 00:26:54.680 --> 00:26:57.359 of the crewmen and himself. We took a C one 479 00:26:57.440 --> 00:27:03.279 thirty down to Darwin, Australia from and we trained with 480 00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:07.920 the North Force which is their Northern Territory Guard kind 481 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:10.440 of like a National Guard. They don't they don't deploy 482 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:15.319 overseas UH in combat, but they protect the Northern Territory. 483 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:18.319 They patrol the waters, they patrol the bush. 484 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:23.680 They they watch out for smuggling, you know, flora and 485 00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:29.359 fauna or drugs or illegal immigrants and things like that 486 00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:32.319 and that that was really fun and we got to 487 00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:35.000 do a survival course that was topped by the Aborigines 488 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:40.200 with them, and so we had a classroom portion, went 489 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:44.680 to the ranges, UH worked with some different units and 490 00:27:44.759 --> 00:27:49.200 we went out to the bush about five and a 491 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:53.759 half hours deep into Kakadu National Park by land. 492 00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:56.000 Rover over the roads and we. 493 00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:59.279 Were starting our practical application part of the survival course 494 00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:04.000 and the sun came up. We slept into you know 495 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:08.440 on the ground, you know, things biting us and whatever, 496 00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:12.720 and everybody's worried about saltwater crocs and things like that 497 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:15.839 that you could hear sliding off into the rivers and 498 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:18.920 from the banks and other weird noises and you know, 499 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:21.720 like bush in Australia for the first time. 500 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:26.160 And when the sun came up, we were ready. 501 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:29.240 Uh you know, we were all ready to go, thinking 502 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:32.160 that here we go, We're gonna probably have to strip 503 00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:34.160 down and throw our stuff in a pile and you know, 504 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:36.480 run off into the bushes with the shoe stream one 505 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:40.440 boot and the knife or something, and uh, you know, 506 00:28:40.440 --> 00:28:41.480 we heard them yelling for us. 507 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:41.720 OI. 508 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:43.880 You know, we heard them yelling OI, get all the 509 00:28:43.960 --> 00:28:48.480 Yanks and uh so like we get it. We gather 510 00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:51.160 around and they tell us that America has been attacked. 511 00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:52.839 My mind, I'm. 512 00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:55.200 Thinking, hey, this is part of the training. This must 513 00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:59.920 be part of the scenario training or something. They're like, no, seriously. 514 00:29:01.319 --> 00:29:03.359 And so that was nine to eleven. So I was 515 00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:06.799 in the middle of the bush, Australia when nine to 516 00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:11.960 eleven happened. So we had along, you know, the five 517 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.640 and a half hours drive back to Darwin, just you know, 518 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:19.880 no intail we didn't know what was going on. I 519 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:22.559 just knew that America had been attacked. So we got 520 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:25.440 to think about all these things like, well, we're in Okanawa. 521 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:26.279 Who attacked us? 522 00:29:26.279 --> 00:29:30.279 And are we, you know, at the forefront of World 523 00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:33.000 War three or war? Then we're going to go in first? 524 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:36.640 And then you know, my mind, I'm calculating what about 525 00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:39.640 who the first guys into World War you know, first 526 00:29:39.640 --> 00:29:42.079 guys in to fight, Like how long do they last? 527 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:45.119 One of the oddosite being there at the beginning to 528 00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:46.480 be there at the end of the war. 529 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:53.400 So not really understanding how kind of you know, would 530 00:29:53.480 --> 00:29:57.279 be you know, it was different, never haven't been and 531 00:29:57.400 --> 00:29:59.359 so these days it is. 532 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:04.000 But uh, you know, as you know, that was. 533 00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:09.119 Two thousand and one September. It was something that I 534 00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:12.240 think is cool talking about synchronicity, is uh. The MW 535 00:30:12.359 --> 00:30:14.200 rolled in right before we went out to the bush 536 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:18.680 to do the practical app or the survival course, and 537 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:20.799 I think it was the fifteenth MEW and that's the 538 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:25.920 MEW that rolled into Afghanistan first. Yeah, and so we 539 00:30:25.960 --> 00:30:28.720 had the hold town of Darwin to our to ourselves, 540 00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:30.880 which was great, but then the MW rolls in and 541 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:34.960 now there's three thousand sailors and marines and all, yeah, oh, 542 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:38.079 we're not a novelty anymore. I'm like, yeah to hear mew. 543 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:41.920 And so the only people from the MEW that got 544 00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:44.440 to stay on larry Kia Barracks, which was the Australian 545 00:30:44.519 --> 00:30:52.599 military base thereon Darwin was And when the recomplict came on, 546 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:57.160 they were all like great shape. 547 00:30:57.359 --> 00:30:58.119 You had a. 548 00:30:57.920 --> 00:31:00.480 Giant jungle rucks and their fins hanging off the back, 549 00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:04.319 and you know, two of them got into a fist 550 00:31:04.359 --> 00:31:06.759 fight with each other and I don't know what. 551 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:07.319 Did I lose? You? 552 00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:10.440 Yeah, we got we got you. It's just some bad 553 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:11.240 internet connection. 554 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:15.960 Okay, So these these guys are fist fighting. 555 00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:19.200 It's just like, you know, they stayed in like a hangar, 556 00:31:20.200 --> 00:31:24.920 and I thought to myself, damn, I need that's where 557 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:28.720 I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to be with Recomb. Well, ironically, 558 00:31:28.759 --> 00:31:31.079 when I got to Recom, that was the very platoon 559 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:33.960 that I went to with some of the same. 560 00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:36.240 Yeah. 561 00:31:36.359 --> 00:31:40.079 So it's just a trip. So we go back to 562 00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:43.599 Kadeena three days later. We finally got a C one thirty. 563 00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:47.119 It's eight and a half hour trip. The whole entire 564 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:54.559 playing in the back. The floorboards were covered in just 565 00:31:54.720 --> 00:31:58.720 cases and cases of beer, Australian beer, just full of beer. 566 00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:02.319 And looking back on and I think because it was 567 00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:03.680 the new marine. 568 00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:07.000 Boot I I you know, and that we all were 569 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:09.079 we didn't really have the guts, But nowadays I would 570 00:32:09.079 --> 00:32:13.359 have been like, yeah, drinking and what are they gonna say, 571 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:13.640 you know? 572 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:17.440 So, Yeah, we came back to Kadina. We did some 573 00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:19.759 security for Kadina for a couple of weeks. That was 574 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:23.799 really cool. A lot of adventures there and eventually we 575 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:26.680 go back to We did a month in Fuji at 576 00:32:26.680 --> 00:32:27.680 the base of Mount Fuji. 577 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:31.079 That was that was cool, training with those guys on 578 00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:31.680 their base. 579 00:32:31.880 --> 00:32:37.599 And then we went home to fun on Palms in 580 00:32:37.720 --> 00:32:43.799 January of two and then that whole year leading up 581 00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:48.319 until we deployed to Kuwait before the invasion in three 582 00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:55.680 was just a workup where we trained exclusively for combat 583 00:32:55.720 --> 00:33:00.319 in Iraq Armor I D learning how to id through 584 00:33:00.359 --> 00:33:05.799 the thermals you know, enemy vehicles. Yeah, I had picked 585 00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:08.400 up corporal. I took my marines down to e O D. 586 00:33:09.079 --> 00:33:13.960 Had e O D give us classes on uh land 587 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:17.640 mines and IDs and things like that. Just to really 588 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:19.720 put the fear of God in us about what we're 589 00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:24.000 going like. And then and then we deployed on over 590 00:33:24.079 --> 00:33:28.920 to Kuwaite and Jane very. 591 00:33:28.599 --> 00:33:32.519 Or February early February of three. 592 00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:35.359 And this was like your whole mew going over there 593 00:33:35.559 --> 00:33:39.720 at once, our whole battalion Okay, gotcha. 594 00:33:39.839 --> 00:33:40.079 Yeah. 595 00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:45.559 And then there was different regimental combat teams on different 596 00:33:46.119 --> 00:33:48.480 locations there and waded along the border. 597 00:33:48.759 --> 00:33:51.039 So just the Marine Corps was there. 598 00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:54.440 I mean it was I mean, we knew we were 599 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:57.359 bringing all this stuff over here if we weren't going. 600 00:33:57.359 --> 00:33:59.680 To go to war. 601 00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:02.200 Well, well, I mean that's what I'd like to ask you. 602 00:34:02.279 --> 00:34:05.160 What your impression was like. Was there was there an 603 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:07.359 OP order given to you guys? Like when you deployed, 604 00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:09.039 did you know what your mission was going to be 605 00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:10.519 or did you find that out later? 606 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:14.400 We had no idea what our mission was going to be. 607 00:34:14.519 --> 00:34:17.039 We I think the first thing we learned was which 608 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:20.800 breach lane we were going up in only days before wow, 609 00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:26.920 like across the border. Yeah, and we didn't have we 610 00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:27.920 didn't even know. 611 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:33.119 I think, you know, at least at my level, I 612 00:34:33.159 --> 00:34:34.519 didn't know what any of. 613 00:34:34.440 --> 00:34:38.719 Our first objectives were or anything, and we got really 614 00:34:38.880 --> 00:34:42.960 deep into Iraq before we got into our first firefight. 615 00:34:43.320 --> 00:34:45.840 We saw a lot of blown up vehicles from air 616 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:50.320 strikes and artillery. We saw some oil and gas fires, 617 00:34:50.360 --> 00:34:54.920 and just weird things like can imagine an old school 618 00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:58.760 train just flying by, like at one hundred miles an hour, 619 00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:01.639 just you know, just things like that, or guys in 620 00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:05.039 the middle of nowhere just on a camel just booking 621 00:35:05.079 --> 00:35:06.880 it like a jockey, Like where's that guy? 622 00:35:07.159 --> 00:35:09.480 You know, just things like that. And then. 623 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:13.239 It wasn't until the twenty third of March on the 624 00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:16.000 one eighth Northern that we got into like our big 625 00:35:16.639 --> 00:35:19.760 our first firefight, which was the biggest by far of 626 00:35:19.760 --> 00:35:20.920 any during the invasion. 627 00:35:22.519 --> 00:35:24.400 Did you guys run into like the fetti yin or 628 00:35:24.440 --> 00:35:25.119 something like that. 629 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:32.400 I think they were fetti yen and regular army and conscripts, 630 00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:36.000 And I think they used these conscripts as bait because 631 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:41.639 we gone we crossed the tigers that morning, and then 632 00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:46.159 we were by the time we got into that big 633 00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:50.599 firefight that was I think we were ten clicks ten 634 00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:54.960 kilometers farther north than any other marine unit. Because the 635 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:58.760 LAV twenty five system they can go, they drive fat 636 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:02.320 it was a perfect vehicle for the invasion, for that drain, 637 00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:05.400 and that at that time and that technology the way 638 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:10.079 that the wars were fought. And so we had some 639 00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:13.239 cobras doing orbits ahead of us for most of the day. 640 00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:15.639 When we when we got real far north, but they 641 00:36:16.280 --> 00:36:21.320 they had returned to refuel. And then we started seeing 642 00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:23.880 large you know, we're going up in a big column formation, 643 00:36:23.960 --> 00:36:26.320 the whole battalion. I'm the third vehicle from the very 644 00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:30.400 front of the battalion movement, so the tip of the sphere, 645 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:32.159 of the tip of the sphere, you know, they said, 646 00:36:32.280 --> 00:36:34.119 la r to the sphere. 647 00:36:34.239 --> 00:36:36.320 So we we were seeing these. 648 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:39.800 Big groups of men standing here and there once in 649 00:36:39.800 --> 00:36:41.159 a while on the size of the road, but they 650 00:36:41.159 --> 00:36:43.960 weren't wearing uniforms. We didn't see any guns or anything 651 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:48.599 in the middle of nowhere, so it's fishy. But nobody 652 00:36:48.599 --> 00:36:52.519 had fired a shot. Nothing had happened. And three vehicles 653 00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:57.320 came towards our you know, our battalion directly from the 654 00:36:57.360 --> 00:36:59.760 front down the road, which at this point was just 655 00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:05.840 a dard road, and there was three white pickup trucks. 656 00:37:05.880 --> 00:37:08.480 There was four guys on each side of the gunnales 657 00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:10.800 sitting in the back facing the inboard, so eight guys 658 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:13.239 in the back and three guys in the front cab. 659 00:37:14.119 --> 00:37:16.639 And I could hear I had a calm helmet. I 660 00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:18.280 was popped up out of the scout hatch. 661 00:37:19.480 --> 00:37:22.920 My my was popped up out over here on the 662 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:25.679 right side, and I had the calm helmet on, you know, 663 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:28.480 in there, so I could hear the radio chatter, and 664 00:37:28.519 --> 00:37:32.280 they were saying, you know, nobody's As these three trucks 665 00:37:32.280 --> 00:37:35.079 approached us and the sun was setting its dark, you know, 666 00:37:35.159 --> 00:37:38.199 they had their headlights on. 667 00:37:38.440 --> 00:37:41.039 We were running all blacked out, and for some reason 668 00:37:41.079 --> 00:37:44.880 they came right up to us, and two of them 669 00:37:44.920 --> 00:37:47.639 stopped before they entered into our column. But the first 670 00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:51.320 vehicle drove past the first two vehicles and stopped to 671 00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:54.000 the right of my vehicle, right next to us, like 672 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:57.320 I could have spit on, you know. And I could 673 00:37:57.360 --> 00:37:59.719 still hear them saying, hold your fire, not showing any 674 00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:04.039 we don't see any weapons. And my MVG now on 675 00:38:04.039 --> 00:38:07.199 my helm had broken. So I'm holding my mvgs up 676 00:38:07.280 --> 00:38:10.079 like this with my left hand, and I'm looking over 677 00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:15.960 my saw gunner. He's got the saw trained on him, 678 00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:20.119 and I said, you know, Dan and keep your keet 679 00:38:20.119 --> 00:38:22.280 that gun on him, you know, and they do anything 680 00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:25.480 like let him have it. And he's a young kid 681 00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:30.000 from Texas at eighteen. He's he's all about it. He's excited. 