War still a reality for Marines near Fallujah

[floda]

By Matthew McAllester
Staff Correspondent

AL-KARMAH, Iraq -- It was silent on Chicago, apart from the rustle that the baked wind made in the bullrushes next to the road and the sound of one Marine's boots stepping carefully on the grit next to the asphalt. As he walked, pace by pace, Brandon Webb's ears were interested in hearing only one sound.

There it was. The whine of the metal detector. It was low and only he could hear it. The other Marines were keeping their distance, holding back the Iraqi trucks and cars, scanning the palm trees and cinderblock shacks for gunmen or, worse, triggermen. Those are the ones they feared, the ones who put positive to negative and send an electric signal to the roadside bombs at just the right moment. That left 21-year-old Cpl. Webb on his own, as usual.

He had heard the high-pitched beep numerous times before and knew it was the sound that separated him and his fellow Marines from death and disfigurement. Below the dirt was a bomb.

"Oh God, I'm going to blow up," he thought to himself. "Oh God, please don't let it blow up."


much more...long story about low morale

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-fall0711,0,6586163,print.story?coll=ny-world-big-pix

[denverbill]

1. Good article.

I don't get it though. If they have a little robot to place explosives next to the IED's to blow them up, why don't they use robots to scan for them in the first place?

[mom cat]

3. Because it might cost money to replace a robot! Cannon fodder is cheaper.

[Devil Dog Dem]

2. A moving article about my beloved Marines

Semper Fi

[cornfedyank]

4. the air conditioning should be turned off across America

yellow ribbons are ok, but walking patrol in 120+ heat, in full gear, with an iv in your arm is ridiculous.

ignorance is no excuse. not anymore.

wake up vote