So Close but so Far Away

The last couple of days have been really busy. 2nd Platoon's done there left and right seat rides and traded places with our replacements. We've turned in our gear and other equipment. Today me and my roomie just finished field daying our room. Earlier this morning Val and I were out burning left over junk when suddenly the incoming alarm went off. The burn barrel was only mere feet from the bunker so both of us calmly made our way to the bunker. That is until the rocket landed on the other side of us and a huge chunk of shrapnel made a whirring sound as it flew over our heads. We then leaped into the bunker and started laughing. Even though we are not going out anymore we are still dodging rockets. Once again Simmons comes up lucky as he was running for the bunker the guy running behind him got hit with a piece of shrapnel, on the 28th Simmons vehicle was hit with an EFP, before that an incoming rocket landed right behind him as he was coming back from the shrapnel. Note to self, stay away from Simmons the remainder of the time I'm here.
Our last missions pretty much consisted of driving around to IA and NP checkpoints to make sure they were out doing their jobs. During the uprising all of the checkpoints had been abandoned. Driving around sector that day it was just completely different, stores were opened, people were out, the roads were congested. I laughed when we rolled up to one check point and there were only 2 NP's there. No wonder why they ran, shit I would run too if someone left my ass hanging out in the wind like that. "Here you go men, you two sit here and hold down the road!" Right?

We had to go have a pow-wow with the head doctor this morning. They wanted to get a feel for where every bodies heads were at since Sept 4th. She did most of the talking and we for the most part clammed up. We talked about the events together with each other, but it almost seems harder to talk about them in front of everyone, especially when an outsider is present. Those guys were our family, our brothers its something only the families of the fallen and we can understand.


Yesterday we attended the memorial of the 2 Alpha Company soldiers who were KIA, Specialist Durrell L. Bennett, and Private First Class Patrick J. (PJ) Miller. The Chapel was packed with Soldiers who came to pay their respect. I didn't know them personally but being so close to going home it hit everybody pretty hard. They will never be forgotten.


The days are coming to an end for us in Iraq real soon. I will post again when we are out of here.


DEUCE DEUCE OUT!!!

Rest in Peace

Specialist Durrell L. Bennett

Private First Class Patrick J. (PJ) Miller