682 00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:33.119 And so I'm looking, I raise, I'm looking through my 683 00:38:33.239 --> 00:38:35.480 mvgs and I see the guy in the middle of 684 00:38:35.519 --> 00:38:37.360 the row of guys sitting on the back of the 685 00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:40.559 truck that's facing away from us. I see one guy 686 00:38:40.599 --> 00:38:42.440 turned and said like this, and he looks up over 687 00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:46.400 his shoulder up at us, and as he does, the 688 00:38:46.440 --> 00:38:50.559 barrel of his AK peeks out outside of his coat collar, 689 00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:56.000 and so I see that, and then I look across 690 00:38:56.039 --> 00:38:58.599 at the guy sitting right across from him, and he 691 00:38:58.679 --> 00:39:02.079 had his jack could close, but but there's a gap. 692 00:39:02.679 --> 00:39:07.280 And that's when I saw AK like chest rig And 693 00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:13.639 so now I'm all excited, and I hit the home helmet. 694 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:16.239 I said, hey, staff, sergeant, you know to my vehicle. 695 00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:19.960 They got was opportune, sergeant, And I said, they got 696 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:21.679 too scared, and ak's can I engage? 697 00:39:21.719 --> 00:39:22.239 He said what? 698 00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:27.480 And I repeated myself, and then he relays it to 699 00:39:27.639 --> 00:39:31.599 company as I couldn't talk company, just platune. And while 700 00:39:31.599 --> 00:39:37.679 they're whatever, they're figuring out. Apparently my my big mouth, 701 00:39:37.719 --> 00:39:40.159 I don't know. These guys in the truck, they must 702 00:39:40.159 --> 00:39:45.360 have known the jig was up, so yeah, they they 703 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:48.239 they lurched forward, but only like five or ten feet, 704 00:39:48.280 --> 00:39:50.519 so they're a little bit behind us. And then they 705 00:39:50.559 --> 00:39:54.960 all spilled out. And when they all spilled out, then 706 00:39:55.400 --> 00:39:59.440 all the vehicles behind us and everybody saw all the weapons, 707 00:39:59.800 --> 00:40:02.360 and as soon as that happened, it was on and 708 00:40:02.440 --> 00:40:06.280 the vehicle behind us just pink misted everybody with the 709 00:40:06.320 --> 00:40:10.440 main gun just firing into them, and then all hell 710 00:40:10.519 --> 00:40:14.639 broke loose. Those other two vehicles got immediately destroyed, and 711 00:40:14.679 --> 00:40:23.000 we started pushing forward, and then the whole battalion kept 712 00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:26.719 moving forward at a slow pace, and we, I mean 713 00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:31.159 everything with the heat signature got destroyed. And our air 714 00:40:31.239 --> 00:40:32.599 officer called in the. 715 00:40:32.599 --> 00:40:33.360 Brevity for. 716 00:40:35.400 --> 00:40:37.440 You know, to get all the available air on station, 717 00:40:37.639 --> 00:40:42.639 because we had spotted tanks. They were moving some T 718 00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:46.599 fifty fives or something some tanks around trying to come 719 00:40:46.639 --> 00:40:50.400 in close enough to fire on us. So then we 720 00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:55.119 got all the available air on station and it was 721 00:40:55.280 --> 00:41:02.599 just just incredible show of this destruction. They, I mean, 722 00:41:03.719 --> 00:41:06.239 that union got wiped out. I think three or four 723 00:41:06.280 --> 00:41:11.519 hundred of them got killed and only we had some 724 00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:17.800 very slightly wounded, but nobody killed on our end. 725 00:41:18.159 --> 00:41:20.760 That's so weird, man, Like you do you think those 726 00:41:20.800 --> 00:41:23.719 guys were like doing some sort of like reconnaissance because 727 00:41:23.719 --> 00:41:26.480 they weren't surrendering or like trying to defect. They were 728 00:41:26.480 --> 00:41:28.599 clearly trying to hide who they really were. 729 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:35.360 It looked like they they messed up, and you kind 730 00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:37.760 of see it in their faces, like, oh, hip, these 731 00:41:37.800 --> 00:41:41.239 are Americans. Like maybe they thought they were that these 732 00:41:41.400 --> 00:41:45.119 labs were bnps or BTRs or something. 733 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:45.920 I don't know, but. 734 00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:48.840 They didn't have I think they didn't have any night vision, 735 00:41:50.199 --> 00:41:53.880 and so by the time they rolled up on us, 736 00:41:53.960 --> 00:41:57.400 it was just like they were like oops. Or they 737 00:41:57.400 --> 00:42:02.000 could have been just sent to probe us out, like 738 00:42:02.039 --> 00:42:04.599 they probably were told go do this or else. I mean, 739 00:42:04.679 --> 00:42:08.840 maybe they had no choice. Uh, but it seemed it 740 00:42:08.920 --> 00:42:12.599 seems very foolish to do that, and that may have 741 00:42:12.840 --> 00:42:15.280 just been to kick it off or to hold us 742 00:42:15.280 --> 00:42:17.960 in place or something while they moved around, moved those 743 00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:22.639 tanks around. But whatever their plan was was garbage, and 744 00:42:23.519 --> 00:42:24.760 if they had a plan, it. 745 00:42:24.800 --> 00:42:26.079 Just seemed ridiculous. 746 00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:29.719 It wasn't like they didn't they they had to have 747 00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:32.719 known we were coming up. The battalion was moving north 748 00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:36.599 and just kicking up just a cloud and dust like yeah, 749 00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:41.239 you know, for miles and and we didn't engage till 750 00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:45.079 the sun had set, so like right as the sun 751 00:42:45.639 --> 00:42:48.599 was like as low as set, like just going below 752 00:42:48.639 --> 00:42:52.480 the horizon and things got pretty dark. Is when these 753 00:42:52.519 --> 00:42:55.440 trucks showed them. So it was I don't know what 754 00:42:55.480 --> 00:42:58.280 they're doing it? 755 00:42:58.760 --> 00:43:03.880 And how far north did your battalion push? 756 00:43:04.280 --> 00:43:07.679 We are battalion. We went all the way up to Baghdad. 757 00:43:08.760 --> 00:43:14.000 We split into companies. Delta Company is the l A 758 00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:20.079 R company that rescued the it's their name Jessica Lynch, 759 00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:25.639 Jessica Lynch, and the other pow Dang I forget her name, 760 00:43:28.559 --> 00:43:35.800 Mere a few years ago, a nice guroup. But then 761 00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:39.360 we went let's see, we went to D one, We 762 00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:42.480 got into another, had a couple of close calls. Had 763 00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:45.880 a mortar drop like right outside my patuone commander's vehicle. 764 00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:48.599 That was nuts. That was kind of cool. 765 00:43:48.639 --> 00:43:52.559 We were the La V toe variant was shooting a 766 00:43:52.639 --> 00:43:55.320 tow missile at water tower that there was a couple 767 00:43:55.480 --> 00:43:59.079 hundred soldiers mustering under like getting ready to fight us, 768 00:43:59.079 --> 00:44:03.039 and we had stopped and I was watching that. I 769 00:44:03.039 --> 00:44:05.480 thought it was going to be. In my imagination, it's 770 00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:07.000 going to hit that water tower and it was going 771 00:44:07.079 --> 00:44:10.800 to explode, and it just rained down on top of everybody. 772 00:44:14.039 --> 00:44:16.360 It didn't happen like that. You could see the missile 773 00:44:16.400 --> 00:44:21.360 going towards it, and it went through some high power 774 00:44:21.719 --> 00:44:24.480 lines and I think what happened is that. 775 00:44:24.400 --> 00:44:26.239 Guide wire hit that wire. 776 00:44:26.119 --> 00:44:28.599 And it just detonated in the air before it hit 777 00:44:28.639 --> 00:44:31.880 the tower. And then all of a sudden, we started 778 00:44:31.880 --> 00:44:36.360 getting rained on with mortars, and you know, because we 779 00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:39.360 were at a at an intersection and we had just 780 00:44:39.400 --> 00:44:42.840 gone through an underpass, so we kind of yeah, that 781 00:44:43.000 --> 00:44:45.400 actually was a better plan that they had. You know, 782 00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:48.679 they had us in the pre pre position targeting, so 783 00:44:51.280 --> 00:44:54.960 you know, the mortars started raining on us, and I'm 784 00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:58.159 standing up there looking idiot like trying to watch the show, 785 00:44:58.360 --> 00:45:01.559 and the mortar lane in the next to the vehicle 786 00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:04.039 in front of me, my tune commanders, and I see 787 00:45:04.119 --> 00:45:06.639 him drop down. All of a sudden, I think he 788 00:45:06.719 --> 00:45:11.280 got hit and it flattened all four of the tires 789 00:45:11.320 --> 00:45:14.320 on the right side of that lav But it didn't 790 00:45:14.320 --> 00:45:17.800 disable it in any form with the run flats. 791 00:45:17.440 --> 00:45:21.639 And we we backed it up rapidly. 792 00:45:21.719 --> 00:45:24.880 We all backed up and went under the bridge that 793 00:45:25.679 --> 00:45:27.760 was there, so you know, we had protection from the 794 00:45:27.800 --> 00:45:33.840 mortars raining down and we jumped out the back and 795 00:45:33.880 --> 00:45:36.280 then the scouts in the back of the vehicle in 796 00:45:36.280 --> 00:45:38.039 front of us jumped out and it was like a 797 00:45:38.239 --> 00:45:42.840 NASCAR pit crew tire change because they have you know, 798 00:45:42.920 --> 00:45:45.239 aar hos as you can run out the driver's hatch 799 00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:49.840 with the air guns, and every vehicle had two spare tires, 800 00:45:49.840 --> 00:45:51.760 so we we swapped out. 801 00:45:51.639 --> 00:45:55.840 Those tires so fast and then that was the end 802 00:45:55.880 --> 00:45:57.960 of it. We split. We didn't ever go back to 803 00:45:58.039 --> 00:46:00.320 fight them. I don't know who went to go fight them. 804 00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:01.480 Wherever we go. 805 00:46:01.559 --> 00:46:04.440 We went up to Dewanea, although we went to Nazabia 806 00:46:05.199 --> 00:46:09.960 right after the big Battle of Nazabrea, like twelve hours 807 00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:10.840 after something. 808 00:46:10.880 --> 00:46:12.480 It was dead dudes everywhere. 809 00:46:13.039 --> 00:46:15.440 We went to the two bridges by the little military 810 00:46:15.480 --> 00:46:19.000 base where they had a pretty heavy firefight all night. 811 00:46:19.039 --> 00:46:24.719 There were you know, unexploded ordnance mortars sticking out of 812 00:46:24.719 --> 00:46:27.079 the dirt and all kinds of like you just didn't 813 00:46:27.119 --> 00:46:29.079 want to mess with anything because you didn't you know, 814 00:46:29.320 --> 00:46:33.239 I actually kick something to blow yourself up, and that 815 00:46:33.440 --> 00:46:37.760 was an experience. But we didn't get into any gunfights there. 816 00:46:41.000 --> 00:46:44.280 We ended up going to Dewonea and then you know, 817 00:46:44.360 --> 00:46:47.440 the war, like most of the combat sort of fizzled 818 00:46:47.440 --> 00:46:50.239 out pretty quickly because the regime fell. Then it switched 819 00:46:50.239 --> 00:46:53.360 to the let's hunt for Saddam. 820 00:46:53.400 --> 00:46:54.599 We did have a day where we. 821 00:46:54.599 --> 00:47:01.559 Drove out to the southwestern border of Iraq and went 822 00:47:01.639 --> 00:47:05.480 to a cool it's like an ancient town. They did 823 00:47:05.519 --> 00:47:07.800 have some sort of factory there that we didn't go into, 824 00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:09.599 but we went into the town. There was a base 825 00:47:09.639 --> 00:47:14.519 there and it looked like like a medieval four like 826 00:47:14.840 --> 00:47:17.760 something from Lawrence of Arabia, because it had it was 827 00:47:18.159 --> 00:47:20.840 in a square shape. It had a walkway along the 828 00:47:20.880 --> 00:47:23.440 top where you could fire from, and it had parapets 829 00:47:23.800 --> 00:47:26.440 on each corner, and it had the thick stone walls. 830 00:47:26.840 --> 00:47:30.639 They reminded me of being in Europe and the castles 831 00:47:30.679 --> 00:47:34.039 where where they're angled and you can fire your bows 832 00:47:34.159 --> 00:47:36.599 or right muskets out of them, but it's harder for 833 00:47:36.639 --> 00:47:37.400 them to shoot you. 834 00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:39.199 And then they had. 835 00:47:39.280 --> 00:47:42.760 A radio room in there that was cool because it 836 00:47:42.840 --> 00:47:48.920 was a fully operational Soviet radio equipment and old school 837 00:47:48.960 --> 00:47:54.199 like vacuum tubes, you know, vacuum tube, I mean just 838 00:47:54.519 --> 00:47:57.239 old and it worked. It all worked. It's crazy. 839 00:47:57.559 --> 00:47:59.880 But the place was deserted, like they saw us coming 840 00:48:00.039 --> 00:48:04.199 and they split and uh so we stayed in that town. 841 00:48:04.360 --> 00:48:08.480 We drove around, we checked out another spot. We stayed 842 00:48:08.519 --> 00:48:12.719 maybe an hour. I did see the tru one of 843 00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:15.119 the prettiest girls I've ever seen in my life down there, 844 00:48:15.320 --> 00:48:17.679 the prettiest eyes. Like, you know, all you're seeing is 845 00:48:17.719 --> 00:48:18.119 the face. 846 00:48:18.280 --> 00:48:20.760 It's funny on that stands out in your mind from 847 00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:21.360 the deployment. 848 00:48:21.360 --> 00:48:25.079 Well, like I'm in the top of this giant fourteen 849 00:48:25.119 --> 00:48:29.280 ton vehicle and we drove past her house and there's 850 00:48:29.320 --> 00:48:32.639 maybe you know, an eight foot wall and she's in 851 00:48:32.719 --> 00:48:35.599 the yard and you know, she's covered but her face. 852 00:48:35.599 --> 00:48:37.199 You know, I could see your eyes and your face 853 00:48:37.719 --> 00:48:40.599 and she's looking up like what the what's you know? 854 00:48:40.679 --> 00:48:45.639 And and you know, probably don't know same age as us, 855 00:48:45.719 --> 00:48:50.039 you know, eighteen nineteen twenty. I was like they called 856 00:48:50.039 --> 00:48:51.519 the granks because I was twenty five. 857 00:48:51.599 --> 00:48:56.480 But yeah, but but yeah, like these are little things 858 00:48:56.480 --> 00:49:03.599 that you that stick out, so little adventures in between 859 00:49:03.679 --> 00:49:07.920 but no real they didn't have any gunfights. A lot 860 00:49:07.960 --> 00:49:09.679 of guys got sick. We used to call it the 861 00:49:09.719 --> 00:49:13.320 ship parts because they had us taken a doxy every day. Yeah, 862 00:49:13.480 --> 00:49:15.800 and then we had the two pam and the atropine. 863 00:49:16.000 --> 00:49:20.519 We we weread our mock gear for the invasion. H 864 00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:23.920 everything at first, and then we chucked the giant rubber 865 00:49:24.119 --> 00:49:28.840 boot covers. But I have to say that mock your 866 00:49:28.920 --> 00:49:32.320 works because we were funky after not bathing for about 867 00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:35.719 two months. I mean, but you couldn't really tell unless 868 00:49:35.760 --> 00:49:37.280 you had to use the bathroom or something. 869 00:49:37.360 --> 00:49:39.519 You just done zipped and you know. 870 00:49:39.800 --> 00:49:41.320 It really locks in the flavor. 871 00:49:43.079 --> 00:49:46.840 Yeah, we were marinating for sure, and those things. Uh 872 00:49:46.960 --> 00:49:53.159 so yeah, that was you know, like, uh, we stopped 873 00:49:53.199 --> 00:49:55.440 a lot. We had to wait for fuel a lot. 874 00:49:55.639 --> 00:49:59.440 That's how fast we moved. We had to wait for 875 00:49:59.559 --> 00:50:02.719 chow food. I lost a lot of weight. 876 00:50:02.800 --> 00:50:05.159 I lost about twenty five pounds in one month because 877 00:50:05.199 --> 00:50:09.360 we were eating one MRI day and we had so. 878 00:50:09.280 --> 00:50:10.199 You'd split it up. 879 00:50:10.280 --> 00:50:13.800 You know, you didn't even save like the little creamer 880 00:50:13.880 --> 00:50:14.760 packets and stuff. 881 00:50:14.760 --> 00:50:16.199 You dumped that in your mouth. 882 00:50:16.199 --> 00:50:21.159 There's any calories you could get the humanitarian rations disappeared 883 00:50:21.239 --> 00:50:21.760 right away. 884 00:50:22.840 --> 00:50:24.519 I feel cheated because I didn't. 885 00:50:24.519 --> 00:50:27.039 That was you know, like we're not supposed to eat 886 00:50:27.079 --> 00:50:29.519 those I won't eat them, but looking back, I'm like, 887 00:50:29.679 --> 00:50:35.719 might as well have somebody ate them. And so I 888 00:50:35.800 --> 00:50:40.400 lost twenty five pounds. You know, we didn't get much sleep. 889 00:50:41.360 --> 00:50:45.239 Maybe I'm this is not exaggerating. Maybe two three hours 890 00:50:45.320 --> 00:50:47.559 total in the twenty four hour period, but like little 891 00:50:47.599 --> 00:50:48.280 cat naps. 892 00:50:48.760 --> 00:50:50.840 It was kind of crazy. But you know, you get 893 00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:52.480 used to it. You know, you. 894 00:50:53.320 --> 00:50:55.079 Don't want to fall asleep because you don't want to 895 00:50:55.079 --> 00:50:59.960 get snuck up on. So it was quite the experience. 896 00:51:00.199 --> 00:51:03.880 Yeah, yeah, And then how did redeployment back to the 897 00:51:03.960 --> 00:51:04.679 United States go? 898 00:51:07.079 --> 00:51:10.960 Well, uh, we went back down to Kuwait. 899 00:51:11.320 --> 00:51:15.679 We drove back down to Kuwait, and when we got there, 900 00:51:16.400 --> 00:51:21.119 we had to turn in gear and do all that 901 00:51:21.159 --> 00:51:24.960 sort of stuff, and it went pretty fast. Joe Maddis 902 00:51:25.039 --> 00:51:28.679 came out, he was there. He's a two star at 903 00:51:28.679 --> 00:51:30.960 the time. It's the first time I met him, and 904 00:51:31.239 --> 00:51:37.840 he use he would say, I say, say good job, 905 00:51:37.960 --> 00:51:42.400 and you know, thanks, and you know, just say hi 906 00:51:42.440 --> 00:51:46.360 to all the units that were rotating back. So we 907 00:51:46.360 --> 00:51:50.719 we Uh, it didn't take long. I think we were 908 00:51:50.719 --> 00:51:53.159 back in the US. We were one of the early 909 00:51:53.559 --> 00:51:55.639 units to come back. I think it was back in 910 00:51:56.480 --> 00:52:00.400 by by the end of June or something. You know, 911 00:52:00.440 --> 00:52:03.599 it was four four and a half months we were there, 912 00:52:03.679 --> 00:52:06.119 and then all of a sudden, we're back and we're 913 00:52:06.159 --> 00:52:10.800 all wild, and so we get off the plane which 914 00:52:10.880 --> 00:52:15.360 landed at March Air Force Base in southern California, and 915 00:52:15.400 --> 00:52:19.000 they had big, you know, just a very nice welcome 916 00:52:19.199 --> 00:52:22.920 fire trucks with their hoses gone and people cheering us on. 917 00:52:23.159 --> 00:52:29.360 People were, you know, real patriotic those years after nine 918 00:52:29.360 --> 00:52:32.440 to eleven when we America came together. 