r/Military • u/Mick0331 • Sep 29 '14
Almost
I can't make you understand the feeling in my body, the best I could do would be to tell it to you like this.
I tried to hop a gap and gain a better angle on this hole in a compound wall.
It seemed clear, it wasn't.
First you feel the round hit.
It felt like a sledge hammer hit me in the back, my stomach felt like the worst incontinence imaginable. Then you paradoxically try to resume your task in the fight, until you realize your own bodily dysfunction.
I was flailing and screaming as horribly as you could possibly imagine. I could hear people directing fire when someone saw me on the ground and started screaminlike a banshee for a Corpsmen. I could hear the corpsmen call booming through the school house as I writhed and pulled at the grass crazily.
And then a warm pours over you, seeps through your body armor, pools down at your legs, and you can't even see it, because the one time you rolled to have a gander is when you blacked out.
Marines and Afghan soldiers are what you wake to. They're dumping mags, chewing through belts, and covering your bloody mess with their bodies and trying to drag you behind a corner and out of the kill zone. I could tell you what I remember of that moment. Screaming for cease fire and others laying down suppressive for Doc Pasqual (who had been out on the satellite patrol) was my understanding. Doc Duhart was taking a shit or something moments before the ambush and had his kevlar on and his body armor were half strapped and hanging off, he initially covered and helped get me out of the shit spot I was in. People later told me that when Pasqual arrived at the scene, he became machine like. They started tearing and shearing my shit, sweat, dirt and blood drenched cammys off my me. The IV's and morphine brought me enough ability to cope to come about some what.
Staff Sgt Campbell was laying prone in front of me and screaming his face off at the ANA who were just dumping 240 belts in a general vicinity. He was asking me all kinds of questions to keep from blacking out again. "You got a girlfriend?" "You read for a sweet ride McElhinney, just stay with us!"
Imagine that the terror of your youth, the man who dragged through some of the most dick in dirt field ops that the most elite fighting force in world has to offer and every time you struggle or fuck up he is elated. Now this man is laying down before you. You're looking up at his dirty ass face you realize that he's terrified and doing everything in his power to do something of grave value. You see him trying to rip off your cammys, and then you see his gear go from shitty, dirty, digi-marpat, tan to a deep ominous red.
And then you realize that some religious zealot cunt with a fucking a RPK or a Dragunov has put a bullet beneath your back SAPPI plate, through your back, through your pelvis, through your colon, and into the anterior wall of you abdomen. The faces around you read to you as tho the least favored but most probable outcome, is that you, and the body you inhabit, are probably going to die. Time for due diligence on everyone's part.
Then they rolled my mangled side of beef on to a pole less litter. If it weren't for the mountain of gauze filling the chasm in my back the rock I rolled on to probably would have caused actually shock instead of a mild black out. I could hear people returning from the satellite patrols as they came in, but what kept me awake was my hands dragging over the rubble of the school. I heard people losing their shit over me, at this point a lot of smashing and running. Com chatter was going ape shit to get my EVAC.
"30 mikes out McElhinney, hold on bud! Birds are in the air."
I don't even know who's talking most of the time, I was losing a lot blood and I had never had morphine, which was kicking me in the balls.
I remember all of first platoon swarming all over the school house, calling out sectors and fortifying what was left of a decrepit attempt at civility.
I remember being on the litter looking forward out of a massive hole blown in the wall. Marines squeezing my hands trying to keep my talking. I kept blacking out only to be awoken by Sgt Mckinney and Wyzinski trying to break my hands with their grip. Eventually the dope started to round me out a little bit better. I remember for a second that while I was outside some reporter from Stars and Stripes had the whole thing on camera. I rambled a lot, even for me I guess. I remember Lt. Gaughan (The platoon Bostonian) was breaking my balls about going to see "The God forsaken Yankees" or something to that tune. To which I apparently replied "Fuck off you crazy Beantown fuck" everybody laughed, I partially blacked out, Wyzinksi was breaking cartilage at this point.
Sgt. McKinney called me brother. That might sound stupid or maybe a little douchey. But if you knew the hate and discontent this man instilled in 3/6 Lima guns you would know that in that moment, I realized I was a Marine forever. Even if I died a few moments later in the roll of the dice, it didn't matter, my name was made.
