I Earned My Purple Heart This Week -by Soldier Boy

[kpete]

I Earned My Purple Heart This Week
by Soldier Boy
Sat Aug 18, 2007 at 02:48:14 AM PDT

Among other jobs, I am the Battalion Interpreter manager, which means I spend part of my day talking to our Iraqi interpreters, arranging who goes on what missions, who lives in what room, and who gets a few days off to move his family to a new neighborhood to avoid the death threats they've been getting. So as a part of that, I sat around sipping thick, sweet Iraqi tea while 'Smith' and 'Mike' smoked on a hookah, settling who got assigned to the mortars and who went to the scouts. At 2125, I said goodnight, as I had to reach the PX before it closed at 2200.

All of which put me in the middle of an intersection when the alarm sounded, giving me maybe three seconds to reach shelter before the 107mm rocket hit the T-wall 20m to my right.

I hadn't quite made it to cover. The blast threw concrete chips and dust all over me, and gave me a grade I concussion.

I couldn't hear very well, and wasn't sure I'd escaped more. My head rang, but I got my flashlight off of my belt and ran into the dust cloud looking for wounded, two medics right behind me. I helped a staggering sergeant take off his rifle while the medics worked on the bloody puncture on his back. When I finally made the Battalion Aid Station 5 hours later, the medics told me that I had a concussion, and asked if I wanted to be put on quarters. I said I had too much work to do. My interpreters told me the next day I should thank God and call my wife. My sergeant told me I was now in for a Purple Heart, or a 'Iraqi Marksmanship Badge' as he put it

much more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/8/18/54814/0665

[hobbit709]

1. If he wants the medal, they'll make him buy it.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "That's the republicon way. Sneer." - Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney

"Our beloved Commander AWOL knows how to wring every penny out of the grunts we have fighting our Republicon Crony Oil Profits Crusade. Sneer. Smirk."

- Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney

[tanyev]

3. And he can just trot right down to the closest Army surplus store and buy himself one.

Maybe somebody with a "Support the Troops" sticker on their car will give him a ride.