919 00:52:34.400 --> 00:52:34.920 And then we. 920 00:52:34.880 --> 00:52:37.920 Drove in buses back to twenty nine Palms and they 921 00:52:37.920 --> 00:52:40.239 had a girlfriend who. 922 00:52:41.840 --> 00:52:44.599 I'd met when we were doing security at Caadena. 923 00:52:45.639 --> 00:52:48.039 She used to fly air metabac for the Air Force 924 00:52:48.280 --> 00:52:52.719 and she had been transferred to Edward's Air Force Base. 925 00:52:52.800 --> 00:52:57.239 So we had been dating for the whole workup two 926 00:52:57.280 --> 00:53:00.920 to three and then she was there to see me 927 00:53:01.039 --> 00:53:03.519 get off the bus. And that was a strange feeling 928 00:53:06.159 --> 00:53:09.679 leaving my Marines, like you know, their families that they 929 00:53:10.159 --> 00:53:14.000 were there to see them, and then you know, we 930 00:53:14.079 --> 00:53:18.599 just we immediately get thirty days to leave and so 931 00:53:20.239 --> 00:53:25.440 that first evening home was strange for me. We went 932 00:53:25.480 --> 00:53:27.800 out intown, we got a place in town in state, 933 00:53:27.920 --> 00:53:34.760 and I felt really uncomfortable and awkward, you know, being 934 00:53:34.800 --> 00:53:37.480 around this girl that I knew very well. I just 935 00:53:37.519 --> 00:53:41.000 felt almost unsafe, like I just wanted to go back 936 00:53:41.039 --> 00:53:42.199 and be with my Marines. 937 00:53:42.800 --> 00:53:44.840 You know. It was weird adjustment. 938 00:53:46.199 --> 00:53:48.519 It was so fast, like you know, like back in 939 00:53:48.559 --> 00:53:51.639 the day when the when the Marines from World War 940 00:53:51.679 --> 00:53:53.760 two or career or something, we'd get on a boat 941 00:53:53.760 --> 00:53:55.880 and you'd have a month or two right right then 942 00:53:56.159 --> 00:53:58.719 and then you know, take a train or whatever you did, 943 00:53:58.760 --> 00:54:03.159 you'd got some time. So you know, I had a 944 00:54:03.159 --> 00:54:05.400 month of leave went by real fast, and as soon 945 00:54:05.440 --> 00:54:10.519 as I came back, I immediately they finally, my command 946 00:54:11.320 --> 00:54:14.599 let me take the recon screening, which I had taken 947 00:54:14.679 --> 00:54:16.920 before on a ninety six, which is like a four 948 00:54:17.000 --> 00:54:20.480 day long weekend that they'll give a unit every once 949 00:54:20.480 --> 00:54:24.119 in a while, and got yelled at by my opportune 950 00:54:24.119 --> 00:54:28.719 commander at the time for not asking permission. I was like, sir, 951 00:54:29.559 --> 00:54:32.400 was my day off. But he was kind of he 952 00:54:32.519 --> 00:54:36.559 was annoyed because you know, Vicon was calling trying to 953 00:54:36.559 --> 00:54:38.960 get him to cut orders for me to go train. 954 00:54:39.440 --> 00:54:41.559 So they finally let me go. You know, I took 955 00:54:41.599 --> 00:54:46.960 the screening again and pass again and immediately got orders 956 00:54:47.000 --> 00:54:50.760 to re Basic Connaissance Course, which was at the time 957 00:54:50.840 --> 00:54:54.360 in August of two thousand and three we were It 958 00:54:54.480 --> 00:54:58.440 was run by the Battalion and it was on Penalton 959 00:54:58.800 --> 00:55:01.440 and at the time recon was at Camp Margarita by 960 00:55:01.440 --> 00:55:05.519 the airfield on main side. And that was a gut 961 00:55:05.599 --> 00:55:09.280 check because I was always in pretty good shape and 962 00:55:10.440 --> 00:55:14.480 I've been through some tough courses, uh, you know, like 963 00:55:14.519 --> 00:55:17.199 the Marine Corps Martial Arts course put the Marine Corps, 964 00:55:17.679 --> 00:55:20.400 the Marine Combat Instructor of Water Survival course. That one, 965 00:55:20.559 --> 00:55:22.320 I got to say that for me was harder than 966 00:55:22.320 --> 00:55:25.039 the income. But but it was the first time I 967 00:55:25.159 --> 00:55:31.039 was with guys that were just the next level of fitness, 968 00:55:31.840 --> 00:55:37.400 and the instructors they had were just freaks. I just 969 00:55:37.519 --> 00:55:39.880 remember the first run we did at four am on 970 00:55:39.920 --> 00:55:41.840 the first day. It was the boots and youths like 971 00:55:41.920 --> 00:55:45.920 you know, gaming pants and the boots and we ran 972 00:55:46.039 --> 00:55:49.559 up the backside of the peak at Market Rita. And 973 00:55:49.599 --> 00:55:53.559 it's a short run hows or so, but all uphill 974 00:55:53.599 --> 00:55:56.480 to the very very end. And that's short downhill in 975 00:55:56.519 --> 00:56:01.760 your back at the at the you know, our compound 976 00:56:02.559 --> 00:56:08.920 or that the first time I falling out of a run, 977 00:56:08.960 --> 00:56:10.800 and by fallout of me not be able to keep 978 00:56:10.880 --> 00:56:12.880 up with the people in the front. I was somewhere 979 00:56:12.880 --> 00:56:15.840 in the middle of the pack. The guys were strewn out, 980 00:56:16.000 --> 00:56:19.400 probably half a mile because the guy they had take 981 00:56:19.480 --> 00:56:21.719 us on that run, he was just a I think 982 00:56:22.519 --> 00:56:25.519 probably slick like in pt shorts and running shoes. He 983 00:56:25.519 --> 00:56:28.159 could probably run fourteen and a half minute three miles 984 00:56:28.239 --> 00:56:34.119 or something. He was a freak, just just a phenomenal runner. 985 00:56:34.239 --> 00:56:37.000 And he took off like a bat out of hill, 986 00:56:37.800 --> 00:56:40.519 and I thought, I thought, he's just going to sprint 987 00:56:40.559 --> 00:56:42.199 for a little bit. He's just playing some of mind 988 00:56:42.280 --> 00:56:46.079 games and it yeah, he's going to slow down over here. Nope, No, 989 00:56:46.320 --> 00:56:48.159 it was like a For me, it felt like a 990 00:56:48.199 --> 00:56:50.960 sprint because I'm a big dude. Like at the time, 991 00:56:51.000 --> 00:56:57.639 I was well probably two ten or something like that, 992 00:56:57.960 --> 00:57:01.719 still getting my meat back on my bones from the invasion. 993 00:57:01.880 --> 00:57:06.239 So but I can still run like three miles in 994 00:57:06.519 --> 00:57:08.639 eighteen and a half minutes, which is pretty good for 995 00:57:08.719 --> 00:57:10.039 a bigger dude. 996 00:57:09.840 --> 00:57:14.079 Six foot three. But now I wasn't fast enough to 997 00:57:14.559 --> 00:57:18.519 keep up at all, and so that was rough. Four weeks. 998 00:57:18.599 --> 00:57:24.280 That was like eat sleep study. That's it, Eat sleep study. 999 00:57:25.880 --> 00:57:26.559 And then. 1000 00:57:28.000 --> 00:57:31.960 You know, when you weren't getting thrashed, you know, all 1001 00:57:32.000 --> 00:57:34.440 over the base all day long and all night long. 1002 00:57:34.880 --> 00:57:36.440 I mean you just said it. You learn to just 1003 00:57:36.519 --> 00:57:40.199 be miserable and focus on whatever the next thing you 1004 00:57:40.239 --> 00:57:42.079 had to do was, rather than the whole picture. 1005 00:57:42.079 --> 00:57:42.599 Because there was. 1006 00:57:42.519 --> 00:57:44.760 Times I wanted to throw myself down the mountain, break 1007 00:57:44.760 --> 00:57:46.360 my leg because I knew I could get a rest, 1008 00:57:46.639 --> 00:57:48.239 But then I knew I'd have to go back through, 1009 00:57:48.639 --> 00:57:49.280 so I did. 1010 00:57:49.360 --> 00:57:52.199 But this isn't the in doc, this isn't the selection. 1011 00:57:52.320 --> 00:57:54.360 This is actually the basic Reconnaissance course. 1012 00:57:55.599 --> 00:58:01.280 Yeah, but they called it three Basic Reconnaissance. You passed 1013 00:58:01.280 --> 00:58:06.119 this four weeks, then you're ready for the Basic Reconnaissance 1014 00:58:06.159 --> 00:58:10.039 course down on Coronado at the time and Expeditionary Warfare 1015 00:58:10.400 --> 00:58:15.039 Training Group Pacific. So you know, I think they've improved 1016 00:58:15.079 --> 00:58:17.960 on the science of like training people up. But back 1017 00:58:18.000 --> 00:58:20.679 then it was just a gig in tour felt like 1018 00:58:20.719 --> 00:58:25.119 a haze fast smoke fest. Yeah. Man, it was rough, 1019 00:58:25.760 --> 00:58:29.199 and but it did. It got you. We were ready. 1020 00:58:29.320 --> 00:58:33.000 I mean, I graduated, that got orders, went down to 1021 00:58:33.440 --> 00:58:41.000 Coronado and and then uh, that was that was That 1022 00:58:41.159 --> 00:58:43.800 was tough, but it was also it also could be 1023 00:58:43.840 --> 00:58:45.880 a lot of fun at times. And because they had 1024 00:58:45.960 --> 00:58:52.159 prepared us physically so well that that part was certainly 1025 00:58:52.639 --> 00:58:56.519 like it could crush you, but it was you just 1026 00:58:56.599 --> 00:58:59.599 knew you're gonna be all right. Yeah, but a lot 1027 00:58:59.639 --> 00:59:01.719 of guys quit, and a lot of guys who quit 1028 00:59:01.760 --> 00:59:03.639 were the guys that you thought would never quit. I 1029 00:59:03.719 --> 00:59:06.880 just the term for them is Gazelle's. Things come easy 1030 00:59:06.960 --> 00:59:09.920 to them, yeah, and then the first time things get hard, 1031 00:59:10.000 --> 00:59:12.639 they they're like, oh I can't, this isn't for me, 1032 00:59:13.079 --> 00:59:15.199 or they don't like not being the best, so they 1033 00:59:15.480 --> 00:59:16.840 the ego gets in the way. 1034 00:59:17.679 --> 00:59:20.320 So it was a lot of fun. 1035 00:59:20.639 --> 00:59:24.599 We had a little confrontation with the Buds class once 1036 00:59:25.599 --> 00:59:29.280 our little friendly rivalry that we had going on, and 1037 00:59:30.119 --> 00:59:32.199 I think some of the guys stole their hot One 1038 00:59:32.199 --> 00:59:34.119 of the guys stole one of their hard hats from 1039 00:59:35.159 --> 00:59:38.440 in front of the chow hall because they didn't have 1040 00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:42.079 a gear guard, and the whole the whole class came up. 1041 00:59:42.400 --> 00:59:44.719 I was we had maybe ten minutes before we had 1042 00:59:44.760 --> 00:59:46.559 to get back into the classroom. I was trying to 1043 00:59:46.559 --> 00:59:50.599 take a power in that, ye know, upstairs, and and 1044 00:59:50.639 --> 00:59:52.719 we were just banging on the hatch and Buddy ended 1045 00:59:52.800 --> 00:59:56.239 up mine and I we opened that back door and 1046 00:59:56.719 --> 00:59:58.719 what the hell, Like, I mean just that it was 1047 00:59:58.800 --> 01:00:02.400 jam packed, like like these buds kids, like they were pissed. 1048 01:00:03.039 --> 01:00:03.800 I didn't know anything. 1049 01:00:03.920 --> 01:00:06.360 I had no idea that somebody had taken their heart 1050 01:00:06.400 --> 01:00:10.119 at so we were just defending our territory, like you 1051 01:00:10.159 --> 01:00:13.400 ain't coming in here. And then you know, there's a 1052 01:00:13.400 --> 01:00:16.519 marine in there. He's like, dude, come on, we get 1053 01:00:16.519 --> 01:00:19.719 fucked if we He was going through Buds and he's like, 1054 01:00:20.360 --> 01:00:22.880 you know, this is kind of those they'll you know, 1055 01:00:23.960 --> 01:00:27.400 just having you it back. And I'm like, well, hold on, 1056 01:00:27.639 --> 01:00:29.800 don't come in here. And I go and I'm like, 1057 01:00:29.840 --> 01:00:32.960 which one are you bastards? You know, kind of laughing, 1058 01:00:33.239 --> 01:00:35.519 you know, but like come on, man, we're gonna get 1059 01:00:35.519 --> 01:00:36.000 in trouble. 1060 01:00:36.880 --> 01:00:39.159 Uh. And they gave it back to him. And that 1061 01:00:39.320 --> 01:00:43.079 was that I feel. I feel bad because I had 1062 01:00:43.079 --> 01:00:46.679 a lot of seal buddies like fuck, you know, but 1063 01:00:47.920 --> 01:00:50.840 you know, no harm, no foul, And that was to 1064 01:00:50.920 --> 01:00:54.119 me really exciting because I was doing I'm like, I'm 1065 01:00:54.320 --> 01:00:56.559 really in recon. 1066 01:00:56.360 --> 01:00:58.519 Training, you know, yeah, like the stuff, the stuff you 1067 01:00:58.599 --> 01:00:59.639 read about in the books. 1068 01:01:00.119 --> 01:01:02.800 Yeah, we're running up and down the strand, you know 1069 01:01:02.920 --> 01:01:07.840 in Cornado, we're fitting like the buds classes are running 1070 01:01:07.920 --> 01:01:09.000 by us with their boats. 1071 01:01:09.000 --> 01:01:13.440 We're we're running by with our F four seventy zodiacs. 1072 01:01:13.480 --> 01:01:16.000 Just I'm tall, so I was always like, keep on 1073 01:01:16.000 --> 01:01:18.239 the man. You guys aren't like I got short guys 1074 01:01:18.239 --> 01:01:23.039 in my team. I'm like, retire And it was fun. 1075 01:01:23.719 --> 01:01:26.840 It was hard, but it was just you know, when 1076 01:01:26.840 --> 01:01:29.920 you're doing something that you love, it takes that chore 1077 01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:30.559 out of it. 1078 01:01:30.679 --> 01:01:34.559 And that's I loved it. It was just siver rewarding. 1079 01:01:35.119 --> 01:01:36.320 I made it. Graduated. 1080 01:01:38.360 --> 01:01:41.320 So which recon platoon did you get assigned to? 1081 01:01:42.880 --> 01:01:46.599 I got assigned to second patuone in Bravo Company, First 1082 01:01:46.599 --> 01:01:47.480 three com Battalion. 1083 01:01:48.599 --> 01:01:51.719 Is that that back at twenty nine poems No. 1084 01:01:52.840 --> 01:01:56.079 First three com Battalions at Camp Pendleton on the West Coastry, 1085 01:01:56.679 --> 01:02:00.800 So all of our companies are out there too, and 1086 01:02:01.119 --> 01:02:07.239 we so back at Margarita and it's the platoon that 1087 01:02:07.440 --> 01:02:10.280 was on the MEU and it's also the platoon that 1088 01:02:10.679 --> 01:02:14.679 during the invasion was featured in uh Evan Wright's book 1089 01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:19.639 Generation Kill and then that HBO UH docu series and 1090 01:02:19.719 --> 01:02:25.039 I haven't seen it. I can't watch it, Like I'm. 1091 01:02:24.840 --> 01:02:29.079 Like, come on, we don't look the best. Uh, But. 1092 01:02:31.320 --> 01:02:33.800 It was kind of cool. Rudy Ray has played himself. 1093 01:02:34.440 --> 01:02:37.559 I didn't like him for a while when I was 1094 01:02:37.639 --> 01:02:40.239 first at the unit, but like now we're just you know, 1095 01:02:40.599 --> 01:02:42.079 he grows on your brothers. 1096 01:02:42.599 --> 01:02:47.360 Uh dude, Well we all evolved, you know, myself included, 1097 01:02:47.400 --> 01:02:52.199 and you know that. 1098 01:02:52.599 --> 01:02:58.440 Uh, that unit at the time was real tight and 1099 01:02:58.480 --> 01:03:01.159 I'm and and you know first Yukon still is. But 1100 01:03:01.280 --> 01:03:05.159 we were a collection of guys that had time and 1101 01:03:05.360 --> 01:03:08.400 peace to go to schools and to get in shape 1102 01:03:08.440 --> 01:03:10.719 and to train and work together in jail as a 1103 01:03:10.840 --> 01:03:15.960 unit for the most part. I mean there's people like 1104 01:03:16.039 --> 01:03:19.519 me who just gets I just get to report. Let's see, 1105 01:03:19.519 --> 01:03:25.159 I graduated BRC late November and I reported to the 1106 01:03:25.239 --> 01:03:28.719 unit and they put me in a second between Bravo Company. 1107 01:03:29.480 --> 01:03:30.679 And they're the guys that. 1108 01:03:32.719 --> 01:03:35.599 You know that like all these guys in the cam Marines, 1109 01:03:35.639 --> 01:03:38.760 they were in the invasion too, so myself and a 1110 01:03:38.760 --> 01:03:40.880 lot of the guys had combat experience. But there were 1111 01:03:40.920 --> 01:03:43.599 some guys that you know, knew to the unit who 1112 01:03:43.639 --> 01:03:46.280 didn't have any combat experience, even guys senior to me, 1113 01:03:46.559 --> 01:03:50.320 So that gave me a little bit of street credits. 1114 01:03:50.360 --> 01:03:54.800 I didn't get messed with. And I had some buddies 1115 01:03:54.840 --> 01:03:56.960 that went to boot camp with in School of Infantry 1116 01:03:56.960 --> 01:03:59.559 who were at the unit, and I just they vouched 1117 01:03:59.559 --> 01:04:01.360 for me. Some nobody really messed with me, and then 1118 01:04:01.400 --> 01:04:03.599 I never screwed up, so I never had a reason 1119 01:04:03.639 --> 01:04:07.719 to have anybody yell at me or anything. I was 1120 01:04:07.760 --> 01:04:10.280 pretty good at staying out of trouble at that point. 1121 01:04:10.639 --> 01:04:13.360 So we had just. 1122 01:04:13.320 --> 01:04:16.159 A short workup two months before we were back in Kuwait, 1123 01:04:16.639 --> 01:04:20.000 and then that two months maybe, yeah, we were back 1124 01:04:20.039 --> 01:04:23.800 in February, so that two and a half months or 1125 01:04:23.840 --> 01:04:26.000 something like that. I was supposed to go to serial 1126 01:04:26.039 --> 01:04:30.320 school after recon school, but I got into a little uh. 1127 01:04:31.400 --> 01:04:33.280 I was trying to get these dudes off. We were 1128 01:04:33.320 --> 01:04:36.000 at the gas lamp in downtown San Diego having a 1129 01:04:36.000 --> 01:04:40.119 good time and we stayed till the bars closed because 1130 01:04:41.159 --> 01:04:43.199 my buddy's wife worked at one of them and she 1131 01:04:43.320 --> 01:04:45.840 was driving us all home. Well, we were you know, 1132 01:04:46.039 --> 01:04:48.519 mass exit us out of the bars everybody's in the streets, 1133 01:04:48.559 --> 01:04:51.320 and some guys were like grab assing on her, and 1134 01:04:51.360 --> 01:04:54.599 I this is never break up a fight unless you 1135 01:04:54.639 --> 01:04:57.280 want to get into a fight. So like I'm like, 1136 01:04:57.360 --> 01:05:01.599 come on, guys, and u there's four of them and 1137 01:05:01.199 --> 01:05:03.880 they all like assembled in front of me, like they're 1138 01:05:03.880 --> 01:05:07.119 gonna with my ass. And I was like in a 1139 01:05:07.159 --> 01:05:09.840 good mood, you know, like I'm not trying to fight anybody. 1140 01:05:09.840 --> 01:05:11.760 We don't have anything to prove. We're just having a 1141 01:05:11.760 --> 01:05:14.840 good time. And so I put my backup against the 1142 01:05:14.880 --> 01:05:18.760 wall and I'm like looking at them and like they're 1143 01:05:18.800 --> 01:05:21.679 just you know, making a bunch of noise and jumping 1144 01:05:21.679 --> 01:05:24.480 around like talking trash. But I'm kind of ignoring them. 1145 01:05:25.000 --> 01:05:28.320 And man, some one of them was a straggler, so 1146 01:05:28.360 --> 01:05:31.719 he ran up from behind and broke my jaw and uh, 1147 01:05:32.039 --> 01:05:34.800 my head bounced off the wall and I went down 1148 01:05:34.920 --> 01:05:35.880 like a sack of potatoes. 1149 01:05:35.920 --> 01:05:39.000 But I popped right back up. Uh you know, just 1150 01:05:40.039 --> 01:05:41.840 down and back up. But I was a little like 1151 01:05:41.960 --> 01:05:46.559 whoa and damn, and I go, what the fuck was that? 1152 01:05:46.679 --> 01:05:50.519 And those guys were like running away all together at 1153 01:05:50.519 --> 01:05:54.760 that point. Uh, like they got one licking and ran 1154 01:05:54.840 --> 01:05:59.280 off and as they're running off talking trash. They're like that, damn, 1155 01:05:59.639 --> 01:06:01.480 you just got to suck a punch, and I'm like, well, 1156 01:06:01.559 --> 01:06:04.800 no shit, that motherfucker got me good. So I had 1157 01:06:04.840 --> 01:06:09.039 to go get staples in my head at Balboa and 1158 01:06:09.159 --> 01:06:12.960 so don't harm, no foul back of the unit, back training, 1159 01:06:13.400 --> 01:06:17.360 but I was supposed to report into see your school 1160 01:06:17.360 --> 01:06:20.039 with the rest of the guys. Two weeks after that, 1161 01:06:20.519 --> 01:06:23.760 my jaw kept hurting and I thought I had like 1162 01:06:23.760 --> 01:06:26.599 a bold muscle or something. I didn't know what it was, 1163 01:06:26.639 --> 01:06:28.920 torn living in I thought. So I finally went to 1164 01:06:29.000 --> 01:06:31.239 the battalion aid station and told him, and then they 1165 01:06:31.280 --> 01:06:33.360 sent me down to the hospital. I got X rays, 1166 01:06:33.400 --> 01:06:35.760 and then I went back to the field and I 1167 01:06:35.880 --> 01:06:37.280 was back at work, and then all of a sudden, 1168 01:06:37.320 --> 01:06:40.519 somebody's you know, they're asking for me to hurry up 1169 01:06:40.559 --> 01:06:42.320 and get back to the battalion aid station. So I 1170 01:06:42.400 --> 01:06:46.280 go down there and they tell me your jaws broken. 