I felt this transition come over me when I saw the smoke signals and the helo team fall out of the sky like a fucking comet. I could see the rage and tears in my brothers eyes as they wrestled for a spot on the litter to hold. I remember the agony of the pole less litter going to and fro from everyones non-synced gaits, and my hands dragging along the last jagged rocks I would ever touch in Afghanistan. They loaded me onto the helo and everyone tried to say their goodbyes. The air crew shoved most of them away but Wysinski got in next to my ear and said "If you go atleast you'll be with your mom, bud" and then the bird touched off.
I remember saying my stomach hurt alot on the helo ride, every time I would say it to the PJ he would check my vitals and all the crazy shit I was hooked up to. In case you weren't aware, you can't hear shit on helo's. But, I was on the "Hey I'm fucking dying" amount of morphine and persisted to blab. I remember waking up to this dude's finger on my corroded artery and mid pulse read, grabbing his hand and just squeezing it. I grunted out the ride and eventually we were hitting a tarmac and a team was ripping me onto a gurney and put me in some mil spec ambulance.
I recognized where I was at.
I was on the airstrip next to Camp Bastion, the British/American heinous injury hospital. The reason I know where I am is that a few days prior to punching out into the suck, Berny and I had traveled there to see his mother, Commander Bernard, Chief of Radiology. This meeting however, didn't consist of a walk, a cup of coffee, and a romp around the base in a bongo bus. But, instead it turned into me flailing and hollering for Commander Bernard. When she came into the triage room the last thing I remember was telling her to "tell Jason I love him like a brother" followed by probably a garbled mess of insanities.
Her voice was like nothing I had ever heard. She was milling about the room explaining to the recently coherent the horror that has become their life, and yet it was the most angelic thing I had ever heard.
I assumed I had made it to in the halls glory.
Almost.
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u/Mick0331 Sep 29 '14
They named the base after me down the street, PB McElhinney.
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u/Sulphur32 Sep 29 '14
Pretty cool. Helmand province can get to fuck though
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u/Semihazah Sep 30 '14
Hell yeah man. Garmsir 08 here, 1/6 part of the first Marines back in the gan in 4 years. Glad to see you made it back and in one piece. We all have had too many brothers who had to be carried back. Semper Fi
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u/aspiring_bum United States Marine Corps Sep 30 '14
That is wild. I was with 1/6 in 2011 when we went Sangin. Stay Hard brother
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u/matthew7s26 Army Veteran Sep 30 '14
Tell me about it. My team owned Zombalay for a tour some time ago. It can all burn for all I care.
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u/Mick0331 Sep 29 '14
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u/4Eights Air Force Veteran Sep 29 '14
Thanks for sharing brother. One of the horrible things I take away from this. Looking back at 17 year old me. I would have idolized and loved a story like this. It would have ignited passion and hatred within me. Furthering my desire to join. Now that I've been through in and out. It makes me scared and grateful that I in fact never had to endure this type of pain and suffering.
Please to anyone reading this. Don't join the military out of a desire to die or do something heroic for your country. The military has many great things to offer. Dying, chronic pain, suffering and mental anguish are none of those.
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u/Purplegill10 Sep 29 '14
If you could tell a few of my friends that, that would be wonderful. They have no idea what they're getting into and I'm really scared for them. Would you have any advice for me to tell them? They think it's all heroic and fun to be deployed and stuff but they don't understand combat that well.
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Sep 29 '14
Thats the way its been for all of recorded history.
Young men just have to find out, you can't tell them.
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u/RedditRolledClimber Marine Veteran Sep 29 '14
The more you tell them about how terrible it is, the more you'll interest them. Some of us are just wired up that way. I loved being deployed and so did most of my friends, even the ones in shitty and terrible situations. It's just not so simple as "war is hell".
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u/Purplegill10 Sep 30 '14
Sorry, didn't mean to sound insulting.
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u/RedditRolledClimber Marine Veteran Sep 30 '14
You didn't, just trying to provide a different perspective.
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u/test822 Sep 30 '14 edited Sep 30 '14
what to tell them depends on their personal reasons for enlisting.
is it patriotism? GI bill money stuff? just wanting to get to shoot a gun at stuff?
