Qeens Fallujia 2004 Dec. Six Marines run roof top to roof top chasing a group of insurgents. 2nd squad attached with Lt. Jackson and I have exchange rounds on two different corners. We ran three blocks using, boards, ladders and ourselves clearing houses top floor down flushing Iraqi's into the street. They fought us inside with gun fire, grenades or bayonets. If they ran into the street they exchanged fire with 3rd Squad and 240 GOLF fire; a barrage of gunfire would pin them in the first floor allowing 2nd Squad to drop multiple grenades. The quick ones would make it out and across the street running and praying to Allah. The smart ones took holes and rat tunnels to the next house or out into the next courtyard.
A courtyard is full with IEDs or personal land mines; moving sloppy through a courtyard can cost someone there lower half. With EOD and our 0353s It takes us around one hour to corner and contain a cluster of men into a two story house with roof access and high walls. Moving close we exchange multiple gun fire followed by a volly of RPG fire. I fire at towels and rags as rounds skip and pop around me and Soto. Forced short we stop and hold for Kilo Co to move a D9 bulldozer to position it self behind the back of the house. We hold and continue to take fire. Soto carrying a 249 SAW dumps a two hundred drum to give us time to clear a court yard. Running passed Kilo Co we pause by their Ambulance.
Covered with steel and sitting on tracks the back was open with two Marines down. One Marine on the ground stable with a gun shot wound to his leg and his back up against the Ambulance. He holds his rifle as it was his life. Another Marine has a gun shot to his left bicep. Blood pours down his arm and all over the corpsman that is trying to stop the bleeding. Sitting up right he is pissed that he is hit and not upset about the puddle that is forming under him. He looked at us and said, "Fuck, fuck that, get that guy for me!" Looking at us he knew he didn't have to ask.
3rd squad cleared a three story house across the street. Running in I can hear Cpl. Zacker yelling at his Squad to set up. On the second floor 3rd Squad is already exchanging fire and started tossing grenades. I push passed him to the third story balcony. I drop my radio and peek over the hand rail. He came running out wearing a gray pajamas and a black LBV. He has a red and white checkered rag on his head. My first shot hit him in the left part of his chest causing his first shot to be a wild spray in the air. My second shot blow his left knee out; after that it was little red dots followed by pink mist all over his chest and arms.
I remember staying on single shot and feeling every individual recoil. I remember smiling and laughing. I remember him falling on his back while he sprayed AK47 fire sporadically in the air. I remember feeling different. I killed him. It was the first time I have killed anyone. I dropped my magazine leaving one in the chamber. He was someones son or father. He might of had kids or maybe he was just a free lance Mercenary. I don't know what his name was or what his quest in life was. I do know that from birth he held an AK47. I know he was bred for war and he was probably on his third or fourth war. I know I shot him 29 times.
I killed a man in the Middle East. An Iraq Warrior falls in a war that has been going on for two thousand years.
True story Iraq, Cpl. Andona USMC
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