1171 01:06:46.280 --> 01:06:49.320 You're right, condos fractured, you can't be moving your jaw, 1172 01:06:49.400 --> 01:06:50.599 stop talking, and I'm like. 1173 01:06:50.639 --> 01:06:53.079 Well, it's two I mean, it's been two weeks. You know. 1174 01:06:53.119 --> 01:06:56.119 I've been trying to eat soft food like I ate. 1175 01:06:58.320 --> 01:06:59.960 I was like, damn, it, you know, because we were 1176 01:07:00.159 --> 01:07:01.360 in the work up. We knew we were going to 1177 01:07:01.440 --> 01:07:06.400 deploy again, and they said, well, they told me that 1178 01:07:06.519 --> 01:07:10.039 at the aid station. So I went back and uh, 1179 01:07:10.719 --> 01:07:13.760 I found my two sergeant. We were still in the field. 1180 01:07:14.159 --> 01:07:15.920 I go up to him and I'm like, hey, gunny. 1181 01:07:16.719 --> 01:07:20.760 Uh they told me my jaw is broken. And he 1182 01:07:20.800 --> 01:07:23.079 looks at me and he says to me. He goes, well, 1183 01:07:23.159 --> 01:07:26.239 can you still deploy? And I go yeah, he said 1184 01:07:26.280 --> 01:07:28.599 all right, and we just went back to work. 1185 01:07:28.920 --> 01:07:33.159 That was it, and yeah, this Man's club, I fucking 1186 01:07:33.239 --> 01:07:33.800 love it here. 1187 01:07:34.239 --> 01:07:36.719 This is right, But it healed up. I just said 1188 01:07:36.760 --> 01:07:39.800 to be careful. So I didn't go to see your 1189 01:07:39.800 --> 01:07:41.880 school because they would have snapped the begs out of me. 1190 01:07:42.039 --> 01:07:43.559 Yeah, that wouldn't have been good with your jaw. 1191 01:07:44.920 --> 01:07:47.679 They've ruptured one of my buddies that was in b 1192 01:07:47.840 --> 01:07:50.159 r C with They've ruptured his ear drum. But I 1193 01:07:50.239 --> 01:07:55.360 could see him being a mouthy guy, you know. I 1194 01:07:55.400 --> 01:07:57.320 mean I was like, oh, I could see that. Why 1195 01:07:57.360 --> 01:08:01.880 they might slap the bejeez out of that guy especially, So, yeah, 1196 01:08:01.920 --> 01:08:03.400 they would have messed me up probably. 1197 01:08:05.079 --> 01:08:08.760 So they sent me to an Arabic linguist course. With 1198 01:08:08.840 --> 01:08:11.400 some of the guys. So every day for a month straight, 1199 01:08:11.519 --> 01:08:15.119 I just sat and learned Arabic. I actually enjoyed that 1200 01:08:15.159 --> 01:08:17.560 because I realized how much it could help me because 1201 01:08:17.600 --> 01:08:20.720 in the invasion it gave us these little cards with 1202 01:08:21.479 --> 01:08:24.560 like English and Arabic, and you would show up to 1203 01:08:24.600 --> 01:08:27.159 them and either they pretended they couldn't read, or they 1204 01:08:27.199 --> 01:08:28.119 probably didn't. 1205 01:08:27.840 --> 01:08:29.680 Know how to read. A lot of these guys like 1206 01:08:29.720 --> 01:08:33.399 in the middle of nowhere, but like our pronunciation was horrible. 1207 01:08:33.479 --> 01:08:35.880 I realized after doing that course, I'm like, no, wonder 1208 01:08:35.920 --> 01:08:38.000 they didn't understand what the hell I was trying to say, 1209 01:08:38.399 --> 01:08:41.279 you know, like just must have sounded like gibberish. 1210 01:08:42.199 --> 01:08:43.680 So that was cool. 1211 01:08:43.720 --> 01:08:47.079 And then we immediately went back. I mean it felt 1212 01:08:47.159 --> 01:08:50.319 just like I was. I'm like, I'm already back less 1213 01:08:50.319 --> 01:08:54.039 than a year. Wow, yeah, quick turnaround. And so where 1214 01:08:54.079 --> 01:08:56.239 did you get to ployed the second time? And what 1215 01:08:56.319 --> 01:08:59.560 was the mission? Well, the second time, we went up 1216 01:08:59.560 --> 01:09:02.439 to the end our province and we went up to Fallujah. 1217 01:09:03.279 --> 01:09:07.520 And as we drove up from Kuwait, I started to 1218 01:09:07.520 --> 01:09:09.840 get more and more of a different vibe in the 1219 01:09:10.000 --> 01:09:14.800 environment because during the invasion we'd run into a lot 1220 01:09:14.880 --> 01:09:18.439 of people that were cheering for us and thumbs up, 1221 01:09:18.479 --> 01:09:21.680 and they'd say things like push number one and and 1222 01:09:21.680 --> 01:09:27.359 and it seemed more welcoming and less shady. But when 1223 01:09:27.399 --> 01:09:31.359 we got to Fallujah, they were not hiding the fact 1224 01:09:31.359 --> 01:09:33.640 that they did not like us. And I think at 1225 01:09:33.680 --> 01:09:35.800 the time the eighty second Airborne had been there for 1226 01:09:35.840 --> 01:09:39.479 about a year, so they were ready to split. We 1227 01:09:39.520 --> 01:09:42.439 reallyave the eighty second. Then they were all pretty cool. 1228 01:09:42.479 --> 01:09:45.520 They were real friendly. So our mission, they told us, 1229 01:09:46.399 --> 01:09:52.439 was to conduct counter rocket and ied ambush of opportunity 1230 01:09:52.600 --> 01:09:57.439 and reconnaissance and surveillance missions, which would mean like they 1231 01:09:57.479 --> 01:10:01.279 put us in hide sights and so much patrolling, but 1232 01:10:01.439 --> 01:10:04.920 just like trying to insert get eyes on and sneak 1233 01:10:04.920 --> 01:10:07.960 around and you know. So, so my team leader and 1234 01:10:07.960 --> 01:10:13.840 I we asked command if we could get map data 1235 01:10:13.840 --> 01:10:17.439 on where they're firing from. Of course they didn't have anything, 1236 01:10:17.479 --> 01:10:20.239 and they gave us maps, but they were air maps, 1237 01:10:20.600 --> 01:10:22.479 one in one hundred thousands, and we were supposed to 1238 01:10:22.520 --> 01:10:24.880 make our patrol routes from these, and it's just like 1239 01:10:25.000 --> 01:10:28.880 what And I just think they didn't have them at 1240 01:10:28.880 --> 01:10:32.880 the time. And just like during the invasion, they passed 1241 01:10:32.880 --> 01:10:36.840 out sappy plates like the body armor and we each 1242 01:10:36.920 --> 01:10:39.600 only got one, so you know, we all put it 1243 01:10:39.640 --> 01:10:44.359 in the front of our flag jacket, you know, like and. 1244 01:10:43.960 --> 01:10:45.159 But so. 1245 01:10:46.880 --> 01:10:49.079 We took a walk and we went to the gun line, 1246 01:10:49.239 --> 01:10:53.319 like the counter battery artillery and then the counter battery 1247 01:10:53.399 --> 01:10:57.159 radars and the already gunline there on Camp Fallusia, and 1248 01:10:57.359 --> 01:11:02.600 went to the counter the d our trailer you know, 1249 01:11:03.359 --> 01:11:08.239 and the counter battery radar guys, and just introduced ourselves, 1250 01:11:08.279 --> 01:11:10.840 said what's up. Said, we were marines with first recond. 1251 01:11:12.079 --> 01:11:14.239 You know, we were wondering if you guys had any 1252 01:11:14.279 --> 01:11:16.600 information or data you can share them where these guys 1253 01:11:16.640 --> 01:11:17.319 are firing from. 1254 01:11:17.399 --> 01:11:21.000 And they're like, sure, come on in, and we combed 1255 01:11:21.039 --> 01:11:22.920 into the back of the trailer. You know. 1256 01:11:22.920 --> 01:11:28.279 They had the screen like in real time, we'll pinpoint 1257 01:11:28.720 --> 01:11:32.560 where the rocket or the mortar is launched from and 1258 01:11:32.600 --> 01:11:34.279 then they can get on the horn and tell the 1259 01:11:34.279 --> 01:11:37.239 gunline put in the right data and they would be 1260 01:11:37.279 --> 01:11:39.840 firing rounds back within thirty seconds or less. 1261 01:11:40.520 --> 01:11:42.920 And they had maps. 1262 01:11:42.960 --> 01:11:45.199 They gave us some one and fifty thousands of maps, 1263 01:11:45.399 --> 01:11:47.600 and we were like sweet, thank you sir. And they 1264 01:11:47.640 --> 01:11:49.359 were out of there, like they were like, yep, here 1265 01:11:49.439 --> 01:11:52.159 you go we're going home. They were stoked and they 1266 01:11:52.159 --> 01:11:54.520 were real cool. They were nice to us and they 1267 01:11:55.920 --> 01:11:57.600 and then when we were in the trailer was some 1268 01:11:57.760 --> 01:12:00.600 rockets came into the base. So we got to see 1269 01:12:00.600 --> 01:12:04.640 the thing in like live real time. You know, the 1270 01:12:04.680 --> 01:12:08.439 little uh little you know map that they have. You know, 1271 01:12:08.479 --> 01:12:12.279 it's backlit and you know, they little things in it 1272 01:12:12.479 --> 01:12:15.439 lights up exactly so that they can drop up ten 1273 01:12:15.479 --> 01:12:19.000 digit affording it to the gun line and they fire back. 1274 01:12:19.640 --> 01:12:21.600 And so then we returned back to the unit. We 1275 01:12:21.640 --> 01:12:24.880 had these maps and we knew where all the mortars 1276 01:12:24.880 --> 01:12:27.239 and the rockets had been fired from, like all the 1277 01:12:27.279 --> 01:12:29.680 different intersections or sides of the roads and all this. 1278 01:12:30.640 --> 01:12:34.920 We go give it to our intel guys, and of 1279 01:12:35.000 --> 01:12:38.000 course they want to take all of it and all 1280 01:12:38.039 --> 01:12:45.520 of our maps from us, and so we gave them 1281 01:12:46.640 --> 01:12:50.319 the maps and the data, but we kept a map 1282 01:12:50.359 --> 01:12:52.960 and we kept the data for ourselves too, you know, 1283 01:12:53.039 --> 01:12:54.399 because we needed it. 1284 01:12:54.760 --> 01:12:59.560 You know, they sometimes it's funny you can bring some 1285 01:12:59.680 --> 01:13:03.720 in from nation to someone in the military and then 1286 01:13:04.920 --> 01:13:08.920 uh it and they'll tell you it's classified. You're like, 1287 01:13:09.079 --> 01:13:11.600 I'm the one that gave it to you. You know, 1288 01:13:11.680 --> 01:13:14.680 that doesn't make any sense. That's just how it is. 1289 01:13:15.479 --> 01:13:21.399 So anyway, we use those to do some planning, and 1290 01:13:21.399 --> 01:13:24.600 they split our teams up into different areas, so you 1291 01:13:24.640 --> 01:13:28.359 had a certain area of responsibility like X number of 1292 01:13:28.800 --> 01:13:33.600 grid squares or you know, square kilometers along the euphrates. 1293 01:13:34.439 --> 01:13:37.439 At first, when I was there on the southwestern side, 1294 01:13:38.439 --> 01:13:42.760 the south from Campaalojah all the way over to the 1295 01:13:42.840 --> 01:13:49.760 Rock asp is where we were operating our teams. While 1296 01:13:49.800 --> 01:13:54.239 I was there, that was pretty exciting. What was I 1297 01:13:54.319 --> 01:14:00.960 gonna say, It'll come back to me. But so then 1298 01:14:01.000 --> 01:14:04.840 I was really doing what I you know, what recom 1299 01:14:04.920 --> 01:14:09.920 marines do. We would get inserted. We well, we get 1300 01:14:09.920 --> 01:14:12.279 a frago a mission like this, this is where your 1301 01:14:12.279 --> 01:14:12.960 team's gonna go. 1302 01:14:13.039 --> 01:14:15.279 This is your a. This is your area for you 1303 01:14:15.359 --> 01:14:16.439 to be responsible for. 1304 01:14:18.039 --> 01:14:21.039 And so make your make your plans, find your hid 1305 01:14:21.159 --> 01:14:24.199 sight you you know, mark out your patrol routes and 1306 01:14:24.239 --> 01:14:27.279 get your pre planning fire positions and these different things 1307 01:14:27.319 --> 01:14:32.720 like that, and uh, you know, rid yourselves out and 1308 01:14:32.760 --> 01:14:35.600 get all ready. And then we'd get inserted. And that 1309 01:14:35.720 --> 01:14:38.319 was an adventure that was I'm like, this is what 1310 01:14:38.359 --> 01:14:42.239 I'm doing, recome doing It was it was pretty it 1311 01:14:42.319 --> 01:14:47.319 was pretty cool, but it was dangerous. We got ah 1312 01:14:47.840 --> 01:14:50.319 every day pretty much, and every night there was rockets 1313 01:14:50.359 --> 01:14:52.960 and mortars hitting the base. And then every time you'd 1314 01:14:52.960 --> 01:14:57.560 be driving through Fallujah, uh you people would take pop 1315 01:14:57.560 --> 01:15:00.359 shots at you. At least or in in the early 1316 01:15:00.439 --> 01:15:02.319 days of the i DS, they were just down them 1317 01:15:02.359 --> 01:15:04.079 and they were trying to hit us with the IDs, 1318 01:15:04.159 --> 01:15:08.680 but fortunately they blow between vehicles or were they bury 1319 01:15:08.760 --> 01:15:12.000 him too deep or something they wouldn't, So we lucked 1320 01:15:12.000 --> 01:15:20.359 out a bunch of times. The the people in Fallujah 1321 01:15:20.520 --> 01:15:23.920 were shocked. The first time we wrote, we drove through 1322 01:15:24.239 --> 01:15:28.319 as a company through the city of Fallujah, like right 1323 01:15:28.359 --> 01:15:32.119 through the main part of downtown, and I remember the 1324 01:15:32.159 --> 01:15:34.720 eighty second had told us on to turnover, like don't 1325 01:15:34.760 --> 01:15:38.399 go here, don't go there, and especially this or that 1326 01:15:38.520 --> 01:15:42.880 time of the day or whatever. We completely disregarded all that. 1327 01:15:43.000 --> 01:15:44.960 We just it's the first thing we did is went 1328 01:15:45.039 --> 01:15:47.760 where they told us not to go to just be like, hey, 1329 01:15:47.760 --> 01:15:53.000 we're here, what's up. And so that really I think 1330 01:15:53.039 --> 01:15:55.800 it caught the caught the people in Fallujah, like the 1331 01:15:55.840 --> 01:15:59.000 fighters in Fallujah, off guard because they didn't expect it. 1332 01:15:59.039 --> 01:16:01.680 So we didn't, you know, we didn't get ambushed or 1333 01:16:01.720 --> 01:16:04.359 anything because they were they didn't think we were going 1334 01:16:04.399 --> 01:16:09.239 to come through, so we made you know, and so 1335 01:16:10.359 --> 01:16:16.239 we made our presence known and and then started doing 1336 01:16:16.279 --> 01:16:21.119 these ambush of opportunity missions, which were pretty successful. 1337 01:16:22.279 --> 01:16:24.640 Were these going after like the water teams that were 1338 01:16:24.680 --> 01:16:25.520 hitting the base. 1339 01:16:26.359 --> 01:16:28.840 Yeah, that's what we were trying to get, or people 1340 01:16:28.840 --> 01:16:34.600 putting in IDs, and. 1341 01:16:36.279 --> 01:16:42.520 So there were there were times we got compromised. 1342 01:16:43.760 --> 01:16:47.319 H It's funny because we had to cross like a 1343 01:16:47.319 --> 01:16:51.079 lot of flat ground and linear danger areas and there 1344 01:16:51.199 --> 01:16:54.039 was just you know, we would only move when they 1345 01:16:54.079 --> 01:16:57.159 turned the generators off at night, and then we try 1346 01:16:57.199 --> 01:16:59.000 to be back at our hindsight by the time they 1347 01:16:59.039 --> 01:17:00.960 turned them on at three four am, so you had 1348 01:17:00.960 --> 01:17:05.159 a little window of opportunity to be out there. And 1349 01:17:05.199 --> 01:17:09.920 we were also doing surveillance, reconnaissance and surveillance, so I 1350 01:17:09.960 --> 01:17:11.880 mean that's sometimes that's tedious work. 1351 01:17:12.000 --> 01:17:14.880 I mean, you're writing down. If you see somebody, you're 1352 01:17:14.880 --> 01:17:17.680 gonna write it down. Describe what were they doing, what 1353 01:17:17.800 --> 01:17:23.000 were they wearing, what kind of vehicle did you see? Color? 1354 01:17:23.159 --> 01:17:24.159 Like where when? 1355 01:17:24.359 --> 01:17:28.239 Why just just at anything because you don't know what's 1356 01:17:28.319 --> 01:17:30.000 going to be valuable until later. 1357 01:17:30.119 --> 01:17:34.239 But just and then of course baking in the sun 1358 01:17:35.920 --> 01:17:38.159 during the day, just roasting. 1359 01:17:38.640 --> 01:17:41.840 Yeah, we got compromised by a house full of women 1360 01:17:42.039 --> 01:17:45.319 one night trying to cross through the little part of town, 1361 01:17:45.880 --> 01:17:48.800 uh and get up to the banks of the Euphrates. 1362 01:17:49.600 --> 01:17:56.640 And you know, I was I'm walking, I'm patrolling, and uh, 1363 01:17:56.800 --> 01:17:59.319 we had we had some guys still in the hide sight. 1364 01:18:00.079 --> 01:18:06.239 So there's six of us, so split our team. 1365 01:18:06.880 --> 01:18:10.520 And so we were going through this danger area and 1366 01:18:10.560 --> 01:18:12.960 I'm passing this house It's like fifty yards away and 1367 01:18:13.000 --> 01:18:15.159 then start because they don't have street lights and stuff, 1368 01:18:15.640 --> 01:18:17.600 but they had a little light at the front porch 1369 01:18:17.600 --> 01:18:18.199 of that house. 1370 01:18:19.000 --> 01:18:21.159 And all of a sudden, a woman comes out, and I'm. 1371 01:18:20.960 --> 01:18:23.920 Like just like like I was just there was nowhere 1372 01:18:23.920 --> 01:18:26.319 to hide, there was nothing to do. So I'm trying 1373 01:18:26.319 --> 01:18:30.720 to like melt down slowly to a knee and just 1374 01:18:30.840 --> 01:18:32.520 make myself into a little ball. 1375 01:18:33.319 --> 01:18:36.399 And she must have saw me. She must have. 1376 01:18:36.359 --> 01:18:39.159 Seen me or one of the other guys or something, 1377 01:18:39.199 --> 01:18:41.720 because I heard her saying something. And then another girl 1378 01:18:41.840 --> 01:18:43.800 comes out, and all of a sudden, there's like ten 1379 01:18:43.880 --> 01:18:48.079 women looking and peering, and like they got the heavy 1380 01:18:48.159 --> 01:18:50.800 genies and they went back inside and then so I 1381 01:18:50.880 --> 01:18:55.119 was like skirted out. Yeah, they didn't have windows on 1382 01:18:55.159 --> 01:19:00.760 our side, so I figured that was my opportunity. We 1383 01:19:00.880 --> 01:19:04.199 almost we almost smoked a guy on a little motorcycle, 1384 01:19:05.279 --> 01:19:08.640 thought about it, but didn't smoke him one day, you know, 1385 01:19:08.680 --> 01:19:12.039 because there's a curfew that technically if you're out about 1386 01:19:12.199 --> 01:19:19.640 your fair game. But you know, we we weren't that 1387 01:19:19.920 --> 01:19:23.239 like cavalier. We didn't just shoot everybody because they were 1388 01:19:23.279 --> 01:19:28.319 outside after curfew. I hadn't heard about some foreign units 1389 01:19:28.319 --> 01:19:36.199 that they would do that though, And we we had 1390 01:19:36.199 --> 01:19:38.359 a mission what we got inserted once and we were 1391 01:19:38.359 --> 01:19:41.720 going to our hid sight and spotted a couple of 1392 01:19:41.720 --> 01:19:44.800 guys digging an I d into the side of the 1393 01:19:44.880 --> 01:19:51.560 road there in Fallujah, and so we put four of 1394 01:19:51.560 --> 01:19:53.680 our guys hungered down, and my team leader and I 1395 01:19:53.760 --> 01:20:01.520 went and did like an L shape on him, and 1396 01:20:01.600 --> 01:20:05.920 my team leader opened up, killed one guy, put three 1397 01:20:06.000 --> 01:20:11.880 rounds in his chest and he dropped immediately, and I 1398 01:20:11.960 --> 01:20:12.800 opened up. 1399 01:20:14.359 --> 01:20:17.439 On the other guy. But I screwed up. 1400 01:20:17.600 --> 01:20:19.880 My safety was on, so in the time it took 1401 01:20:19.920 --> 01:20:23.039 me to take my little parasol about fed five five 1402 01:20:23.159 --> 01:20:27.600 six by the time that I hit took that safety off. 1403 01:20:28.039 --> 01:20:30.800 That dude that I was going for was already like 1404 01:20:31.720 --> 01:20:35.279 flat lowered the blade of grass and so I just 1405 01:20:35.479 --> 01:20:42.479 mowed I mean like disappeared, So I, you know, I 1406 01:20:42.560 --> 01:20:45.479 laid down some fire and mowed down like where he was. 1407 01:20:45.840 --> 01:20:48.880 And we both got up and we both started moving 1408 01:20:49.079 --> 01:20:53.600 and we come up on him and I come up. 1409 01:20:53.439 --> 01:20:55.279 Over this barn and there's the one guy. 1410 01:20:55.439 --> 01:21:00.560 So I I stitched him up, but he was the 1411 01:21:00.600 --> 01:21:04.199 guy that my team leader already had hit. 1412 01:21:04.319 --> 01:21:07.079 And then we're like, where the fuck did that other 1413 01:21:07.159 --> 01:21:07.520 guy go? 1414 01:21:08.359 --> 01:21:10.640 And we're looking and we got a I vision and 1415 01:21:10.720 --> 01:21:15.039 we see him and he's just flat like terrified. 