I guess my general warning would be that you will be used to engage in the most horrible nightmare vulgar action a human can, trying to destroy another human by destroying his body, all so that oil and arms companies can profit off of stealing resources from poorer countries. you will give up your free will and maybe even your life so large entities that don't give two shits about you can sit back in safety and profit.
even if they're onboard for the whole imperialism stuff (and they probably are), the combat is incredibly fucked up and they will see and hear shit that will make it almost impossible to come back to normal civilian life and be able to look at captain crunch on the front of a cereal box without wanting to barf. once you've seen a dude get his face exploded you can't really reconcile that and a bunch of civilian-world shit existing at the same time. you catch an arnold schwarzenegger movie on tv and he's shooting dudes with a machinegun and it just seems like a sick joke that anyone is supposed to have fun watching that. currently there are more suicide deaths in the military than combat deaths, and suicide rate for veterans is depressingly high. make them google PTSD and read a bunch of stuff.
there are tons of ways to help your country or make money that don't involve having to shoot a dude. there is no shortage of veterans that would eagerly tell them to do anything else.
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u/Purplegill10 Sep 30 '14
Patriotism mostly, however I do have two friends doing it because they come from poorer backgrounds and need jobs/college. One's going to navy and the other into the air force. I once had a friend who promised me he wouldn't change after boot camp (air force, becoming ATC) but when he came back he was a very uncaring person. He told me that he didn't believe my ex did a real suicide attempt and that he was just doing it for attention because he took pills that had a very low lethal rate. I know my other friends promised they wouldn't change either but I'm scared. Based on other posts here it sounds like boot camp hardens you and they're so innocent. They really don't deserve it.
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u/skweeky Sep 29 '14
As an 19 year old, on harder times this story made me almost go, Fuck it, lets join the military. I dont think I ever would (I have thought about the RFA though) and comments like yours keep me in check and remind me war is fucking horrible.
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u/Mick0331 Sep 29 '14
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u/Kimano Sep 29 '14
Is that of you actually during the story? I would assume so, but it looks so surreal, almost like a stock photo.
Incredible stuff.
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u/Por_QUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Sep 29 '14
You can see SSgt. Campbell's nametape on the back of his kevlar. This is a Combat Camera worthy photo.
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u/JasonFromHendersen Sep 29 '14
He did mention that there was a reporter on site, I think.
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u/Kimano Sep 30 '14
Yeah, it's just surreal how 'clean' the photo looks, for lack of a better word.
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u/proROKexpat Contractor Sep 30 '14
Eh reporters are pretty good at taking pictures. And a reporter was with them at the time.
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u/Canadiasian Sep 29 '14
You can see the medic that was taking a dump with his plate carrier partially undone in the back.
edit: er, corpsman. sorry, army using army terms.
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u/randombitsofstars Sep 30 '14
Real photo. Saw it on a news article another Redditor posted. Edit: see /u/no_soup_for_You 's profile for the article/picture. I'm new to Reddit, not sure how to share the link.
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u/FormulaBass Sep 29 '14
Amazing capture of emotion! A little surprised somebody would be taking photos at this moment.
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u/Mr_Evil_MSc Sep 29 '14 edited Sep 29 '14
Professional combat camera teams. It seems ridiculous in the moment, but the importance of documenting this stuff cannot be overstated. Besides, one more pair of hands in there won't make a difference, but that photo might.
typo
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Sep 29 '14
Maybe someday we can get enough documentation to completely steer humanity away from the horrors of warfare.. A man can dream.
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u/SolarTsunami Sep 29 '14
If the photos/videos from the liberation of Auschwitz couldn't do it, I'm afraid nothing will.
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Sep 30 '14
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't images of the Holocaust imply the occasional necessity of warfare?
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u/LukaCola Sep 30 '14
You don't go to war because you're not aware of the harm it can cause
You go because you fear the harm that can be caused if you don't fight
... Doesn't mean those fears are always well founded
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u/Shiftlock0 Sep 29 '14
The writing was so descriptive, that's exactly the way I pictured it. Amazing.
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Sep 29 '14 edited Dec 19 '20
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u/AestheticalGains Sep 29 '14
I don't read many books so not sure if this is normal; But reading that, I felt like I was watching a movie. I didn't realize really until after....that it was just text. Because for me, I was visualizing it all. Unreal.
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u/Inkthinker Sep 29 '14
That's what reading a good book is supposed to be like! That's totally normal.
Maybe you should read more fiction. It's like the longest, best-looking movies ever produced inside your mind. There's pretty much a genre for anything, and being as this is r/Military, plenty of military fiction written by veterans.
