This is one heckuva story from Iraq.
In an urban neighborhood where Saddam Hussein tried to erect the world’s largest mosque, a cadre of American artillery troops learn street smarts dodging grenades and the neon threads of tracer fire.Posted by Alan at January 21, 2004 09:59 PMThe soldiers of the 1st Armored Division’s Battery A, 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery, weren’t trained to kick in doors in search of terrorists. Yet they’ve had to endure one hot tour in one of Baghdad’s toughest boroughs.
Al Mansour is so treacherous that the Baumholder, Germany-based unit has pinned Purple Hearts on 10 of its 90-some soldiers. One soldier even has two. Last month, its medic died during a grenade attack and a hard hail of gunfire.
“It’s crazy around here, sir,” says Cpl. Wayne Santos, pulling guard duty out front. He pulls back his Kevlar collar to expose a bulging lozenge of a scar. “I was lucky, because I’ve got a 1½-inch hole that goes through the back of my neck.”
Read the whole thing.
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