1416 01:21:15.680 --> 01:21:16.600 So we grab him. 1417 01:21:16.800 --> 01:21:19.000 We roll him up, and we call back to the 1418 01:21:19.000 --> 01:21:21.239 rear and we're like, we need to get extracted, and 1419 01:21:21.319 --> 01:21:27.079 we got one enemy k one bow. So the react 1420 01:21:27.159 --> 01:21:33.159 comes and we ended up you know, loading those guys up. Oh, 1421 01:21:33.199 --> 01:21:35.479 then we had to extract the team. They couldn't find 1422 01:21:35.479 --> 01:21:39.800 the hide sight, so they jump in and it's like 1423 01:21:40.079 --> 01:21:43.720 we're in a convertible Humby and so we're all sitting 1424 01:21:43.760 --> 01:21:45.720 around the outside and we picked this team up and 1425 01:21:45.760 --> 01:21:49.319 they split between different humpies and my good buddy comes 1426 01:21:49.319 --> 01:21:53.079 in and he's sitting sitting down on top of the 1427 01:21:53.119 --> 01:21:56.199 tarfe his back to the cab of the Humby and 1428 01:21:56.199 --> 01:21:58.279 we're driving back to the base. 1429 01:21:58.279 --> 01:22:01.000 He's like, I heard you, guys. I heard you. 1430 01:22:01.039 --> 01:22:04.239 Shwack somebody like yep. He's like, well, what did you 1431 01:22:04.239 --> 01:22:06.279 guys do with the bodies? And like you're sitting on 1432 01:22:06.479 --> 01:22:09.000 right now, Like we didn't bother to tell them. 1433 01:22:10.319 --> 01:22:14.920 Just the weird, the twisted humor of the guys that 1434 01:22:15.039 --> 01:22:16.239 hunt then you know what I mean. 1435 01:22:16.399 --> 01:22:20.680 And so we immediately had a reputation in Flujiah, and 1436 01:22:21.079 --> 01:22:24.600 of course our vehicles were distinct, so they hated us 1437 01:22:24.760 --> 01:22:25.279 after that. 1438 01:22:25.960 --> 01:22:29.159 You could really see it in their eyes. And so 1439 01:22:29.239 --> 01:22:32.079 that's why I think they targeted us specifically for the 1440 01:22:32.119 --> 01:22:35.079 ambush on April seven, two thousand and four. They waited 1441 01:22:35.119 --> 01:22:37.159 for us because they let a lot of people go through. 1442 01:22:37.600 --> 01:22:39.840 That was the first time we corded off of the 1443 01:22:39.880 --> 01:22:45.319 city of Bellujah, first Battle of Alesia. So you know 1444 01:22:45.359 --> 01:22:47.520 they tried to get us on April seven. 1445 01:22:47.920 --> 01:22:52.199 So walk us through that how that transpired. And so 1446 01:22:52.359 --> 01:22:55.800 you're saying they were targeting specifically the recon detachment out there, 1447 01:22:57.920 --> 01:22:58.800 that's my opinion. 1448 01:22:58.880 --> 01:23:02.399 I didn't get any like intelligence said that, but but 1449 01:23:02.600 --> 01:23:06.439 we had killed one of them and taken another prisoner, 1450 01:23:07.319 --> 01:23:11.640 and we were right in their backyard like that. That 1451 01:23:11.800 --> 01:23:21.439 pissed them off. And so uh and and they, I mean, 1452 01:23:21.479 --> 01:23:23.640 they were trying to get a lot of people. But 1453 01:23:23.640 --> 01:23:26.800 but we were just so active in the area that 1454 01:23:26.880 --> 01:23:29.880 maybe we were the most prevalent unit that that, you know. 1455 01:23:30.000 --> 01:23:37.279 So we uh, we were tired. 1456 01:23:37.600 --> 01:23:40.840 We've been just back to back missions, like we barely 1457 01:23:40.880 --> 01:23:42.920 have any time to reset. If we were back on 1458 01:23:43.000 --> 01:23:46.600 the fob, if we were back on Camp Loosiah. A 1459 01:23:46.640 --> 01:23:49.039 lot of times you can get back before the chow 1460 01:23:49.159 --> 01:23:51.119 hall closed or would be about to close. 1461 01:23:51.159 --> 01:23:53.840 You run it, you'd be all dirty and people would 1462 01:23:53.880 --> 01:23:55.000 tell you wouldn't care. 1463 01:23:55.600 --> 01:23:57.479 I was a pot food of them in the dirt 1464 01:23:57.600 --> 01:24:00.439 for days and days, you know, being in my east. 1465 01:24:00.840 --> 01:24:02.600 And so. 1466 01:24:04.359 --> 01:24:08.359 We came back from him, you know, another mission, and 1467 01:24:08.399 --> 01:24:11.399 then we got this order, you know, the the you 1468 01:24:11.439 --> 01:24:12.640 know Flusia's cordoned off. 1469 01:24:12.640 --> 01:24:15.079 We do that, and they were gonna move us. 1470 01:24:14.920 --> 01:24:19.399 From Camp Fallujah, our company to a place called the 1471 01:24:19.479 --> 01:24:22.000 Rock Asp which is in the old iraqi Ama supply 1472 01:24:22.720 --> 01:24:28.239 point outside of Flujah, a mile or two south west 1473 01:24:28.640 --> 01:24:31.800 more west and south. But uh, we were on that 1474 01:24:31.960 --> 01:24:35.800 movement once again, just a couple hours of sleep because 1475 01:24:35.840 --> 01:24:39.520 you had to you know down you know, just to 1476 01:24:39.920 --> 01:24:44.079 you know, clean out the vehicle, refit the vehicle, get 1477 01:24:44.119 --> 01:24:48.000 new fields for the radios, get you know, water, food, 1478 01:24:48.199 --> 01:24:51.960 like just everything you've got to do AMMO and planning, 1479 01:24:52.800 --> 01:24:58.000 uh short planning, and so then we we stepped off. 1480 01:24:58.199 --> 01:25:00.880 Uh later in the morning. 1481 01:25:00.960 --> 01:25:05.880 Then we originally planned and headed west out of the base, 1482 01:25:07.520 --> 01:25:10.560 crossed over the Euphrates at this on the bridge they 1483 01:25:10.560 --> 01:25:15.279 called the dam bridge because it's a dam literally dam 1484 01:25:15.399 --> 01:25:17.760 so it's the dam bridge was what it's called. We 1485 01:25:17.800 --> 01:25:22.000 took some fire and some motars crossing that. Uh. I 1486 01:25:22.039 --> 01:25:28.640 think the motors like splashed into the water, like you know, 1487 01:25:29.079 --> 01:25:32.640 pretty harmless, but we took a little bit of machine 1488 01:25:32.640 --> 01:25:36.079 gun fire. So we pulled off into this one field 1489 01:25:36.119 --> 01:25:39.439 that was like a you know, a road between the 1490 01:25:39.520 --> 01:25:41.239 ditches and the trees, and all of a sudden the 1491 01:25:41.239 --> 01:25:43.359 field opened up. But it was like a little peninsula 1492 01:25:43.359 --> 01:25:45.680 because I had these big fifteen foot ditches that went 1493 01:25:45.760 --> 01:25:47.079 around it, and. 1494 01:25:48.640 --> 01:25:50.039 You know, we we you know. 1495 01:25:50.079 --> 01:25:53.000 Just turned around like four of our vehicles or hum bees. 1496 01:25:53.039 --> 01:25:55.079 We didn't have up armored hum bees at the time. 1497 01:25:55.800 --> 01:26:01.199 And we're my own v Stopped across the ditch from 1498 01:26:01.239 --> 01:26:04.640 me about fifty yards was a group of about fifteen 1499 01:26:04.720 --> 01:26:08.119 men and a couple of cars, and they were pissed 1500 01:26:08.279 --> 01:26:10.720 and looking dirty at us, but they didn't have weapons 1501 01:26:10.800 --> 01:26:13.880 or anything. I just had my saw on them and 1502 01:26:13.920 --> 01:26:17.640 I'm like, God, if anybody does anything, I'm just mowing 1503 01:26:17.680 --> 01:26:21.560 everybody down. And because we were in the open, we were like, 1504 01:26:21.720 --> 01:26:23.920 it wasn't a good spot for us. So I didn't 1505 01:26:23.960 --> 01:26:27.720 like where we were, and we ended up, you know, 1506 01:26:27.720 --> 01:26:30.479 getting out of there pretty quickly and back on the road. 1507 01:26:31.039 --> 01:26:35.279 And we were on Route Boston heading there at south 1508 01:26:35.319 --> 01:26:40.159 of Walujah, heading west, and I'm in the first vehicle. 1509 01:26:41.319 --> 01:26:46.399 I got the radio. I'm assistant team leader, and you know, 1510 01:26:46.479 --> 01:26:50.039 we see just people acting kind of strange. So I 1511 01:26:50.119 --> 01:26:54.960 call it back to the to our tuned commander, and 1512 01:26:55.800 --> 01:27:03.399 we stopped the convoy ten twenty seconds and they say 1513 01:27:03.479 --> 01:27:08.000 get going again, and then so we get going. And 1514 01:27:09.239 --> 01:27:11.479 whereas usually you'd see a lot of people standing around, 1515 01:27:11.560 --> 01:27:14.520 milling about, maybe the gas station or cars coming and going, 1516 01:27:14.560 --> 01:27:15.119 we didn't. 1517 01:27:15.560 --> 01:27:17.880 We didn't see any cars and any people. So it 1518 01:27:17.960 --> 01:27:20.560 was kind of this eerie feeling. You knew something was 1519 01:27:20.640 --> 01:27:24.119 up and a car was coming down the road at 1520 01:27:24.159 --> 01:27:26.399 a high rates speed towards us, and when they saw us, 1521 01:27:26.439 --> 01:27:29.600 they just flipped a U turn and floorated away. 1522 01:27:29.600 --> 01:27:32.039 So I called that in. We stopped the convoy again 1523 01:27:33.039 --> 01:27:36.199 just ten seconds. They said, you know, get going again 1524 01:27:36.279 --> 01:27:39.600 and pick up your speed to whatever it was twenty 1525 01:27:39.600 --> 01:27:42.560 five o'cloungers hour or something, so that I really knew 1526 01:27:42.560 --> 01:27:45.479 it was on. So I took my apple box off 1527 01:27:45.479 --> 01:27:47.399 the swing arm mount and I put it on my gun, 1528 01:27:47.439 --> 01:27:49.279 and I spit my dip out because I didn't want 1529 01:27:49.279 --> 01:27:55.840 to swallow my dip and we a couple hundred yards later, 1530 01:27:55.920 --> 01:27:58.199 all hell broke lease and they had opened up on 1531 01:27:58.319 --> 01:28:04.239 us with heavy machine gun guns borders RPGs. They had 1532 01:28:04.279 --> 01:28:09.039 IDs in place, but they didn't blow. And during the 1533 01:28:09.039 --> 01:28:12.359 course of the whole firefight, one of my buddies from 1534 01:28:12.399 --> 01:28:19.439 Opportune found some and actually disarmed them, uh and like 1535 01:28:19.560 --> 01:28:22.640 disconnected them from their power source so that they wouldn't blow. 1536 01:28:23.439 --> 01:28:28.000 And you know, when I when I when of when 1537 01:28:28.000 --> 01:28:29.199 the shooting started. 1538 01:28:29.720 --> 01:28:34.039 Uh, I called in the contact in the direction and 1539 01:28:34.159 --> 01:28:37.000 I just threw down that headset and I went to 1540 01:28:37.000 --> 01:28:40.479 town with my saw and they were firing at us. 1541 01:28:40.520 --> 01:28:46.439 From my perspective, you know, the first vehicle like basically 1542 01:28:46.479 --> 01:28:49.920 our twelve o'clock all the way to you know, our 1543 01:28:50.000 --> 01:28:53.880 three or four o'clock. And so from where I was, 1544 01:28:54.000 --> 01:28:58.920 I was suppressing like the three four o'clock, like just 1545 01:28:59.000 --> 01:29:02.640 basically everything out to our right side. And because they 1546 01:29:02.640 --> 01:29:07.359 were along a burn behind well, there was a berman 1547 01:29:07.439 --> 01:29:10.159 in a big ditch with waste deep water, and then 1548 01:29:10.159 --> 01:29:12.640 it came up for another burn and then small field 1549 01:29:12.720 --> 01:29:14.479 and all the houses. So they were in the burn 1550 01:29:15.319 --> 01:29:17.840 on the second burn, on the backside, so they're firing 1551 01:29:17.840 --> 01:29:21.119 from pretty close. It was close ambush. We had nowhere 1552 01:29:21.159 --> 01:29:25.159 to go. We stopped, like uh, set up a base 1553 01:29:25.199 --> 01:29:28.560 of fire, you know, our bravo element. The peoples in 1554 01:29:28.600 --> 01:29:34.079 the bag of between flanked them, and they had the 1555 01:29:34.239 --> 01:29:37.479 erect you said, block off the road to the dumb truck. 1556 01:29:37.560 --> 01:29:41.720 So we were we couldn't. Yeah, we were, and we didn't. 1557 01:29:41.720 --> 01:29:43.800 I didn't know it yet, but this was our slp 1558 01:29:43.960 --> 01:29:46.000 to stop instead of base of fire. I was waiting 1559 01:29:46.039 --> 01:29:48.359 for a lull in the fire so I could get 1560 01:29:48.399 --> 01:29:53.479 out and get behind that burn. And but the but 1561 01:29:53.680 --> 01:29:56.920 it was like nuts, I mean, they were dumping on us. 1562 01:29:58.800 --> 01:30:02.439 It was like that movie pulp fiction when the guy 1563 01:30:02.520 --> 01:30:04.800 busts out of the bathroom and tries to shoot what's 1564 01:30:04.800 --> 01:30:07.560 his name, and he's looking like, you know, like how 1565 01:30:07.600 --> 01:30:10.920 to get shots, but so like, bullets are hitting the door, 1566 01:30:11.039 --> 01:30:14.600 bullets are hitting the humb everywhere. They're snapping by my ear, 1567 01:30:14.720 --> 01:30:17.159 like you can tell when they come real close. In 1568 01:30:17.159 --> 01:30:19.760 my head, I'm like, shit, you know they I hope 1569 01:30:19.880 --> 01:30:22.880 you know, Mason's all right? My a art o uh, 1570 01:30:22.960 --> 01:30:24.880 the guy sitting to my left, like, I'm like, if 1571 01:30:24.880 --> 01:30:27.199 it missed me, it came that close, it had to 1572 01:30:27.239 --> 01:30:30.760 have hit him. And they were firing RPGs at us. 1573 01:30:30.800 --> 01:30:34.560 I kept hearing these explosions. I moved. I suppressed these 1574 01:30:34.600 --> 01:30:36.640 dudes to our right. They were behind the barn, and 1575 01:30:36.640 --> 01:30:40.880 I moved over to like because there's these arpags were exploding. 1576 01:30:40.880 --> 01:30:44.039 I thought they were shooting him at the behagles behind us. 1577 01:30:44.079 --> 01:30:45.760 You know, I'm thinking, damn, I hope, I hope those 1578 01:30:45.840 --> 01:30:48.920 dudes are all right. And and this house where these 1579 01:30:49.119 --> 01:30:51.359 RPGs were coming from. I was about to suppress in 1580 01:30:51.399 --> 01:30:54.399 that direction, but my my barrel of my saw was 1581 01:30:54.479 --> 01:30:57.079 like right over an inch over my teen Naterer's barrel 1582 01:30:57.079 --> 01:30:59.399 he was shooting at some guys, and I was I 1583 01:30:59.439 --> 01:31:00.600 just thought I'll come. 1584 01:31:00.479 --> 01:31:01.039 Back to them. 1585 01:31:01.319 --> 01:31:02.840 I didn't want to shoot it out of his hand, 1586 01:31:03.640 --> 01:31:06.520 and and I was thinking I was gonna get shot 1587 01:31:06.520 --> 01:31:10.039 in the face because of the amount of bullets that 1588 01:31:10.079 --> 01:31:13.359 were just like coming behind my head and hitting the door. 1589 01:31:14.359 --> 01:31:15.479 And I didn't have a real door. 1590 01:31:15.520 --> 01:31:18.800 It was like cutting half a duct tape on so 1591 01:31:18.880 --> 01:31:21.159 I'll find it because somebody just took a torch and 1592 01:31:21.199 --> 01:31:24.800 cut it rough, you know, sand bags and full flat 1593 01:31:24.880 --> 01:31:27.840 jackets glued to the floorboards and sand bags on top, 1594 01:31:27.960 --> 01:31:37.479 just like ghetto. But but when I moved my gun 1595 01:31:37.520 --> 01:31:40.920 back to start firing back to like around the three o'clock, 1596 01:31:41.119 --> 01:31:45.199 you know, uh, that's when an RPG hit hit my saw. 1597 01:31:46.119 --> 01:31:48.840 And so when I when I got hit, it was 1598 01:31:49.000 --> 01:31:52.359 just just a boom that I can't really explain with words. 1599 01:31:52.399 --> 01:31:54.479 Just I think I wrote it down once like a 1600 01:31:54.479 --> 01:32:00.680 thunderclap originating from inside your head. And I thought, you know, 1601 01:32:01.560 --> 01:32:05.239 I got shot in the face, and I screamed out 1602 01:32:05.960 --> 01:32:09.479 as soon as it happened. It's just like boom, and 1603 01:32:09.560 --> 01:32:14.199 I yelled out like I'm here, And as I'm yelling 1604 01:32:14.199 --> 01:32:17.000 at I felt stupid for yelling it out. So I 1605 01:32:17.119 --> 01:32:20.720 shut up, Like I don't know why I would feel 1606 01:32:21.079 --> 01:32:24.880 like stupid ego or something like it was cliche. 1607 01:32:24.960 --> 01:32:26.199 I didn't want to be that guy. 1608 01:32:27.279 --> 01:32:29.279 Like that's what's running through your head in that moment. 1609 01:32:30.159 --> 01:32:33.119 Yeah, I just well, I just felt stupid for yelling 1610 01:32:33.119 --> 01:32:36.399 it out, like I lost my cool, you know, like, uh, 1611 01:32:37.239 --> 01:32:39.840 so I shut up, and I was and I thought 1612 01:32:39.840 --> 01:32:42.479 to myself, Okay, well now I'll see what it's like 1613 01:32:42.520 --> 01:32:42.880 to die. 1614 01:32:42.880 --> 01:32:44.600 I wonder if i'll brain damage. 1615 01:32:44.600 --> 01:32:49.039 I'll be you know, because I got shot in the 1616 01:32:49.039 --> 01:32:50.520 face or I got shot in the brain. 1617 01:32:50.600 --> 01:32:52.920 And I thought briefly. 1618 01:32:52.600 --> 01:32:59.119 About, oh no, I missed people that I love or 1619 01:32:59.159 --> 01:33:01.960 they'll miss me, and you know, they'll have to wait 1620 01:33:02.000 --> 01:33:04.439 a lifetime until we see each other again. 1621 01:33:05.680 --> 01:33:12.880 And then I thought like, well, then it. 1622 01:33:12.880 --> 01:33:15.439 Was like I got this clearity and all this is happening, 1623 01:33:15.880 --> 01:33:18.239 like I don't know, you know, how time slow. It is, 1624 01:33:18.439 --> 01:33:20.840 like a second or two seconds or something like that. 1625 01:33:22.000 --> 01:33:24.800 It seemed like it was probably a few but maybe 1626 01:33:25.159 --> 01:33:32.239 but not long. And I've realized somehow, I'm like everything's 1627 01:33:32.279 --> 01:33:38.520 gonna be all right, you know, it's all good, almost 1628 01:33:38.560 --> 01:33:41.119 as if I knew there was no such thing as time, 1629 01:33:41.279 --> 01:33:43.359 and I didn't need to worry about like not even 1630 01:33:43.359 --> 01:33:44.239 a blink of an eye. 1631 01:33:45.479 --> 01:33:47.000 Even a blink of an eye is too big of 1632 01:33:47.000 --> 01:33:51.600 a box to put around a section of time. It's 1633 01:33:51.680 --> 01:33:54.840 kind of hard to explain, but just like an understanding. 1634 01:33:55.000 --> 01:33:57.479 And the piece came on me that. 1635 01:33:59.319 --> 01:34:05.399 I've never had at before or since as strongly. And 1636 01:34:07.800 --> 01:34:13.239 I when I thought that, then I thought, hell, hold on, man, 1637 01:34:13.800 --> 01:34:16.319 you had all these thoughts. Maybe you didn't get shut 1638 01:34:16.479 --> 01:34:19.359 maybe you know, like wait a minute, you're not gonna 1639 01:34:19.720 --> 01:34:24.960 you just need to chill out, and you know, calm down, dude, 1640 01:34:24.960 --> 01:34:28.600 you don't want to go into shock. And so I 1641 01:34:28.640 --> 01:34:30.920 thought all these thoughts in just a couple of seconds, 1642 01:34:30.960 --> 01:34:33.600 and you know, time had slowed when I thought that 1643 01:34:33.720 --> 01:34:39.279 last thought. Uh, the lights came on. They just switched 1644 01:34:39.319 --> 01:34:47.880 back on, and my left arm was chilling me, and 1645 01:34:47.920 --> 01:34:50.760 I picked it up like this and everything's a little 1646 01:34:50.760 --> 01:34:53.640 bit hazy still kind of. I picked up my left 1647 01:34:53.720 --> 01:34:56.640 arm and I looked at it and I'm like fuck, 1648 01:34:57.159 --> 01:35:01.239 and my right hand heard, so I've like kind of like, uh, 1649 01:35:01.880 --> 01:35:03.039 kind of like I don't know if. 1650 01:35:02.920 --> 01:35:03.560 I want to see that. 1651 01:35:03.600 --> 01:35:08.079 I lifted up and I'm like, mother, maybe you guys 1652 01:35:08.119 --> 01:35:10.840 can bleep this out, and I'm like, motherfuck or both 1653 01:35:10.880 --> 01:35:11.199 of them. 1654 01:35:12.039 --> 01:35:13.560 So both my hands are gone. 1655 01:35:13.960 --> 01:35:20.439 This is like shredded and bone fragments, like almost cauterized it, 1656 01:35:20.560 --> 01:35:24.159 so it was just not like shooting blood out or anything. 