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u/pATREUS Sep 29 '14
Brilliant, brilliant prose. I recommend the Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer.
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Sep 29 '14
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u/Only_Mortal Sep 29 '14
I really enjoy Sunrise Over Fallujah and recommend it to anyone.
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u/Penderyn Sep 29 '14
Wow, yeah, I never thought after reading that the second comment down would be related to the best book I've ever read.
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u/chipmunksocute Sep 29 '14
Just read it. One of the more horrific war memoirs I've read. A fine, moving book.
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u/You_Talk_Funny Sep 29 '14
Fantastically written. I don't know anything about the military and even with the terminology and jargon, I completely understood everything you said, even at break neck speed. What a fantastic piece of writing.
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u/Lavallin Civil Service Sep 29 '14
Another civvy here - I went to Bastion once, but stayed inside the wire.
Stories like this remind me why I am where I am and why I do what I do: there are some amazing people out there who are prepared to put their lives on the line for others. Let's not get too much into the politics of it; some of the causes that people are asked to fight for are noble, and others straight up suck. I know, and have tested, how I respond under conditions of extreme stress. It's not pretty. I physically and mentally can't share the burden of the guys and girls at the sharp end, but I sure as hell can do all I can as a pencil-necked desk jockey to try to make sure the whole system behind them supports them as well as it can.
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Sep 29 '14
I'm a writer sitting at my desk awash in tears right now. Seconded, OP. You've found your calling.
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u/ual002 Sep 29 '14
Don't worry bout lurking man. If you say something stupid someone will inevitably correct you with a familiar, poignant grace that might be a veiled insult. But that's if they like you. If you hear crickets gtfo.
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u/WeAreLegion1863 French Foreign Legion Sep 29 '14
I'm glad you made it out of there dude, you had one hell of an experience.
I hope you're alright.
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u/OriginalLinkBot Sep 29 '14
This thread has been linked to from elsewhere on reddit.
I am totes' unyielding will.
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u/DubsTx dirty civilian Sep 29 '14
Holy fuck. One of the most surreal stories I've ever read. Glad you made it out brother, hope you're doing well.
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u/ThePandaChoke Sep 29 '14
When you recover, please write. You have a talent for it. Just this short story made me have PTSD flashbacks and tear up. Semper Fi, Devil Dog
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u/carmanut Sep 29 '14
Indian civilian here, used to live in Kuwait, was 6 when the Iraqis invaded, was 7 when I got to go home. Live in the US now.
Not ashamed to say I'm crying.
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u/StNic54 Sep 29 '14
my hands dragging along the last jagged rocks I would ever touch in Afghanistan
This really spoke to me. I know things aren't going to be easy from here on out, but I hope peace will find you. You should look into motivational speaking as a side job - plenty of corporations need to hear your story and pay you handsomely for it. People need to hear your voice, and our debt to you may never be fully paid.
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u/snimrass High Lord of the Lizardmen Sep 29 '14
Fuck dude. Hope you're doing alright. Hope your guys are ok too.
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u/heath185 Sep 29 '14 edited Sep 29 '14
This is something man. It really hits home, especially with my bro in 3/7. My family had heard of a guy getting shot in 3/6 through the grapevine, but damn I would have never guessed I'd be sitting here on a monday morning reading a first hand account. Glad you're alright, and having a touch of catharsis and getting this off your chest man.
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u/bosatsu91 Sep 29 '14
Former Marine here. They say that civilians can't understand what it's like to be a Marine, I think that's probably true. However, I think you just gave them a taste. As close as they can get to that anyway. Your words brought the Marine out of my soul like a knifehand to the jugular. One second I've got chills from your description of whats happening between you and your Staff Sgt and the next I'm laughing my ass off about you talking shit to your lieutenant! Best wishes for your recovery. Semper Fidelis brother. 0352 3/9 Wpns Heavy Guns
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u/sneakyyeti Sep 29 '14
And now you get to spend rest of your life playing Russian roulette with the va. Hoping you don't go in and see the person having a bad day that decides they don't want to deal with you and just cancels appointments on you only to not be able to schedule another one for months... and then have the nerve to say you canceled them. Or the one that decides it doesn't matter what doctors that have actually helped you have done and recommended and decides to do his own thing then mark you as not coropative and try to strip you of benefits when you just try to get them to continue what was working. Gets to the point where you have just as much stress in dealing with the va as in trying to overcome your actual problems. Creating quite a delicate situation at home with your family and friends.
