An Excerpt from My Journal.....Part 1
26 Jan 05
Well it has been an interesting few days. We convoyed for 4 days from Kuwait through Iraq. I slept fully geared
in the truck for 2 nights; in pain, cold and wet. The situation allowed me to see so clearly the simple joys dry clothes or an old cot. It was rough for a while. There were some existential moments along the way that made me stop and take note. I rode behind the driver, Ramos, with my machine gun fully loaded, pointed out the window. Pointed out the window at children. Sure there were hundreds of the despicable adults, but there was one boy, about 10 years old. We were driving through a town full of people along the streets.
Most looked unhappy at our intrusion since our 2 km long convoy stopped their traffic. Many of the young men looked disgusted and hostile. Then I saw this boy standing on the median about 5 feet away from me. As we passed his eyes fixed on the barrel of my machine gun. It seemed like that moment passed for hours instead of the seconds it took. There I sat, in the middle of a potentially hostile area, with my M249 ready to fire, and all I can think about is what went through that boy’s mind. Shortly after, I was focused back on the task of surviving the trip as people closed in on our trucks. Having the power of death in ones hand is a mighty and humbling responsibility, especially when you don’t know your enemy.
[Continued Tomorrow]
Well it has been an interesting few days. We convoyed for 4 days from Kuwait through Iraq. I slept fully geared
in the truck for 2 nights; in pain, cold and wet. The situation allowed me to see so clearly the simple joys dry clothes or an old cot. It was rough for a while. There were some existential moments along the way that made me stop and take note. I rode behind the driver, Ramos, with my machine gun fully loaded, pointed out the window. Pointed out the window at children. Sure there were hundreds of the despicable adults, but there was one boy, about 10 years old. We were driving through a town full of people along the streets.
Most looked unhappy at our intrusion since our 2 km long convoy stopped their traffic. Many of the young men looked disgusted and hostile. Then I saw this boy standing on the median about 5 feet away from me. As we passed his eyes fixed on the barrel of my machine gun. It seemed like that moment passed for hours instead of the seconds it took. There I sat, in the middle of a potentially hostile area, with my M249 ready to fire, and all I can think about is what went through that boy’s mind. Shortly after, I was focused back on the task of surviving the trip as people closed in on our trucks. Having the power of death in ones hand is a mighty and humbling responsibility, especially when you don’t know your enemy.
[Continued Tomorrow]
posted by Dorman at 08:52
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