1657 01:35:24.279 --> 01:35:26.760 And then this was like my hand was off at 1658 01:35:26.760 --> 01:35:29.880 the base of my palm and it looked like my 1659 01:35:30.079 --> 01:35:32.760 hand all the bones had been blown out of it 1660 01:35:32.880 --> 01:35:35.439 or something. It was just an empty glove. It was 1661 01:35:35.479 --> 01:35:38.239 shredded like it you know, that went through garbage disposal 1662 01:35:38.399 --> 01:35:41.760 or something. And I was like, mother a effort. But 1663 01:35:41.880 --> 01:35:44.439 I looked down on the leg and that was the 1664 01:35:44.479 --> 01:35:49.000 worst because my leg, the top of my leg, like 1665 01:35:49.079 --> 01:35:51.319 all my quads have been blown off, like it was 1666 01:35:51.359 --> 01:35:55.159 a red, pulpy mess, and my fever was sticking out 1667 01:35:55.199 --> 01:35:59.399 to the side and it was splintered and jagged and 1668 01:35:59.439 --> 01:36:03.319 gleaming like in a ce of bread. But with every heartbeat, 1669 01:36:03.439 --> 01:36:06.399 I could just see, oh my god, the incredible amount 1670 01:36:06.439 --> 01:36:08.760 of blood pouring out of my leg. And I knew 1671 01:36:08.840 --> 01:36:11.520 that I had to that that was what was gonna 1672 01:36:11.560 --> 01:36:16.760 kill me if I didn't get shot again. And so 1673 01:36:17.039 --> 01:36:20.279 everybody's coming back around, like I'm coming back around, and 1674 01:36:20.520 --> 01:36:24.279 this is not very there's maybe a minute into the 1675 01:36:24.319 --> 01:36:30.680 gunfight if that, and Chris, we're all death. So it 1676 01:36:30.760 --> 01:36:32.800 seemed like there was a lull in the fire coming 1677 01:36:32.800 --> 01:36:34.920 from the enemy, but there wasn't. We just couldn't hear it. 1678 01:36:34.960 --> 01:36:38.359 But the hearing came back right away, and all of 1679 01:36:38.359 --> 01:36:40.960 a sudden, we just realized we were like fucked still 1680 01:36:41.000 --> 01:36:46.039 stuck in the kills one. So uh, you know, a 1681 01:36:46.079 --> 01:36:50.520 team leader told the driver to hit it, so he's 1682 01:36:50.560 --> 01:36:53.960 he steps on it with the Humpbye is damaged, tires 1683 01:36:54.000 --> 01:36:57.640 of flat guess, tanks leaking like it's like putt putting 1684 01:36:57.720 --> 01:36:58.239 down the road. 1685 01:36:58.239 --> 01:36:59.119 But we start to pick. 1686 01:36:59.000 --> 01:37:01.960 Up speed and our gunner is laid out on the 1687 01:37:02.079 --> 01:37:06.720 roof and well before before we before we started moving, 1688 01:37:07.439 --> 01:37:09.279 you know, the gunner was laid out on the roof 1689 01:37:09.319 --> 01:37:12.600 and he was curled up in the ball like and 1690 01:37:12.640 --> 01:37:18.079 our driver was telling us that, you know, hey, you know, 1691 01:37:18.840 --> 01:37:22.520 he's not responding, blah blah blah. In my head, I'm 1692 01:37:22.560 --> 01:37:27.520 not a jerk, but you have to prioritize, you know, needs, 1693 01:37:28.279 --> 01:37:30.800 and if he's dead, he's dead. We can't do anything 1694 01:37:30.800 --> 01:37:32.279 about it. We're still in the kill zone. We've got 1695 01:37:32.319 --> 01:37:34.399 to get the f out of his kill zone. Also, 1696 01:37:34.520 --> 01:37:35.600 I need some tourniquets. 1697 01:37:36.079 --> 01:37:36.960 So my. 1698 01:37:38.840 --> 01:37:43.159 Assistant radio operator he was he didn't get shot in 1699 01:37:43.199 --> 01:37:46.359 the face, you know, but everybody got peppered with shrapnel 1700 01:37:46.399 --> 01:37:49.960 and jacked up. A team leader was putting a tourniquet 1701 01:37:50.000 --> 01:37:52.600 on his right arm. His gun had been blown out, 1702 01:37:53.039 --> 01:37:55.199 like his r been blown out of his hands, and 1703 01:37:55.239 --> 01:37:57.319 he had a big like silver dollar hole above his 1704 01:37:57.399 --> 01:38:00.079 triceps with his bones were shattered, and he was with 1705 01:38:00.199 --> 01:38:05.239 the turnicet on with his left and I managed to 1706 01:38:05.239 --> 01:38:08.359 get the a art o calm down. So, you know, 1707 01:38:08.399 --> 01:38:10.520 he's looking for our blowout kid, where we keep our 1708 01:38:10.520 --> 01:38:12.800 turning kids inside the vehicle when we're in the vehicle. 1709 01:38:12.840 --> 01:38:15.079 He couldn't find it. Everything was just scattered all over 1710 01:38:15.119 --> 01:38:18.840 the place in the vehicle. And he I'm like, don't 1711 01:38:18.840 --> 01:38:21.800 worry about it. Just get my you know, get the 1712 01:38:21.840 --> 01:38:24.000 turnket out of my sleep pocket. I'll be all right. 1713 01:38:24.039 --> 01:38:26.319 Like I'm trying to calm this dude down because I 1714 01:38:26.359 --> 01:38:29.000 can't do anything myself. But if he's if he can't 1715 01:38:29.039 --> 01:38:31.960 do it, then I'm then I'm done with ski. And 1716 01:38:32.039 --> 01:38:33.520 so I got him to put a turnket on my 1717 01:38:33.640 --> 01:38:38.920 left leg up high first and then he was getting 1718 01:38:39.159 --> 01:38:41.720 he got one on my arm a team that got 1719 01:38:41.720 --> 01:38:43.880 done doing his. So he turns around like this and 1720 01:38:43.920 --> 01:38:45.960 he reaches over and he grabs a turning kid that's 1721 01:38:46.239 --> 01:38:49.239 up on my hip above my last injury on my 1722 01:38:49.319 --> 01:38:50.960 left leg, and he pulls on it to see if 1723 01:38:50.960 --> 01:38:52.960 it's tight enough, and it pops off, and I'm like, 1724 01:38:53.319 --> 01:38:57.119 oh damn it, you know so, And it's a good 1725 01:38:57.119 --> 01:39:01.479 thing that he did because it wasn't tight, and it 1726 01:39:01.520 --> 01:39:03.640 wasn't tight enough, I probably would have led out. I 1727 01:39:03.960 --> 01:39:06.479 barely made it. Like each step of the way was 1728 01:39:06.720 --> 01:39:09.800 kind of like a little miracle. So you know, Aaron 1729 01:39:09.840 --> 01:39:13.239 puts it back on this time, really tight like it's 1730 01:39:13.239 --> 01:39:17.119 supposed to be where where it's hurting. But you're like, okay, yeah, 1731 01:39:17.199 --> 01:39:19.920 that's gonna be good. So I got three tourniquits on 1732 01:39:20.760 --> 01:39:23.000 and we get to limp and out of that kill zone. 1733 01:39:23.119 --> 01:39:26.399 We like the vehicle. We start to pick up speed, 1734 01:39:26.439 --> 01:39:28.840 and that's when we see like a crap. Like in 1735 01:39:28.880 --> 01:39:32.079 my head, I guess I thought maybe we could split 1736 01:39:32.119 --> 01:39:34.239 off from the unit and floor up to the rock 1737 01:39:34.279 --> 01:39:38.880 asp and get help there, because we certainly it would 1738 01:39:38.920 --> 01:39:43.840 have been faster than going back to Gampelusia. No, I 1739 01:39:43.840 --> 01:39:46.319 didn't say any of that out loud, but we made 1740 01:39:46.319 --> 01:39:49.680 it maybe one hundred yards and that's where we saw 1741 01:39:49.680 --> 01:39:52.920 the dump truck blocking the road off and like we 1742 01:39:53.039 --> 01:39:53.640 got to stop. 1743 01:39:54.119 --> 01:39:54.760 So we stopped. 1744 01:39:54.840 --> 01:39:56.399 And it was a good spot because it got us 1745 01:39:56.399 --> 01:39:59.119 out of the kill zone and it got us kind 1746 01:39:59.119 --> 01:40:02.479 of around the corner where the enemy had to dislodge 1747 01:40:02.479 --> 01:40:05.720 from wherever they were firing from and come up and 1748 01:40:05.840 --> 01:40:08.560 try to get into another position to finish us off. 1749 01:40:08.600 --> 01:40:11.359 And you can see them like trying to come and 1750 01:40:11.399 --> 01:40:14.479 you know, so hurried up. We got with our like 1751 01:40:15.000 --> 01:40:17.039 you know, I'm like get the radio. The radio was 1752 01:40:17.359 --> 01:40:19.680 like the one nineteen fox trot in the back of 1753 01:40:19.680 --> 01:40:21.680 the seat. That thing was shot. But we had the 1754 01:40:21.720 --> 01:40:25.920 little invitters, a little handheld one, so we were trying 1755 01:40:25.920 --> 01:40:28.439 to get columns with that. We tried, we but we 1756 01:40:28.760 --> 01:40:31.239 hit off our visual signal, you know, like a flare, 1757 01:40:31.960 --> 01:40:35.439 and then we you know, my team leaders switched seats 1758 01:40:35.479 --> 01:40:37.720 with the driver because he could drive. And then the 1759 01:40:37.840 --> 01:40:40.319 driver was shooting. So we had one rifle here on 1760 01:40:40.359 --> 01:40:43.439 the left and one in the front seat on the right, 1761 01:40:43.840 --> 01:40:46.920 and we we the way. We had to turn around 1762 01:40:46.920 --> 01:40:48.439 because it was the one lane road and we were 1763 01:40:48.479 --> 01:40:54.720 elevated and exposed. Still it's like like a you know, 1764 01:40:54.880 --> 01:40:56.520 not like a three point turn. It was like a 1765 01:40:57.000 --> 01:40:59.479 felt like a twenty point turn, like that Austin Powers 1766 01:40:59.479 --> 01:41:01.279 movie when he's in a golf cart in the hallway. 1767 01:41:01.439 --> 01:41:01.920 So it's like. 1768 01:41:04.159 --> 01:41:07.399 We got turned around and then we went you know, 1769 01:41:07.439 --> 01:41:10.199 it's like make sure you're pressing over there and pressing 1770 01:41:10.199 --> 01:41:13.520 over here. We're abing to get behind another hum be 1771 01:41:14.079 --> 01:41:16.199 and uh get some cover. 1772 01:41:16.600 --> 01:41:17.279 And then. 1773 01:41:18.720 --> 01:41:23.880 My company first sergeant runs up Santiago. He says to 1774 01:41:24.760 --> 01:41:27.960 you know, my team leader. He's like he got a 1775 01:41:28.079 --> 01:41:31.640 jew Ok Quarto prico. You know, it's got that thick accent. 1776 01:41:32.159 --> 01:41:34.800 He's like, no, first time, we're all fucked up. It's like, 1777 01:41:35.039 --> 01:41:36.880 don't worry, I take care of jew. 1778 01:41:37.880 --> 01:41:42.760 So, uh arc carman get to go to like the 1779 01:41:42.880 --> 01:41:47.760 Army's uh eighteen delta, like this special Forces medic school, 1780 01:41:47.800 --> 01:41:51.840 and they're squared away the sark, especially in babous Reconnaissance Corman. 1781 01:41:52.800 --> 01:41:57.039 So my buddy Blake comes up and they slap a 1782 01:41:57.199 --> 01:42:00.640 stretcher on the deck next to the vehicle. There's like 1783 01:42:00.760 --> 01:42:05.720 diesel leaking and all around. I remember somebody saying, you know, oh, 1784 01:42:05.760 --> 01:42:08.079 there's fuel on the ground and I'm and I'm like. 1785 01:42:08.039 --> 01:42:10.039 It's diesel. Don't worry about it. It's not going to 1786 01:42:10.119 --> 01:42:11.520 catch on fire, I think. 1787 01:42:11.600 --> 01:42:15.079 And they pulled me out of the back seat and 1788 01:42:15.159 --> 01:42:19.079 my leg in half like where the bone was fractured 1789 01:42:19.119 --> 01:42:21.239 and out, and it hurt. 1790 01:42:21.399 --> 01:42:25.359 I was like, and Blair's like, I'm sorry, brother, I 1791 01:42:25.439 --> 01:42:26.399 go no, no, it's cool. 1792 01:42:26.439 --> 01:42:30.039 It's cool like and and for me to stay alive 1793 01:42:30.119 --> 01:42:32.680 and not going to shock eye was just a backseat 1794 01:42:32.920 --> 01:42:38.000 driving like pictures are good and probably need some fluids 1795 01:42:38.079 --> 01:42:43.840 or whatever. But I was still like full of adrenaline, 1796 01:42:44.000 --> 01:42:47.840 so the pain of my injuries had fully I mean, 1797 01:42:47.840 --> 01:42:52.119 it hurt like crazy, but it was I could disassociate 1798 01:42:52.239 --> 01:42:54.199 from it because of the gravity of the situation. 1799 01:42:55.159 --> 01:42:58.399 So it got me out on a stretcher. It ran 1800 01:42:58.479 --> 01:42:59.199 me over to. 1801 01:43:01.279 --> 01:43:04.840 An open back come V that had cover, and they 1802 01:43:05.239 --> 01:43:06.840 hoisted me up and put me in the back of 1803 01:43:06.880 --> 01:43:09.680 that thing. But from there I could still see our vehicle, 1804 01:43:09.760 --> 01:43:11.760 and I could still see my buddy who had gotten 1805 01:43:11.840 --> 01:43:13.840 up on the gun. You know, they got the wounded 1806 01:43:13.880 --> 01:43:17.319 marine off the roof. He turned up to be okay, Uh, 1807 01:43:17.439 --> 01:43:22.920 he just got jacked up a little, and you know, 1808 01:43:23.000 --> 01:43:25.199 I had a corman, you know, like they got an 1809 01:43:25.239 --> 01:43:28.000 IV and me and and then I had and so 1810 01:43:28.199 --> 01:43:31.039 then my starck went off to go help some other wounded. 1811 01:43:31.600 --> 01:43:36.159 We had seven wounded total at the time, and one 1812 01:43:36.159 --> 01:43:38.840 of them ended up, you know, dying my opportune commander. 1813 01:43:39.600 --> 01:43:44.720 But we uh, you know, I had this new corman 1814 01:43:44.760 --> 01:43:47.960 who was an attachment in the headquarters or something. He's 1815 01:43:48.000 --> 01:43:51.560 a young kid, you know, like just wide eyed, like 1816 01:43:51.640 --> 01:43:53.520 holy shit, you know, you can tell this look on 1817 01:43:53.560 --> 01:43:57.079 his face, and he says, he's just asking me questions 1818 01:43:57.159 --> 01:44:00.159 like hey, you got to grow back home. Uh, And 1819 01:44:00.399 --> 01:44:03.159 you know, I knew he was just trying to keep 1820 01:44:03.159 --> 01:44:06.840 me from going into shock. RIGHTS just thoroughly irritated with him, 1821 01:44:06.840 --> 01:44:09.159 like that has nothing to do with what's going on here. 1822 01:44:09.239 --> 01:44:12.159 I didn't even answer. I go, do you have somebody 1823 01:44:12.520 --> 01:44:15.760 looking over there with security or what? You know? And 1824 01:44:17.439 --> 01:44:19.520 but then I humored him. I'm like, yeah, you know, 1825 01:44:19.600 --> 01:44:22.600 I gotta grow up. But my mind was still on 1826 01:44:22.680 --> 01:44:25.680 the battle, which was still going on. And at this 1827 01:44:25.880 --> 01:44:29.039 point it was like a three hundred and sixty degree ambush, 1828 01:44:29.680 --> 01:44:35.960 so it was pretty hectic and chaotic. I lifted my 1829 01:44:36.039 --> 01:44:38.479 head up at one point and I saw my buddy 1830 01:44:38.520 --> 01:44:42.039 on the fifty and I was like, get some And 1831 01:44:42.720 --> 01:44:46.920 that exertion almost made me pass out, and I had 1832 01:44:46.920 --> 01:44:49.920 to tell myself, dude, you can't be doing that. You 1833 01:44:49.920 --> 01:44:55.279 need to slow down your breathing, like breathe just be cool, relaxed, 1834 01:44:55.479 --> 01:44:59.359 like you gotta hang on till the Kazvak chopper comes. 1835 01:45:00.680 --> 01:45:03.479 So it took like from the time I got hit 1836 01:45:03.680 --> 01:45:06.119 from the time that helicopter came, it took about forty 1837 01:45:06.119 --> 01:45:10.000 five minutes. We got one, we got one forty six 1838 01:45:10.039 --> 01:45:14.359 and we got one one cobra. Later I found out 1839 01:45:14.359 --> 01:45:17.640 it's just because it shit was popping off all over 1840 01:45:17.680 --> 01:45:20.399 the city. It was just the air was just overwhelmed 1841 01:45:20.880 --> 01:45:23.880 and busy. And so they got me on the bird 1842 01:45:23.920 --> 01:45:27.880 that everybody else, you know, the walking wounded, got on. 1843 01:45:29.279 --> 01:45:31.800 Then I see him bringing in my optoon. Commander kept 1844 01:45:31.840 --> 01:45:33.000 him Brent Morrell. 1845 01:45:33.359 --> 01:45:37.960 And he's just white, like like just white, white as 1846 01:45:38.000 --> 01:45:42.279 ghost and he's already white as a ghosts because it's redheads, 1847 01:45:42.319 --> 01:45:44.119 you know, a great guy. 1848 01:45:44.720 --> 01:45:50.079 I'm like a fuck, you know, Captain Morrell. And they 1849 01:45:50.159 --> 01:45:55.880 put him on the bird and so we had a 1850 01:45:55.920 --> 01:46:00.640 short maybe five minute flight back to the ALTAKA don't 1851 01:46:00.680 --> 01:46:02.359 know where we were going. I thought maybe we're going 1852 01:46:02.359 --> 01:46:04.720 back to Camp Fellusia, but we landed out to Condom. 1853 01:46:04.760 --> 01:46:09.720 I find out, you know, after after everything, and while 1854 01:46:09.720 --> 01:46:11.640 we're in the air, I'm thinking, oh, I hope they 1855 01:46:11.640 --> 01:46:14.479 don't classify me as expectant, you know, where you have 1856 01:46:15.199 --> 01:46:17.479 a bunch of wounded. But they're like, this dude's going 1857 01:46:17.560 --> 01:46:20.319 to die anyway, so skip past him and pick the 1858 01:46:20.359 --> 01:46:23.199 next guy up. So when the ramp dropped and the 1859 01:46:23.920 --> 01:46:26.359 and the medics of the corman that were on the 1860 01:46:26.359 --> 01:46:28.680 ground working for the field hospital now to call him, 1861 01:46:28.720 --> 01:46:29.319 ran up and. 1862 01:46:30.880 --> 01:46:31.720 Come and grab us. 1863 01:46:31.760 --> 01:46:35.880 I've sat up real quick, and I startled ahead performed. 1864 01:46:35.960 --> 01:46:39.000 Everybody grabbed me, you know, like I just wanted to 1865 01:46:39.079 --> 01:46:41.439 let him know I wasn't dead. Good to go get 1866 01:46:41.479 --> 01:46:45.600 me off this thing. Yeah, So he grabs me, Another 1867 01:46:45.640 --> 01:46:47.680 guy grabs me, you know, on the east side, and 1868 01:46:47.720 --> 01:46:51.760 they book it in like they run into the triage team. 1869 01:46:52.199 --> 01:46:55.560 So they get me in there and immediately they start 1870 01:46:55.640 --> 01:47:00.720 working on me like they rolled me over. There comes over. 1871 01:47:00.800 --> 01:47:04.119 He's like checking for internal bleeding. You know. The way 1872 01:47:04.119 --> 01:47:06.199 they do that is they got to stick fingers up 1873 01:47:06.239 --> 01:47:07.880 your ars. So I'm like. 1874 01:47:09.479 --> 01:47:12.239 Happy that I'm in this field hospital because I'm now 1875 01:47:12.279 --> 01:47:14.720 I'm feeling like, okay, I made it. 1876 01:47:14.840 --> 01:47:16.560 Like all had to do is wait, get I needed 1877 01:47:16.640 --> 01:47:17.159 turn kids. 1878 01:47:17.199 --> 01:47:19.239 At one point I got those, and I was like, okay, 1879 01:47:19.239 --> 01:47:21.479 I need forman to get hold of me and get 1880 01:47:21.479 --> 01:47:23.680 some fluids and or whatever. I got that, and then 1881 01:47:23.680 --> 01:47:26.159 I'm like, I need to get meta backed out of here. 1882 01:47:26.640 --> 01:47:29.560 Once I get to the field hospital, I should be good. 1883 01:47:29.920 --> 01:47:34.399 Like then then I know I'm gonna make it. You know, 1884 01:47:34.399 --> 01:47:36.199 as long as I don't get shot in the face 1885 01:47:36.239 --> 01:47:38.680 when you know, or any a more injuries, I think 1886 01:47:38.720 --> 01:47:42.159 I can be good. So I was in a pretty 1887 01:47:42.199 --> 01:47:43.920 good mood when I got in there, and I felt 1888 01:47:43.920 --> 01:47:48.039 really like more relaxed. But it had but it had 1889 01:47:48.119 --> 01:47:52.920 such a serious environment. It was like that TV show 1890 01:47:53.079 --> 01:47:57.479 mash or something. Just there was like wounded dudes everywhere 1891 01:47:57.560 --> 01:47:59.920 somewhere like kind of just sitting up on the gurd 1892 01:48:00.079 --> 01:48:04.119 He's like looking dazed with minor wounds. H And then 1893 01:48:04.199 --> 01:48:07.119 some had like a bunch of dogs and nurses trying 1894 01:48:07.159 --> 01:48:09.800 to save their lives and stuff, and they brushed over 1895 01:48:09.880 --> 01:48:14.560 to me. And then now checking for in term of 1896 01:48:14.680 --> 01:48:18.720 bleeding and early I'm on my side and I looked 1897 01:48:18.720 --> 01:48:21.119 over her. I go, hey, doc, I about to reach around, 1898 01:48:21.199 --> 01:48:25.880 you know, like I'm cracking jokes like an idiot. 1899 01:48:26.319 --> 01:48:32.960 And uh so they get me stabilized and I'm laying 1900 01:48:33.000 --> 01:48:36.439 there and a nurse comes by and I got her 1901 01:48:36.479 --> 01:48:40.560 attention and I said to her. She leaned in really close, 1902 01:48:40.720 --> 01:48:43.479 like to my face, and I go, hey, how many 1903 01:48:43.520 --> 01:48:46.319 irishmen does it take to change the light bulb back? 1904 01:48:46.399 --> 01:48:48.319 And she got a real like a like a what 1905 01:48:49.119 --> 01:48:50.600 like a confused look on her. 1906 01:48:50.439 --> 01:48:53.840 Face, and I was like, hey, fack it, well drank 1907 01:48:53.880 --> 01:48:56.399 in the dark. And then she laughs and then they 1908 01:48:56.520 --> 01:49:03.199 just everything. Then she ran off. She kept going, and 1909 01:49:03.239 --> 01:49:04.960 that's when I was fully relaxed. 1910 01:49:04.960 --> 01:49:07.239 I finally, I think I was fully relaxed because the 1911 01:49:07.239 --> 01:49:10.079 pain at that point, all of a sudden, I was 1912 01:49:10.159 --> 01:49:12.119 just like, oh my god, I mean, it. 1913 01:49:12.079 --> 01:49:16.600 Hurt so bad. 1914 01:49:17.279 --> 01:49:20.680 That I think I passed out because the pain, or 1915 01:49:20.720 --> 01:49:24.119 it could have been you know, any number of things. 