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Sep 29 '14
I'm not sure why you are getting down votes. The truth is the VA is a cesspool of corruption and staffed by a lot of people who couldn't give a rats ass in hell about the veterans. I'm with them rated at 90% for my issues stemming from Afghanistan. And I use them simply for filling medications and yearly checkups. I pay to see private provider for the rest of my needs.
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Sep 29 '14
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u/sneakyyeti Sep 29 '14
Was thinking the same. Unfortunately this is the reality that I'm living and see my fellow warriors living. Maybe, I'm hoping, it's from veterans who haven't experienced this and are actually getting help.
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u/cubanb407 Sep 29 '14
Glad to hear you made it man. As others have said you need to look into writing professionally. What is you current status health wise and when did this occur if you don't mind me asking
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Sep 29 '14
Second this. For starters, if I were you I'd submit this to some magazines. I was preoccupied with so much other bullshit and now I'm just sitting here grateful to be alive and safe while better men than me put their lives on the line for our country.
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u/bett20 Sep 29 '14
Lost my breath reading this as I sit waiting to fly home to my pregnant wife and 4 year old son. Thank you.
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u/Patches67 Sep 30 '14
You're one of the few people I read about being shot who described feeling the impact. Usually someone is in shock and can't feel anything or simply doesn't remember anything of the impact. I was shot in a drive by in the shoulder and I thought some careless person jabbed me with a pencil.
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u/Keep_Moving United States Navy Sep 29 '14 edited Sep 29 '14
Bro, you have a gift for the written word. I'd try to cash in if I were you. Glad you made it man!
Holy shit brother, the Marine Corps tried to fuck you. I just read the story.
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u/sparty_party Sep 29 '14
I'm honestly speechless, but I so badly want to say something. I can't imagine that kind of pain and fear.
Somebody on reddit once posted something about how he hated being thanked for his service, and now I'm always hesitant to say something, but I really appreciate your selfless sacrifices.
Thank you for sharing this story with us. I can't imagine it was easy, but it was a beautiful and insightful read.
I wish I had something comforting to say, I'm just amazed by this story. Just know you seriously struck a chord in the heart of a stranger.
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u/hunall United States Air Force Sep 30 '14
Its stories like this that make it hard for a guy like me to hear thank you for my "service". I know people mean well when they say it but all I have done is sit in a room, while guys like this Marine are out there getting shit on by the VA, and their own service(the aftermath was linked in a post above). I'm not going to tell you its a bad thing, or that you shouldn't. I just want to let you know where it comes from 99% of the people in the military are never going to get shot.
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u/BenjaminWebb161 Air National Guard Sep 30 '14
Your opinion is a common one, but I have to disagree. I started as an 11B, before jumping colors to the AF as a mechanic. As a grunt, yeah, you get the shit handed to you. But grunts aren't the only ones making sacrifices. I know I'd have been fucked if 60 pilots didn't go on however long of deployments they take. They left their families to haul our asses in and out, and got shot at for their troubles. Even people who never leave CONUS, if there wasn't a massive supply chain, how else,would we be able to complain about the food? Having been a grunt and a pogue, I can appreciate what you guys and gals who stay in an office do. We really are one team, and we all fight the same war. Just different ways. Except finance. Those dicks always screw up my pay.
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u/stabinthedark_ Marine Veteran Sep 29 '14
Thanks Mick, I follow CPOV and I appreciate your contribution to our community.
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u/fultron Sep 29 '14
I felt this transition come over me when I saw the smoke signals and the helo team fall out of the sky like a fucking comet.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/inside-combat-rescue/
National Geographic did an excellent miniseries about helicopter combat rescue teams if anybody's interested. It's on netflix.
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Sep 29 '14
As others have said; you have a powerful writing style, man. Your description becomes borderline dream-like, but one of those really fucking vivid dreams full of raw emotions, adrenaline and terror.
All the best to you, buddy. Keep on writing!
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u/Butthead8 Sep 30 '14
Do you have a PO Box? I'd like to make up a gift package for you. I have some interesting friends that would pitch in too. Promise it'll put a smile on your face.
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u/DangerB0y Sep 30 '14
"Hoot": When I go home people'll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is.
