As I look at the dead body laying on the ground I felt sick. I just ate breakfast with him, we were all just setting around talking to the rest of the squad and now he’s dead . I had to get over it though, there is still fighting going on. I gain my composure and I look towards Lewis and in the direction he was firing in and I could see two tangos left so I reloaded and began firing. Then it hit me, a searing and agonizing pain in my left arm, I was shot. I look to my bicep the bullet went clean through thank God didn’t hit the bone I’m ok.

I duck behind the destroyed wall and cut off the sleeve of my B.T.U. and get a cauterize pack and put in the wound to stop the bleeding, hurts like hell but I’m strong, I can take it. I grab my weapon and get back up I start shooting both tangos hit the ground I didn’t care any more. I spun around to see Adam ducked behind the bulled riddled A.P.C. and one tango left I lost it as I aimed to fire all I hear is a click, Damn out of ammo. I run inside the A.P.C. to get on the squad gun I fire, a read mist tares through the smoke filled, fire lit night, its over for the moment. I get out and Lewis asked, “What the hell got into you?”

“I’m not dieing in this godforsaken country.” I said.

“You ok man?” Asked Adam.

I didn’t say anything back the answer was understood, none of us were ok. I went back to Josh’s body, grabbed his tags and ammo then went back to the A.P.C. I found an M-60 LMG and about four hundred rounds of ammo. “Lets get the hell out’a here! There’s still fighting going on out here.” Adam said.

“What about Josh we can’t just leave him here?” I asked.
“We have to, we’ll put him in the A.P.C. and when its over we’ll send someone to go get him.” Lewis told us.

As we were scouting the area for friendlies and any resistance we came across two guys from C Company. They told us there is reports that another group of Talibans were in route to raid the base again and that all soldiers were to report to the entrance of the base to set up defensive positions. We got to the entrance to the base and there was maybe twenty men, Lewis when to talk to the base commander to figure out how the hell we got attacked. While we waited to hear what was going on I looked out to the road and saw a truck speeding toward the base. “Contact front!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

I heard Adam say something like aim for the driver by then it was to late the truck had made it to what was left of the gate and rocked the ground with an earth shattering explosion. Screams filled with pain and agony were all around me, that’s when I noticed it. Lewis was caught in the explosion along with about fifteen others. All of a sudden about thirty Taliban came charging towards us. I heard myself scream out “Open fire! Kill those b******s!”

I started spraying bullets, round after round of red hot lead into anyone that popped their head out. I was blood drunk, nothing mattered any more, I didn’t care if I was going to die. I didn’t care if I was going to make it out in one piece. All humanity that was in me at one point in time had left. I felt nothing, no sorrow for taking another life, no mercy for those pleading for it. Then I came to, I was out of ammo. I get behind a brick wall to figure out my next move before I realized what was happening Adam slammed into the wall beside me.

“Need any of this?” He asked holding an AR-15 clip.

“Yea. When’d you show up?” I said.

“Shut up and take some damn ammo!” He said. Then out of nowhere four Blackhawk Helicopters landed behind us with three heavily armored Apache assault helicopters hovering above. The fight was over we made it. Then a man came out of the helicopter and introduced himself as Lt. Col. Winters and said that we were to evac to a green zone. Then he said that we were all that was left and congratulated us for doing our duty, said we were going to be war heroes I’m putting in a commendation you’ll both receive medals. Adam and I looked at each other and started crying. “Screw your stupid medals.” We both said as we got on the Blackhawk.