1916 01:49:24.600 --> 01:49:26.960 So I passed out and I woke up in Washington, 1917 01:49:27.039 --> 01:49:31.479 d C. Wow, nine days later. I have a vague 1918 01:49:31.560 --> 01:49:34.600 memory of my team leader talking to me on the 1919 01:49:34.720 --> 01:49:38.359 one of the mattervac flights either from there the ballot 1920 01:49:38.520 --> 01:49:43.920 or ballode to launch stool. But they eventually got me 1921 01:49:43.960 --> 01:49:46.319 back to d C. Later I found out like they 1922 01:49:46.319 --> 01:49:51.079 had to be suscitate me three times from that from 1923 01:49:51.119 --> 01:49:56.079 Tacatam to d C. But I made it and I 1924 01:49:56.119 --> 01:50:01.000 woke up in ICU. But they woke me up one day, uh, 1925 01:50:01.920 --> 01:50:05.319 and I was dying of thirst, and uh, they were 1926 01:50:05.359 --> 01:50:09.880 asking me questions, do you know where you are? In 1927 01:50:09.880 --> 01:50:13.520 my head I had I wasn't really like responding, but 1928 01:50:13.640 --> 01:50:16.760 I was thinking about what they were asking me, and. 1929 01:50:16.680 --> 01:50:19.439 I was like, clearly I'm in a hospital. I don't 1930 01:50:19.520 --> 01:50:20.399 know where it is. 1931 01:50:20.600 --> 01:50:23.239 And they kept telling me I was at the National 1932 01:50:23.319 --> 01:50:24.560 Naval Medical Center in. 1933 01:50:24.560 --> 01:50:26.279 Maryland, Like how did I get there? 1934 01:50:26.319 --> 01:50:29.000 And yeah, I must have looked. 1935 01:50:29.079 --> 01:50:32.800 I must have looked like I was, uh, maybe you 1936 01:50:32.840 --> 01:50:38.199 had a traumatic brain injury or something, because rather than 1937 01:50:38.279 --> 01:50:40.680 responding to what they were saying, I was trying to 1938 01:50:40.800 --> 01:50:44.399 picture in my head where Bethesda, Maryland was, you know. 1939 01:50:45.479 --> 01:50:48.600 I was like, I don't really know exactly where that. 1940 01:50:48.640 --> 01:50:49.279 Is, and. 1941 01:50:51.039 --> 01:50:56.039 Uh, they they ended up just putting me under again 1942 01:50:56.399 --> 01:50:59.600 for a couple of days. There was another time I 1943 01:50:59.640 --> 01:51:03.079 remember waking up a little bit and I forgot that 1944 01:51:03.119 --> 01:51:05.119 I didn't have hands, and I was like trying to 1945 01:51:05.119 --> 01:51:06.800 get the tube out. 1946 01:51:07.159 --> 01:51:08.399 You know, I was innovated. 1947 01:51:09.039 --> 01:51:14.319 Oh yeah, and uh so they put me back under there. 1948 01:51:14.359 --> 01:51:18.199 But then they finally got me and they had me 1949 01:51:18.279 --> 01:51:20.479 sitting up like kind of let you know. I was 1950 01:51:20.560 --> 01:51:22.359 kind of back in the bed and they were all 1951 01:51:22.399 --> 01:51:25.720 around me, and there was a female doctor. 1952 01:51:25.800 --> 01:51:29.159 I don't know if she was a speech pathologist or something. 1953 01:51:29.279 --> 01:51:33.079 I don't know. She was asking me questions and I 1954 01:51:33.159 --> 01:51:36.359 was like, water, I eat some water. I was dying 1955 01:51:36.520 --> 01:51:38.760 thirst because I was innovated for nine days, you know, 1956 01:51:38.880 --> 01:51:41.439 and I was just so thirsty more I've never been 1957 01:51:41.560 --> 01:51:42.279 thirsty in my life. 1958 01:51:43.119 --> 01:51:45.239 And they like, I can't give you any water, and 1959 01:51:45.279 --> 01:51:49.119 I went off. I was like, okay, you I was nuts. 1960 01:51:49.479 --> 01:51:51.039 I was like, you know where I just came girl, 1961 01:51:51.159 --> 01:51:53.560 Like I was cussing. I was out of it. That 1962 01:51:53.640 --> 01:51:55.359 was on a lot of I mean, I was doped 1963 01:51:55.439 --> 01:52:00.199 up and everything, so, uh, I feel kind of bad. 1964 01:52:00.840 --> 01:52:06.800 But anyway, that was That was a long. 1965 01:52:06.960 --> 01:52:12.199 I was in ICU for about three weeks. I was 1966 01:52:12.680 --> 01:52:15.279 flat on my back. They were still debating on if 1967 01:52:15.279 --> 01:52:17.560 they were going to keep my left leg. I had 1968 01:52:17.640 --> 01:52:21.920 like saran wrap around all these open wounds, like my tabial, 1969 01:52:22.279 --> 01:52:26.359 like my whole left leg basically, and then my right 1970 01:52:26.439 --> 01:52:29.560 leg on my shin and then both arms, and I 1971 01:52:29.600 --> 01:52:33.000 had tubes coming out of both arms, tubes coming out 1972 01:52:33.039 --> 01:52:37.079 of both legs like these little JP bulbs, like you know, 1973 01:52:37.119 --> 01:52:40.359 I was so puffed up and swollen. It was huge, 1974 01:52:40.520 --> 01:52:42.840 like just just my body had been through a lot. 1975 01:52:43.119 --> 01:52:45.399 And then you know, they were draining fluids out into 1976 01:52:45.479 --> 01:52:48.600 you know, like it was just I had feeding tube 1977 01:52:48.600 --> 01:52:51.520 in my nose and just I was just plugged up 1978 01:52:51.560 --> 01:52:55.560 babywhere and they so I had to have a couple 1979 01:52:55.600 --> 01:52:58.239 more surgeries. I had some skin graft surgeries and they 1980 01:52:58.239 --> 01:53:00.800 were able to you know, get on my leg and 1981 01:53:01.399 --> 01:53:04.399 saved with the donor sites from the skin graft. Heard 1982 01:53:04.439 --> 01:53:08.840 more than the actually wounds themselves at that point, and 1983 01:53:11.399 --> 01:53:15.520 the nurses and the doctors and the staff were just incredible, 1984 01:53:16.000 --> 01:53:20.600 amazing people. H I remember. 1985 01:53:21.800 --> 01:53:26.439 While I was in there, Corporal Jason Dunham was in 1986 01:53:26.760 --> 01:53:29.239 ICU too, and he was on the other side of 1987 01:53:29.319 --> 01:53:33.359 the ICU and I could see his room, you know, 1988 01:53:33.359 --> 01:53:34.800 because we had glass walls. 1989 01:53:35.520 --> 01:53:39.039 And when they you know, he was worth the Medal 1990 01:53:39.039 --> 01:53:43.840 of Honor, but uh, when the doctors declared him like 1991 01:53:43.960 --> 01:53:46.560 clinically dead, you know, he was on life support or 1992 01:53:46.600 --> 01:53:52.039 brain dead. I watched as his parents to calhi down 1993 01:53:53.039 --> 01:53:58.199 everybody like whoever could be in ICU was there to 1994 01:53:58.399 --> 01:54:02.000 pay respects. And I, you know, I'm in my bed, 1995 01:54:02.880 --> 01:54:04.560 like I knew what they were doing. They told me 1996 01:54:05.239 --> 01:54:06.279 that they had to unplugging. 1997 01:54:07.079 --> 01:54:09.720 I'm in like flat out in bed, and I see 1998 01:54:09.760 --> 01:54:12.880 you trying to lay at the position of attention, you know, 1999 01:54:13.359 --> 01:54:23.520 and it's pretty yeah, pretty emotional, said, but I have 2000 01:54:24.199 --> 01:54:29.319 so many wonderful memories of beuf has to and Walter 2001 01:54:29.399 --> 01:54:31.880 read in the staff to people. 2002 01:54:33.880 --> 01:54:36.359 I mean that that's got to be really tough. Not 2003 01:54:36.439 --> 01:54:39.720 just when I talk to people. I mean sometimes it's 2004 01:54:39.760 --> 01:54:44.079 interesting that they kind of minimize what they went through themselves, 2005 01:54:44.119 --> 01:54:47.399 but they see their buddies that went through it, and 2006 01:54:47.439 --> 01:54:50.680 it's almost worse, you know, to kind of like see 2007 01:54:50.720 --> 01:54:53.960 that and to not be able to to help them, 2008 01:54:54.119 --> 01:54:56.239 you know. I mean they were receiving help in that hospital, 2009 01:54:56.319 --> 01:54:56.720 of course. 2010 01:54:56.760 --> 01:55:03.359 But yeah, I have some friends who who even in. 2011 01:55:05.760 --> 01:55:07.680 You know, even though I'm good to go, like, they 2012 01:55:07.760 --> 01:55:14.159 still feel bad like for me, and I'm like, I'm good, dude, girl. 2013 01:55:14.319 --> 01:55:17.800 Yeah, yeah, yeah, how does it feel, you know, twenty 2014 01:55:17.840 --> 01:55:20.439 one years to the day to kind of like recount 2015 01:55:20.439 --> 01:55:26.159 that experience. Like, I'm just does the emotional and physical 2016 01:55:26.199 --> 01:55:29.319 pain does it fade? Does it heal over time, or 2017 01:55:29.560 --> 01:55:31.720 does it take you right back to that place all 2018 01:55:31.760 --> 01:55:32.319 over again? 2019 01:55:35.520 --> 01:55:39.479 I think emotional and physical pain, of course fades or 2020 01:55:39.560 --> 01:55:43.600 heels or morphs into something different, and it does take 2021 01:55:43.680 --> 01:55:48.760 me right back to that day. But you know, I've 2022 01:55:49.920 --> 01:55:55.760 talked about it a lot. I've thought about it every day. 2023 01:55:56.319 --> 01:55:58.600 I've lived with it. 2024 01:55:58.800 --> 01:56:04.720 So as far as the emotional impact to be able 2025 01:56:04.760 --> 01:56:07.399 to speak about it, I can speak freely. I've always 2026 01:56:07.600 --> 01:56:08.760 been able to speak freely. 2027 01:56:09.079 --> 01:56:15.960 Sometimes, you know, I might get choked up, but but 2028 01:56:15.960 --> 01:56:26.119 but I have just ah like pride, and I'm honored 2029 01:56:26.159 --> 01:56:27.600 to have been part of that unit. 2030 01:56:27.760 --> 01:56:32.439 I'm I'm relieved that I didn't screw up, you know 2031 01:56:32.479 --> 01:56:34.800 what I mean, and cause anybody to get hurt or 2032 01:56:34.920 --> 01:56:39.439 killed by my inability, by an inability to do much 2033 01:56:39.479 --> 01:56:42.159 out correctly. That I didn't let any of my boys 2034 01:56:42.239 --> 01:56:46.000 down in that literal sense, and you know my brother's 2035 01:56:46.119 --> 01:56:49.680 so that's good, you know what I mean. 2036 01:56:49.880 --> 01:56:56.000 And but yeah, I mean, life hasn't been the easiest 2037 01:56:56.039 --> 01:57:05.840 since then. Sure it's been oneonderful, it's been terrible, you know. 2038 01:57:07.600 --> 01:57:14.119 But but you know, you know, I got. 2039 01:57:13.920 --> 01:57:17.720 My dream job ripped out from under my feet when 2040 01:57:17.760 --> 01:57:21.800 I'm barely into it for a year and. 2041 01:57:23.840 --> 01:57:28.239 Not even a year. And but I got to do it. 2042 01:57:28.319 --> 01:57:30.720 I got to live my dream. And that's a comfort 2043 01:57:30.760 --> 01:57:34.000 to me. Yea. I did it. I wanted to do 2044 01:57:34.039 --> 01:57:35.279 it my whole life. I did it. 2045 01:57:35.399 --> 01:57:37.279 I did it in spite of all these obstacles I 2046 01:57:37.279 --> 01:57:43.640 put in front of myself. And you know, I have 2047 01:57:43.800 --> 01:57:47.800 the respect of my teammates and my fellow recomornes and 2048 01:57:47.840 --> 01:57:48.960 that means a lot. 2049 01:57:49.119 --> 01:57:50.119 That can you know. 2050 01:57:50.720 --> 01:57:54.680 And I have a brotherhood and I get there's times 2051 01:57:55.159 --> 01:57:58.800 many times where I've had to call on my buddies 2052 01:57:59.159 --> 01:58:03.199 just let it out, you know, and vice versa and 2053 01:58:03.319 --> 01:58:06.840 so and a lot of times if I'm feeling bad 2054 01:58:06.840 --> 01:58:09.840 for myself, if I'm having a hard day, you know, 2055 01:58:09.920 --> 01:58:11.760 I have to do once in a while where you know, 2056 01:58:11.800 --> 01:58:13.720 you run that risk it's starting to feel like you're 2057 01:58:13.760 --> 01:58:16.239 a victim or feeling sorry for yourself or something. 2058 01:58:17.239 --> 01:58:19.880 Huh. 2059 01:58:20.079 --> 01:58:22.479 You know, I might get a call from somebody who 2060 01:58:22.520 --> 01:58:26.880 needs advice from me, and just that act of caring 2061 01:58:26.880 --> 01:58:31.039 about somebody else and thinking, you know, helping them get 2062 01:58:31.079 --> 01:58:35.479 through whatever hard day they're going through immediately make me 2063 01:58:35.800 --> 01:58:39.640 or anybody forget about their own personal problems. And so 2064 01:58:40.760 --> 01:58:44.520 I've learned that that is a great way to not 2065 01:58:44.640 --> 01:58:51.079 get caught up into self pity and also gratitude to 2066 01:58:51.119 --> 01:58:53.399 be to find something to be grateful for when you 2067 01:58:54.520 --> 01:59:00.239 when you just think life blows, it sucks. And sometimes 2068 01:59:00.880 --> 01:59:03.199 I found something to be grateful for. But you can, 2069 01:59:03.600 --> 01:59:07.640 and sometimes I have to call somebody and talk to somebody. 2070 01:59:08.039 --> 01:59:11.680 And I've had all kinds of different treatment modalities for 2071 01:59:11.880 --> 01:59:16.239 PTSD or trauma or things like that, and I've I've 2072 01:59:16.279 --> 01:59:20.760 come to find that the things that bother me in 2073 01:59:20.880 --> 01:59:31.359 life now aren't ah, excuse me, they're not my combat experiences. 2074 01:59:31.399 --> 01:59:37.359 They're not uh necessarily getting losing my hands. That that sucks, 2075 01:59:37.520 --> 01:59:42.680 you know, it is what it is. But I've had 2076 01:59:42.680 --> 01:59:45.279 a great life in spite of it, I think, and 2077 01:59:45.479 --> 01:59:51.439 still still here. But what bothers me are the traumas 2078 01:59:51.479 --> 01:59:54.399 that everybody has. They don't have to be in the military, 2079 01:59:54.520 --> 01:59:57.800 they don't have to be in combat. I have two 2080 01:59:57.840 --> 02:00:04.159 failed marriages. That comes, you know, with a lot of overthinking. 2081 02:00:04.479 --> 02:00:08.840 Where I overanalyze, Where did I go wrong? Did I 2082 02:00:08.880 --> 02:00:11.680 screw it up? You know, is it all my fault? 2083 02:00:11.680 --> 02:00:16.039 Like just like I'm too critical of myself, you know, 2084 02:00:16.199 --> 02:00:20.439 childhood traumas, those things. You know, it's like whatever your 2085 02:00:20.479 --> 02:00:24.920 trauma is. Combat sometimes can exacerbate it. But but surprisingly 2086 02:00:24.960 --> 02:00:29.520 it's not necessarily the combat that it stresses me, because 2087 02:00:29.520 --> 02:00:32.720 you can compartmentalize, you can rationalize, you've got a job. 2088 02:00:33.600 --> 02:00:36.279 You know what you're getting into. You're fighting an enemy combatant. 2089 02:00:37.000 --> 02:00:39.840 Fair is fair. You know, he signed up, you signed up. 2090 02:00:40.720 --> 02:00:44.039 I don't even have bitterness towards the guy that dropped 2091 02:00:44.079 --> 02:00:44.760 my hands off. 2092 02:00:44.800 --> 02:00:46.960 I'm kind of like I kind of. 2093 02:00:46.960 --> 02:00:49.359 Had a little bit of respect. It takes some balls 2094 02:00:49.399 --> 02:00:52.840 to like, you know, get surrounded by the Marine Corps 2095 02:00:52.880 --> 02:00:56.000 and be like, guys, we're going to fight to the death. 2096 02:00:56.159 --> 02:00:56.359 You know. 2097 02:00:56.479 --> 02:01:00.319 I don't respect like whatever their reasons might be. But ually, 2098 02:01:01.479 --> 02:01:04.279 you know, like I got to at least give him 2099 02:01:04.279 --> 02:01:06.800 the respect, dude, like you had the guts to stand there, 2100 02:01:07.520 --> 02:01:10.039 like they had the guts to stand toe to toe. 2101 02:01:10.840 --> 02:01:13.520 Though I'll mention that twenty six of them are guys. 2102 02:01:14.000 --> 02:01:17.399 We smoked twenty six of them that we counted that day, 2103 02:01:17.800 --> 02:01:21.520 and unfortunately they killed my attuned commander. 2104 02:01:21.560 --> 02:01:23.640 One of the nicest guys you could ever meet, Captain 2105 02:01:23.680 --> 02:01:24.159 Brent Merle. 2106 02:01:24.239 --> 02:01:27.279 I went through recon school with him, you know, as 2107 02:01:27.279 --> 02:01:29.119 a captain. He didn't have to, but he knew that 2108 02:01:29.199 --> 02:01:32.960 he you know, he would respect himself and us recover 2109 02:01:33.000 --> 02:01:36.279 where he would respect him more if he did. And 2110 02:01:36.359 --> 02:01:38.640 so we were good. We were good friends, you know, 2111 02:01:39.000 --> 02:01:40.960 to the extent that we could be, you know, him 2112 02:01:41.000 --> 02:01:44.279 being an officer and me being the corporal at the time. 2113 02:01:45.239 --> 02:01:47.479 He was a really nice guy. He loved his wife 2114 02:01:47.760 --> 02:01:50.640 so much you brag about her. I thought to myself 2115 02:01:50.680 --> 02:01:52.560 one time he was talking to me before we deployed, 2116 02:01:53.560 --> 02:01:55.880 and I was like, I don't know anybody who is 2117 02:01:56.000 --> 02:01:56.640 this in love. 2118 02:01:57.479 --> 02:02:01.079 He's like, he's just like a good man Tennessee. You know. 2119 02:02:03.319 --> 02:02:07.920 So that's a bummer, Like good people get killed, and 2120 02:02:08.039 --> 02:02:10.720 I haven't always been the best person in my life. 2121 02:02:12.600 --> 02:02:18.600 I'm still going, so I guess I got I'm not 2122 02:02:19.119 --> 02:02:21.520 you know, good Lord ain't done with me yet for 2123 02:02:21.520 --> 02:02:22.479 whatever the hell reason. 2124 02:02:24.960 --> 02:02:28.119 And uh, well, before we move on, d do we 2125 02:02:28.159 --> 02:02:32.720 have any questions for Eddie. We have a couple of 2126 02:02:32.920 --> 02:02:37.840 viewer questions for you. Oh cool from Shane. Did you 2127 02:02:37.840 --> 02:02:39.800 ever get to play rugby in Australia? 2128 02:02:42.479 --> 02:02:44.119 No, I didn't get to play when I was there, 2129 02:02:44.159 --> 02:02:47.640 but I did get to play. My first introduction was 2130 02:02:47.640 --> 02:02:49.800 as a kid in Ireland. My mom used to bring 2131 02:02:49.880 --> 02:02:53.119 us back. But I did get to play in Japan 2132 02:02:53.199 --> 02:02:55.720 when I was on the six month UDP and that 2133 02:02:55.880 --> 02:02:58.239 was cool. Like when when I was around and we 2134 02:02:58.239 --> 02:03:01.359 weren't training, I played for the All Services team and 2135 02:03:01.359 --> 02:03:04.920 that was super fun because we didn't play Japanese teams 2136 02:03:04.960 --> 02:03:10.239 and they were very technical, very fast, very skilled. But 2137 02:03:10.319 --> 02:03:12.359 I was pretty good too at that point because I've 2138 02:03:12.399 --> 02:03:18.600 been playing fall, spring seasons and summer sevens in the 2139 02:03:18.600 --> 02:03:22.840 Ozark Union and I was big and fast, so I could. 2140 02:03:23.199 --> 02:03:25.960 It was kind of I mean, it was much bigger 2141 02:03:25.960 --> 02:03:27.960 than those guys, which was strange. 2142 02:03:28.000 --> 02:03:30.319 So it was It really was fun. It was exciting. Yeah, 2143 02:03:30.359 --> 02:03:30.960 it was a good time. 2144 02:03:33.399 --> 02:03:39.960 Kay Jam says another twenty nine Palm survivor, shout out awesome. 2145 02:03:40.079 --> 02:03:44.159 I greely love it, saying I want to live there again, 2146 02:03:44.279 --> 02:03:46.319 but you know, good training. 2147 02:03:48.479 --> 02:03:52.520 One more from Aaron ever try getting in touch with 2148 02:03:52.680 --> 02:03:55.920 Audrey McDade Navy Cross the shipping with the hell of 2149 02:03:55.960 --> 02:04:00.560 a story, not to mention the actions here that earned 2150 02:04:00.600 --> 02:04:01.319 him that award. 2151 02:04:01.920 --> 02:04:04.000 That might be a question for us rather than it 2152 02:04:04.079 --> 02:04:06.680 might be that but he put they put it okay. 2153 02:04:09.000 --> 02:04:17.159 No, i've not met Audrey McDade. No, maybe though, And 2154 02:04:17.319 --> 02:04:19.880 when I do, well, Beck, I've heard of you. 2155 02:04:21.039 --> 02:04:24.079 So Eddie, tell us a little bit about like life today. 2156 02:04:24.199 --> 02:04:26.920 What is life like for you nowadays? What are you 2157 02:04:27.039 --> 02:04:27.279 up to? 2158 02:04:30.479 --> 02:04:32.680 I have a part time gig with the seberfi in 2159 02:04:32.760 --> 02:04:38.159 America's fund, an organization I really love. I've known them 2160 02:04:38.159 --> 02:04:42.199 for twenty years since they started. I mean very part time. 2161 02:04:42.439 --> 02:04:51.239 I do some public speaking on their behalf or sometimes 2162 02:04:52.560 --> 02:04:59.199 other organizations. And I rent the house here in Texas 2163 02:04:59.239 --> 02:05:01.159 on a golf course, so I just got a new 2164 02:05:01.199 --> 02:05:01.880 set of clubs. 