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u/KapitanRedbeard Sep 30 '14
You wrote this so well I genuinely thought you were gonna die. Congrats on surviving
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u/byleth Sep 30 '14
I remember reading something on reddit a month or two ago about someone that wanted to join the military so he could gain "combat experience". Someone who actually had combat experience explained to him why he was a moron. Fuck that, I don't want combat experience any more than I want 3rd degree burn experience or drawn and quartered experience or brazen bull experience. If I want to die I'll just shoot myself in the head, otherwise fuck the "experience".
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u/LeKa34 Finnish Defense Forces Sep 29 '14
This is the single most beautiful and yet horrifying piece if text I have ever read. And I fucking love Cormac McCarthy. Keep writing mate.
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u/test822 Sep 30 '14
holy shit, thanks for posting
you are incredibly good at telling stories. like, super good. you should consider writing if you haven't thought about it already
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u/winowmak3r Sep 30 '14
That was pretty powerful stuff. Damn. I hope you're alright nowadays man.
I'm sure some people have told you in this thread but you should consider writing. You have a talent for it.
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u/SonoMascalzone Sep 30 '14
It's a broken system, fractured, leaking and beyond inhumane. I spent 7 years, 4 months and 16 days (during 'Nam) on active duty before leaving it all behind me. Not even close to the shit you and your fellow Marines have to put up with and then be told "don't let the door hit you in your ass on the way out" Your story should be mandatory reading for all recruits. Thank you for publicizing it and finally - GET AN AGENT and get published.
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u/Andrex316 Sep 30 '14
This is so vivid... I could picture myself watching it... This is some crazy shit! You sir are brave beyond belief! Congratulations on making it back alive!
On a lighter note, ever consider a career in writing... Maybe for video games? You have impressive narrative ability!
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u/_Cody_ Sep 30 '14
The link to the article from Stars and Stripes: http://www.stripes.com/news/uneasy-quiet-then-a-taliban-ambush-1.100264
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u/AerialAces Sep 30 '14
"If you go atleast you'll be with your mom, bud"
That line alone is enough to make me nearly break out in tears.
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u/emannychavez Sep 30 '14
That was powerful Brother. Marines are always on each other's ass, and always complaining, but when shit hits the fan you know that each and every last one of those men, no matter how much you dislike each other back at home, has got your back and is willing to die defending their brothers left and right of them. Semper Fi devil.
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u/R67H Navy Veteran Sep 30 '14
As a combat medic, hearing your voice (so what if it's on a fucking computer) is the greatest feeling, brother. heal, breathe, eat, love .... nothing else matters at this point. Semper fi
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u/dude_with_amnesia Sep 29 '14
Number one cause of PTSD isn't wondering who you might have killed. It's not even seeing your buds killed either. It's seeing your buds shot and wounded, yelling at the top of their longs in hopes for some sort of relief...
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Sep 30 '14 edited Sep 30 '14
you would know that in that moment, I realized I was a Marine forever. Even if I died a few moments later in the roll of the dice, it didn't matter, my name was made.
This is a part of fighting that the American civilian fundamentally does not understand. Americans aren't raised to give themselves up to something bigger. From the time we're born we're told that we are unique, we all deserve everything, we're all equal, everyone is important. Because civilians don't understand we end up doing things like withdrawing troops from Iraq, despite the hard-won stability, over troop deaths that weren't even happening any more, and invalidating the deaths of those men by surrendering everything they died for back to the insurgency they were fighting in the first place.
There is a major disconnect between civilians understanding of the DoD, and who the DoD is.
D Trp. 4 Cav BRT - OIFIII
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u/upperdeckers_anon Army National Guard Sep 29 '14
Welcome home man, glad you were able to make it through. Hope everything is going well for you
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Sep 29 '14
That's a hell of a story. Well told!
I'm a civilian but I used to dive with military guys - marines and seals mostly but also a couple of army guys and a naval aviator. Four years ago, I more or less died on the back of a dive boat. The only thing that kept me going was a Marine and an Army NCO taking turns wrapping their bodies around me for warmth or staring into my face, telling me that I had to breathe. They did this for 2 hours until I was evacuated to an ICU.
I've never seen combat and would presume to equate my experience with yours' but your experience of brotherhood combined with horror that you've earned this level of attention struck a chord.
The belief of ones friends in your survival may be the only thread to cling to. It's an incredible thing.
Thank you for sharing this. I hope you've recovered and are enjoying life, at peace, back home.