2165 02:05:01.960 --> 02:05:05.399 I'm trying to mess around and figure out how to golf. 2166 02:05:06.720 --> 02:05:11.960 I have a daughter. She's wonderful. She's very intelligent, tall, 2167 02:05:12.159 --> 02:05:19.359 pretty smart, kind. I'm super proud of her. Just a 2168 02:05:19.399 --> 02:05:28.000 good girl, athletic, very talented artists, dancer, tennis player. So 2169 02:05:28.760 --> 02:05:33.079 my life is mostly just being a dad to her. 2170 02:05:35.279 --> 02:05:43.199 And I've had some jobs, some cool jobs. Sometimes I 2171 02:05:43.199 --> 02:05:45.720 wish I was still doing it, but I'm glad I'm 2172 02:05:45.760 --> 02:05:48.720 not really working full time right now. I love to travel. 2173 02:05:48.840 --> 02:05:52.720 I travel. I've done the whole let's go to the 2174 02:05:52.720 --> 02:05:56.439 other side of the planet space available travel. That was fun. 2175 02:05:58.119 --> 02:06:01.079 So my life now, I I try to focus on 2176 02:06:02.600 --> 02:06:05.840 becoming the best person that I can be, and that 2177 02:06:05.920 --> 02:06:10.279 means that the things that I may not like about myself, 2178 02:06:10.399 --> 02:06:15.279 the habits or the thoughts, or that maybe sometimes the 2179 02:06:15.399 --> 02:06:18.079 down days that I will have every once in a while, 2180 02:06:19.000 --> 02:06:21.640 I really focus on, Okay, what's going on, what's behind 2181 02:06:21.680 --> 02:06:24.000 the scenes, and why am. 2182 02:06:23.840 --> 02:06:26.319 I feeling like this? And what can I do to 2183 02:06:26.479 --> 02:06:29.840 mitigate or ameliorate or to heal and move through And 2184 02:06:29.880 --> 02:06:34.319 so that that's a big part of my journey. I've 2185 02:06:34.319 --> 02:06:38.000 been able to try all kinds of different modalities and 2186 02:06:38.479 --> 02:06:40.720 I've learned a lot. But what I've basically learned is 2187 02:06:41.000 --> 02:06:44.880 any any one treatment that you know, and this is 2188 02:06:44.920 --> 02:06:48.800 to include things like ayahuasca or a psilocybin or stellic 2189 02:06:48.840 --> 02:06:54.760 ganglion block or hyperbarics or or counseling or anything is 2190 02:06:54.760 --> 02:06:56.479 is an immediate goal. 2191 02:06:56.560 --> 02:06:58.239 You want to get to a place that you can 2192 02:06:59.079 --> 02:07:02.159 think about things in process things without having you know 2193 02:07:02.199 --> 02:07:06.560 your biderflight, your Amigdala attached to to that thought process 2194 02:07:06.600 --> 02:07:09.199 which which gives you like a fog of war where 2195 02:07:09.199 --> 02:07:12.439 you can't really do it right. These things will get 2196 02:07:12.479 --> 02:07:14.119 you to a place where you can put it into 2197 02:07:14.119 --> 02:07:17.520 your prefrontal core takes without the emotion that is that 2198 02:07:17.640 --> 02:07:23.199 is distracting you and making it very very hard. And 2199 02:07:23.199 --> 02:07:26.079 and then you have to do the work. And then 2200 02:07:26.119 --> 02:07:29.000 if if, then you can't go back to the same habits. 2201 02:07:29.000 --> 02:07:31.600 You can't go back to the same environment because I 2202 02:07:31.680 --> 02:07:34.439 have done that before, and then all the progress you 2203 02:07:34.520 --> 02:07:37.840 make just gets reset. It takes it takes time. So 2204 02:07:39.199 --> 02:07:43.039 for example, you know there's that book that I read. 2205 02:07:43.079 --> 02:07:46.479 It's called The Obstacle Becomes the Way. It's true, you 2206 02:07:46.600 --> 02:07:53.079 have to just don't want to do yeah, our decisions 2207 02:07:53.119 --> 02:07:58.199 and lifestyle habit changes. You have to you have to 2208 02:07:58.239 --> 02:08:01.279 do the work. And it's it's not going to happen overnight, 2209 02:08:01.359 --> 02:08:05.520 but you can. With persistence and consistency, you can. You 2210 02:08:05.560 --> 02:08:08.079 can change. You can rewire your brain. You can physically 2211 02:08:08.319 --> 02:08:13.560 you know, they know neuroplasticity is a real thing now 2212 02:08:13.640 --> 02:08:14.600 and you can. 2213 02:08:14.880 --> 02:08:16.159 You can heal from trauma. 2214 02:08:16.319 --> 02:08:19.399 You can, you know, instead of getting triggered and going 2215 02:08:19.439 --> 02:08:22.079 to a bad place, you get triggered and recognize it 2216 02:08:22.119 --> 02:08:26.119 and just have no associated negative feeling with it anymore. 2217 02:08:26.159 --> 02:08:29.199 But it takes takes time and work. So so I'd 2218 02:08:29.199 --> 02:08:31.840 say what I do now mostly is because I want 2219 02:08:31.920 --> 02:08:34.840 to evolve so I can be present in my life 2220 02:08:34.840 --> 02:08:37.840 and my daughter's life. Is like I've been focusing on that, 2221 02:08:38.640 --> 02:08:43.439 you know, and trying to do positive things for myself 2222 02:08:43.520 --> 02:08:48.079 and my family, and and I guess for the environment 2223 02:08:48.119 --> 02:08:50.119 around me, because whether I like. 2224 02:08:50.159 --> 02:08:54.079 It or not, I'm visible when I walk around. 2225 02:08:54.159 --> 02:08:56.880 People know I have no you know, I'm missing hands, 2226 02:08:57.319 --> 02:09:00.600 you know, and I'll wear you know, like what should 2227 02:09:00.600 --> 02:09:02.960 I go out with the old becom jack on my 2228 02:09:03.000 --> 02:09:04.960 shirt or something? You know, people will thank me for 2229 02:09:05.039 --> 02:09:08.039 my service. So I'm also put in a position for 2230 02:09:08.560 --> 02:09:11.319 where I'm skyline. So if I'm gonna be skylined, if 2231 02:09:11.359 --> 02:09:14.920 I'm gonna have to carry these hooks or whatever, walk 2232 02:09:15.000 --> 02:09:22.439 this path, and I might as well, you know, show back, 2233 02:09:22.720 --> 02:09:26.239 pick my head up and hold it high, and you know, 2234 02:09:27.680 --> 02:09:36.079 just just show show that, show that these injuries don't 2235 02:09:36.079 --> 02:09:36.640 define me. 2236 02:09:36.800 --> 02:09:38.680 You know that I can be confident, and I can 2237 02:09:38.720 --> 02:09:41.000 be a man, and I canna have a great life 2238 02:09:41.000 --> 02:09:43.159 in spite of it because whether I like it or not, 2239 02:09:43.279 --> 02:09:47.199 I have a position that I can inspire people or 2240 02:09:47.239 --> 02:09:51.039 I can you know, I have them feeling pity for me, 2241 02:09:51.119 --> 02:09:51.680 and I do. 2242 02:09:51.800 --> 02:09:53.520 I don't want that, you know. I don't like when 2243 02:09:55.000 --> 02:09:57.560 you know. I like when people care and they say 2244 02:09:57.600 --> 02:10:00.319 how are you doing? You know, But a lot of 2245 02:10:00.359 --> 02:10:02.720 the times when somebody's asked me how am I doing, 2246 02:10:02.800 --> 02:10:04.840 I'm thinking in my head, like how are you doing? 2247 02:10:05.000 --> 02:10:08.880 Because I understand, like everybody goes through shiit. You don't 2248 02:10:08.960 --> 02:10:12.159 have to have a physical wound. The physical wounds are 2249 02:10:12.199 --> 02:10:15.479 easier to deal with than than the emotional or the 2250 02:10:16.000 --> 02:10:18.720 mental trauma that you've gone through in life. 2251 02:10:20.479 --> 02:10:21.800 Where can people go to find you? 2252 02:10:22.000 --> 02:10:22.279 Eddie? 2253 02:10:22.399 --> 02:10:24.760 And you mentioned I think it was a Simper five fund? 2254 02:10:24.760 --> 02:10:26.119 Where can people go to find them? 2255 02:10:29.239 --> 02:10:33.560 The fund dot org and the Simple five funds wonderful organization. 2256 02:10:34.520 --> 02:10:38.800 It started by two by a few volunteers. There's spouses 2257 02:10:38.840 --> 02:10:44.159 of military officers, and it was grassroots. They recognized them 2258 02:10:44.199 --> 02:10:50.000 a need that wasn't being filled by any government agency immediately, 2259 02:10:51.000 --> 02:10:55.920 like families needed assistance because when I you know, in 2260 02:10:55.960 --> 02:10:58.199 the beginning of the war and all these guys getting 2261 02:10:58.199 --> 02:11:00.560 wounded and sent to Walter Reed and other places there 2262 02:11:00.600 --> 02:11:05.279 were there weren't resources for moms and dads who had 2263 02:11:05.319 --> 02:11:07.279 to quit their jobs to come and take care of 2264 02:11:07.319 --> 02:11:10.960 their children, or wives or husbands quitting to take care 2265 02:11:10.960 --> 02:11:14.920 of their spouses or not getting paid. So they knew 2266 02:11:14.960 --> 02:11:18.159 that there was a need. People needed help with money 2267 02:11:18.239 --> 02:11:22.000 for hotels or food. Like my mother was, she flew 2268 02:11:22.000 --> 02:11:26.279 over from Ireland, she lived, she was at the Fisher 2269 02:11:26.319 --> 02:11:29.680 House for a good five or six months helping them 2270 02:11:29.720 --> 02:11:31.720 to take care of me and help me. You know, 2271 02:11:31.720 --> 02:11:34.520 once I wasn't any patient get to them for appointments, 2272 02:11:34.600 --> 02:11:38.560 and so I ran into them in the beginning and 2273 02:11:39.640 --> 02:11:42.920 they've been family since. And then now the organization has 2274 02:11:42.960 --> 02:11:47.119 grown into an organization that has granted over five hundred 2275 02:11:47.199 --> 02:11:51.600 million to over thirty four thousand veterans and will there 2276 02:11:51.640 --> 02:11:57.079 family members and never with an overhead that exceeded seven percent. 2277 02:11:57.920 --> 02:12:03.079 It's it's like top rated all the charity watchdog sites. 2278 02:12:03.720 --> 02:12:07.800 And they don't have to advertise. It just always has 2279 02:12:07.840 --> 02:12:12.680 been word of mouth, and now it for years has 2280 02:12:12.720 --> 02:12:17.000 been expanded to not just help Marines and Corman, all 2281 02:12:17.039 --> 02:12:25.560 service branches, Air Force, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, God Forbid, 2282 02:12:25.680 --> 02:12:27.920 Space Force, if we get into another thing, you know, 2283 02:12:28.239 --> 02:12:31.239 like like I think it'd be cool to be in 2284 02:12:31.279 --> 02:12:33.720 It sounds cool to being a space force. But maybe 2285 02:12:33.920 --> 02:12:36.319 I'm not a numbers cruncher. Maybe it wouldn't be good 2286 02:12:36.359 --> 02:12:40.479 for me. But so yeah, yeah, so they're just they'll 2287 02:12:40.520 --> 02:12:44.800 help anybody. And their programs are wonderful because they have 2288 02:12:44.920 --> 02:12:48.279 things for Vietnam there guys. They have things for spouses, 2289 02:12:48.319 --> 02:12:51.319 they have things for children, they have mental health resources, 2290 02:12:51.399 --> 02:12:57.880 they have teams simplify you know, sporting events, they have 2291 02:12:58.159 --> 02:13:04.239 entrepreneurship programs, they have you know, and if if you 2292 02:13:04.279 --> 02:13:09.520 need emergency grants for you know, your house flooded or 2293 02:13:09.640 --> 02:13:12.119 or you know, you have a family member who's ill 2294 02:13:12.199 --> 02:13:15.439 and you can't afford the flights to be with them, 2295 02:13:16.159 --> 02:13:19.880 all kinds of stuff and they're just they're like angels. 2296 02:13:19.880 --> 02:13:22.039 It's a great organization. Now, there's a lot of great 2297 02:13:22.159 --> 02:13:24.880 organizations out there, but that one right there is top notch. 2298 02:13:25.479 --> 02:13:32.960 Yeah, that's awesome. Any any final thoughts, any like questions 2299 02:13:33.039 --> 02:13:35.079 that you wish I had asked that I didn't before 2300 02:13:35.119 --> 02:13:36.239 we get going tonight. 2301 02:13:42.720 --> 02:13:47.479 I'd like to say I'd like to mention up Tune 2302 02:13:47.479 --> 02:13:48.840 Commander Captain Brian Morrell. 2303 02:13:50.239 --> 02:13:56.119 I already mentioned he was such a good guy. He uh. 2304 02:13:56.800 --> 02:13:58.800 I still keep in touch with his mom and dad 2305 02:14:00.079 --> 02:14:03.760 and his wife at the time, and sometimes I feel 2306 02:14:03.800 --> 02:14:07.479 they were able to move on or or process it 2307 02:14:07.600 --> 02:14:09.960 faster than me, you know, Like but I call him, 2308 02:14:09.960 --> 02:14:12.520 I don't call and you know, but break into tears 2309 02:14:12.640 --> 02:14:15.319 and you know, feeling terrible. 2310 02:14:16.119 --> 02:14:22.760 You know, We've we've gone through all that together, you know. Ah, but. 2311 02:14:24.319 --> 02:14:28.399 You know, Kevin Roe was post posthumously awarded the Navy 2312 02:14:28.399 --> 02:14:32.680 Cross for his actions on the battlefield that day, and 2313 02:14:35.039 --> 02:14:38.560 a friend of mine, Mike Mendoza as well, and uh 2314 02:14:39.479 --> 02:14:43.880 there was another Navy Cross that day, an opportune and 2315 02:14:44.079 --> 02:14:49.520 some silver stars, bronze stars, like we acquitted ourselves very 2316 02:14:49.520 --> 02:14:52.560 well on the battlefield, very proud to be part of 2317 02:14:52.600 --> 02:14:56.079 Air Street Commeaalion and now our Portune one of the 2318 02:14:56.119 --> 02:15:01.479 most highly decorated recomflatoons in our history from any single engagement. 2319 02:15:01.720 --> 02:15:10.039 And I uh, let's see the questions. Uh oh, I'd 2320 02:15:10.079 --> 02:15:12.119 like to say, like, in spite of my injuries, I've 2321 02:15:12.119 --> 02:15:15.319 been able to do some really cool things. So you know, 2322 02:15:15.399 --> 02:15:18.079 when if there's people out there listening and watching them, 2323 02:15:18.840 --> 02:15:20.479 and you might have an injury you're dealing with. 2324 02:15:20.520 --> 02:15:24.640 There's something nailment. Life is an over. I climbed out 2325 02:15:24.640 --> 02:15:26.199 and kill them. The jar with my team leader with 2326 02:15:26.279 --> 02:15:33.159 the raging hangover made it. That's another story. Uh. And then, uh, 2327 02:15:34.800 --> 02:15:38.239 you know, I've my my last year in the Marine 2328 02:15:38.239 --> 02:15:39.439 Corps actually went back to work. 2329 02:15:39.479 --> 02:15:42.159 I healed up, and I worked at the Basic School 2330 02:15:42.159 --> 02:15:44.920 in Quantico, Virginia, teaching the Marine Corps Martial Arts program 2331 02:15:44.960 --> 02:15:47.920 out there and structor trainer school house the Martial Arts 2332 02:15:47.920 --> 02:15:49.720 Center of Excellence. So that was a cool way to 2333 02:15:49.760 --> 02:15:54.199 go out. So you know, I don't try to let 2334 02:15:54.479 --> 02:15:57.800 injuries define me. And and I think, you know, it's 2335 02:15:57.840 --> 02:15:59.520 probably good advice for a lot of people. 2336 02:16:00.520 --> 02:16:02.039 I can get into my head and that can be 2337 02:16:02.079 --> 02:16:03.640 like everybody looks at me and I'm a dude with 2338 02:16:03.680 --> 02:16:06.439 no hands. But a lot of times that's just me 2339 02:16:06.640 --> 02:16:08.640 thinking because a lot of people don't even notice. 2340 02:16:08.760 --> 02:16:10.600 And then most of a lot of times I forget. 2341 02:16:11.119 --> 02:16:14.039 And so life's good, you know, And and then on 2342 02:16:14.119 --> 02:16:16.359 it's not. Don't worry. You just keep putting one foot 2343 02:16:16.359 --> 02:16:19.960 in front of the other. We all got to stick together. 2344 02:16:20.119 --> 02:16:23.840 We still keep losing a lot of veterans to suicide. 2345 02:16:24.199 --> 02:16:25.960 And a lot of times it's the one you would 2346 02:16:26.079 --> 02:16:30.119 never expect. I know these guys and I'm like, what 2347 02:16:30.159 --> 02:16:32.719 the hell, where did that come from? You know, and 2348 02:16:32.840 --> 02:16:36.799 families are left behind and it's terrible. So like, if 2349 02:16:36.840 --> 02:16:43.520 you're going through a rough time, call somebody. Man, don't isolate, 2350 02:16:43.600 --> 02:16:46.559 don't bear yourself into bottle like of course getting hammered. 2351 02:16:46.600 --> 02:16:49.639 That has helped me on occasion, but it also has 2352 02:16:49.719 --> 02:16:52.639 not helped me on an the occasion, And I think, 2353 02:16:52.760 --> 02:16:55.159 just don't isolate, stay in touch. 2354 02:16:55.200 --> 02:16:58.959 But more than anything, just keep putting one foot. 2355 02:16:58.760 --> 02:17:01.159 In front of the other, because no matter you know, like, 2356 02:17:02.079 --> 02:17:04.680 you know, guy, these guys who I know who have 2357 02:17:05.600 --> 02:17:06.479 it's way too many. 2358 02:17:06.520 --> 02:17:09.319 It's crazy, who have killed themselves. 2359 02:17:10.319 --> 02:17:12.200 I know that maybe if they would have waited one 2360 02:17:12.239 --> 02:17:16.239 more day, they've been feeling better. Yeah, you know, just 2361 02:17:16.319 --> 02:17:18.440 keep putting one foot in front of the other. I 2362 02:17:18.680 --> 02:17:20.959 call somebody. There's resources too. 2363 02:17:23.879 --> 02:17:24.840 It's awesome advice. 2364 02:17:25.159 --> 02:17:25.440 Eddie. 2365 02:17:25.959 --> 02:17:27.600 Thank you for sharing your story tonight. 2366 02:17:29.959 --> 02:17:35.319 M thank you actually being patient with me. 2367 02:17:35.399 --> 02:17:37.520 I guess you know you've got a version of my 2368 02:17:37.639 --> 02:17:40.000 story that I haven't been. I haven't been that detailed 2369 02:17:40.000 --> 02:17:44.280 and telling my story in a long time. Honestly, I 2370 02:17:44.360 --> 02:17:47.799 used to tell it like that, but last few years 2371 02:17:47.799 --> 02:17:51.879 people have been getting a shortened version, so understandably it 2372 02:17:53.760 --> 02:17:58.920 excuse me. So anyway, Yeah, I really appreciate it. 2373 02:17:59.600 --> 02:18:01.639 Yeah you too, Eddie. I mean, I know it's not 2374 02:18:01.639 --> 02:18:04.200 always an easy thing to recount, even though you seem 2375 02:18:04.239 --> 02:18:06.760 to have processed, you know, the event pretty well at 2376 02:18:06.760 --> 02:18:11.639 this place at this point, but it still sucks. But 2377 02:18:11.799 --> 02:18:14.520 for folks out there, we'll have some links down the 2378 02:18:14.559 --> 02:18:19.920 description for simplify and appreciate you guys joining us tonight, 2379 02:18:20.040 --> 02:18:22.479 and we'll see all of you out there next time. 2380 02:18:22.760 --> 02:18:28.319 And thank you again, Eddie, Thanks, thank you very much. Hey, guys, 2381 02:18:28.319 --> 02:18:29.879 it's Jack. I just want to talk to you for 2382 02:18:29.879 --> 02:18:32.159 a moment about how you can support the show. If 2383 02:18:32.159 --> 02:18:34.760 you've been watching it, enjoying it, but you'd like to 2384 02:18:34.799 --> 02:18:37.000 get a little bit more involved and help us continue 2385 02:18:37.000 --> 02:18:39.799 to do this, you can check out our Patreon It 2386 02:18:39.920 --> 02:18:44.399 is patreon dot com slash the Teamhouse, and for five 2387 02:18:44.440 --> 02:18:46.840 dollars a month you can get access to all of 2388 02:18:46.879 --> 02:18:50.879 these episodes of The Teamhouse ad free. The same goes 2389 02:18:50.920 --> 02:18:54.559 with our affiliated podcast Eyes On with Andy Milburn, Jason 2390 02:18:54.639 --> 02:18:58.040 Lyons mcmulroy. That one you will also get all of 2391 02:18:58.079 --> 02:19:02.680 those episodes add free, and you support the channel and 2392 02:19:02.719 --> 02:19:05.520 the show, and we really appreciate it. The Patreon members 2393 02:19:05.559 --> 02:19:09.319 are literally what has helped this company and this small 2394 02:19:09.360 --> 02:19:13.840 business survive, especially during our early years, and you are 2395 02:19:13.879 --> 02:19:17.000 what continues to help this thing going even as we 2396 02:19:17.120 --> 02:19:21.520 navigate the turbulent world of YouTube advertising. So we really 2397 02:19:21.520 --> 02:19:24.280 appreciate all of you, guys. There's going to be a 2398 02:19:24.319 --> 02:19:27.440 link down in the description to that Patreon page, and 2399 02:19:27.799 --> 02:19:29.920 there is also going to be a link to our 2400 02:19:29.959 --> 02:19:32.559 new merch shop, so if you guys want to go 2401 02:19:32.600 --> 02:19:36.040 and get some Teamhouse merchandise, we got stickers and we 2402 02:19:36.120 --> 02:19:39.399 also have patches, and I should mention if you sign 2403 02:19:39.479 --> 02:19:41.719 up for Patreon at ten dollars a month, we will 2404 02:19:41.760 --> 02:19:46.239 mail you this patch as well, so we really appreciate that. 2405 02:19:46.879 --> 02:19:50.040 But they're also for sale on the merch shop and additionally, 2406 02:19:50.399 --> 02:19:54.520 they got t shirts up there, water bottles, a tote bag, 2407 02:19:54.879 --> 02:19:58.520 coffee mugs, all that good stuff, so please go and 2408 02:19:58.600 --> 02:20:01.920 check them out and support the show. We really appreciate it, guys. 2409 02:20:01.959 --> 02:20:02.280 Thank you.