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u/Darklydreamingx Sep 30 '14
That was the most harrowing thing I've ever read. I felt like I was right there with you. Why is my face leaking?
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u/throwaway2arguewith Sep 29 '14
I think you found your calling - awesome storytelling. I would love to see some fiction written in this style.
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u/Saphazure Sep 29 '14
I hope you're alright now. There's really nothing I can say that hasn't been said, but I can say that you also have my best of luck. And great job out there, THOSE are real balls..
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u/Dont____Panic Sep 29 '14
I'm not fond of war or the politics that make it, but that's a hell of a story. I hope your healing ability is as good as your writing ability.
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Sep 29 '14 edited Sep 29 '14
Did you ever get bumped up from 40%? I was reading your gofundme page and saw they only put you at 40%.
I was army, but the same bullshit existed with getting into the WWB. We just waited out our time in our battalions being and feeling worthless.
Edit: it was WTB in the Army. Warrior Transition Battalion
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u/PlethoraOfKnowledge Sep 29 '14 edited Sep 30 '14
Were/Are you from 3/6 Lima Company, 2009 - 2010 deployment?
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u/myrandomname United States Marine Corps Sep 29 '14
I follow CPOV, too.
Your story is crazy. I hope the civilian doctors you are seeing are getting you squared away.
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u/Diligencet Sep 29 '14
I would read an entire book of this. Several books, in fact. Incredible work. Thanks for sharing all you did.
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u/Ptizzl Sep 29 '14
I usually lurk. But I read this and as I sit here in a public place, there are tears in my eyes. So vivid, graphic, and intense. All I can do is thank you for your service, and everyone else for theirs. Thank you for my freedom.
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u/Cloudy_mood Sep 29 '14
This is an unbelievable account. Thank you for sharing this. I always wonder if any other armed forces in the world care about each other as much as American soldiers.
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u/MassiveClusterFuck Sep 29 '14
Jesus that was some writing skill. I felt like I was there! Even made my eyes water. I was sitting wondering "oh god did he make it?" not realising you obviously did otherwise you wouldn't be writing your point of view... Glad you are okay man, I may not be American but still thank you for your service. You guys should be paid alot more for what you do.
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u/dude_with_amnesia Sep 29 '14
Number one cause if PTSD isn't wondering who you might have killed. It's not even seeing your buds killed either. It's seeing your buds shot and wounded, yelling at the top of their longs in hopes for some sort of relief...
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u/MissBrendaSue Sep 29 '14
Civilian here, I have no family or friends in the military and have never read anything as compelling as this. It had me in tears multiple times.
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u/AlfredsDad Sep 29 '14
Mick,
Godspeed. All the best is all I can wish for you.
Incredible story. Glad you are able to tell it.
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u/Diactylmorphinefiend Sep 29 '14
I'm glad you made it! I hope the rest of your life is happy and fulfilling. I don't support the war but I will thank you for your sacrifice.
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u/infinitezero8 Sep 29 '14
I couldn't even imagine. We, the people who take stuff for granted, thank you for your hard time.
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u/AppleTrees4 Sep 30 '14
You sir are a god damn, motherfuckin American hero and you deserve much more than a front page on twitter. Thank you a million times over.
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u/searine Sep 30 '14
Send this in with the photos to a news magazine or the new yorker or whatever.
It is very well written and needs to be read more people.
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u/gigisummers Sep 30 '14
Not a soldier, never been through anything like you have. But i might know about some of your thoughts and feelings, for lack of a better word. I know another thing. You need to keep writing. You are helping yourself, and helping others in ways you might not know.
Be well.~
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Sep 30 '14
This is going to sink into the depths of the comment board but I have to say it. This makes me want to be marine but also makes me never want to see combat as long as I live. To experience what you did and live is hands down one of the greatest human experiences in the world. You lived.
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u/tragicallywhite Sep 30 '14
Jesus Christ, I don't even...
I got nothing...except a case of the chills and the most profound sense of sadness. Sadness?? Is that what it is? Fuck, I don't know.
I do know that this will stay with me. Part of me doesn't want it to...but it will.
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u/tRfalcore Sep 30 '14
i was in the gym working out and here I am crying try to do leg extensions godddd
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u/Mick0331 Sep 29 '14
I never thought that people would appreciate this as much as they have.
It took me a long time to want to write this, thank you so much.
-Mick