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Downloaded from
YTS.MX

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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I lost my innocence there.

4
00:00:29,340 --> 00:00:31,679
You're 18, 19, 20 years old.

5
00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,630
You don't know life yet, and
here you are experiencing war.

6
00:00:37,523 --> 00:00:39,500
And I call my dad, and I say,

7
00:00:42,067 --> 00:00:45,993
"Dad, you guys are gonna
see some things on the news.

8
00:00:47,310 --> 00:00:49,803
It's gonna say that a
car bomb hit this camp.

9
00:00:53,070 --> 00:00:55,409
Just tell mom that. It
had nothing to do with me.

10
00:00:55,410 --> 00:00:58,383
It had nothing to do with
here, different unit.

11
00:01:01,740 --> 00:01:05,819
But dad, like I was there, it sucked.

12
00:01:05,820 --> 00:01:10,197
Like, I don't wanna be here anymore."

13
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And I could hear his voice crack.

14
00:01:16,830 --> 00:01:20,549
And I'm like, "just don't tell
mom like it was here, man.

15
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Like, fuck."

16
00:01:23,482 --> 00:01:24,869
And then I kind of like caught myself

17
00:01:24,870 --> 00:01:27,899
like kinda shedding a tear and
kind of trying to wipe it off

18
00:01:27,900 --> 00:01:30,439
so nobody else could see me in there.

19
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,627
You know, trying to play tough guy.

20
00:01:32,628 --> 00:01:34,162
And then just back at it again, right,

21
00:01:34,163 --> 00:01:35,703
back at it for another round.

22
00:01:55,521 --> 00:01:57,539
Oh man, I've seen too much.

23
00:01:57,540 --> 00:02:00,359
I've seen too much. I gotta
get help when I get back.

24
00:02:03,780 --> 00:02:06,359
What does this mean, right?
Am I gonna be screwed up?

25
00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:07,660
Like, what does this mean?

26
00:02:13,740 --> 00:02:14,969
And I remember that shocked me,

27
00:02:14,970 --> 00:02:18,243
Like this is a Sergeant First
Class, like saying that like.

28
00:02:23,310 --> 00:02:24,689
I'm asleep.

29
00:02:24,690 --> 00:02:27,629
They wake me up, "Hey
wake up, get dressed.

30
00:02:27,630 --> 00:02:30,322
Get your shit on, we just got incoming."

31
00:02:32,123 --> 00:02:32,955
I found that to be weird

32
00:02:32,956 --> 00:02:35,069
'cause I didn't even hear the incoming,

33
00:02:35,070 --> 00:02:37,803
not even one round or anything like that.

34
00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:40,889
So we started getting dressed,

35
00:02:40,890 --> 00:02:45,213
putting on our Kevlar flak jacket and,

36
00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,223
we were gonna go to the
point of origin, the POO.

37
00:02:50,952 --> 00:02:52,263
To the chow hall, sir.

38
00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:03,953
I wanna go to the chow hall, sir!

39
00:03:07,201 --> 00:03:09,784
Let's go, let's go!

40
00:03:23,810 --> 00:03:26,489
We were out on patrol. MSR Tampa.

41
00:03:26,490 --> 00:03:28,409
MSR Tampa is a main route

42
00:03:28,410 --> 00:03:30,959
that goes from Kuwait all
the way up to northern Iraq.

43
00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:31,860
Main supply route.

44
00:03:33,150 --> 00:03:34,911
Just over here, left.

45
00:03:34,912 --> 00:03:36,412
Left, stop. Stop.

46
00:03:38,585 --> 00:03:39,502
Keep going.

47
00:03:41,970 --> 00:03:46,969
This was January, so as I
pull up, of course I'm scared.

48
00:03:46,970 --> 00:03:48,689
they would do secondary IEDs,

49
00:03:48,690 --> 00:03:51,299
secondary VBIEDs, secondary ambushes.

50
00:03:51,300 --> 00:03:53,369
Like, these insurgents had caught on.

51
00:03:53,370 --> 00:03:55,019
Like, hey, let's hit 'em with something.

52
00:03:55,020 --> 00:03:56,849
Then when they're out
there snooping around,

53
00:03:56,850 --> 00:03:57,850
let's hit 'em again.

54
00:04:22,148 --> 00:04:23,275
I didn't want to get out of the Humvee

55
00:04:23,276 --> 00:04:25,409
'cause all I could see was pieces of meat,

56
00:04:25,410 --> 00:04:27,989
pieces of charred meat all over the floor.

57
00:04:27,990 --> 00:04:29,309
It was like gravel.

58
00:04:29,310 --> 00:04:33,599
It was like, for like a 50 meter radius

59
00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,819
there was just pieces, chunks everywhere.

60
00:04:35,820 --> 00:04:38,579
Chunks, chunks, chunks of people.

61
00:04:38,580 --> 00:04:39,989
And I didn't want to get out.

62
00:04:39,990 --> 00:04:41,369
To me that felt like a nightmare.

63
00:04:41,370 --> 00:04:43,499
It felt like an actual
nightmare that was true,

64
00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:46,150
that was in real life and
I couldn't wake up from it.

65
00:04:48,393 --> 00:04:50,339
And I didn't want to
get out of the Humvee.

66
00:04:50,340 --> 00:04:52,199
I just figured I don't
wanna get my boots dirty,

67
00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,149
I don't want to get involved
in this, but I'm a grunt.

68
00:04:54,150 --> 00:04:55,766
It's like, I gotta do this shit, like.

69
00:04:55,767 --> 00:04:58,319
And then Sergeant Dean's
like, "Hey, get the fuck out

70
00:04:58,320 --> 00:04:59,787
and start picking pieces up."

71
00:05:57,270 --> 00:06:01,383
But like I said, we were
18, 19, I turned 20 there.

72
00:06:02,970 --> 00:06:07,473
That's a kid, man. That's a
frickin' kid faced with war.

73
00:06:32,070 --> 00:06:34,829
Most people's concept or grasp of war

74
00:06:34,830 --> 00:06:37,979
is from a movie, a film, Hollywood, right?

75
00:06:37,980 --> 00:06:40,229
When you're there, you smell the smells,

76
00:06:40,230 --> 00:06:42,869
you hear the sounds, you
see the blood, the brains,

77
00:06:42,870 --> 00:06:46,166
the guts, the chunks of
pieces of meat, you know,

78
00:06:46,167 --> 00:06:47,940
the shit becomes fucking real.

79
00:07:52,950 --> 00:07:56,583
You could see the crater
where the SUV blew itself up.

80
00:07:58,260 --> 00:08:03,003
There was a charred
upper torso, like this.

81
00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:06,460
Sticking outta the ground.

82
00:08:09,870 --> 00:08:11,309
There was no face.

83
00:08:11,310 --> 00:08:14,609
It was a hole where the
face is supposed to be.

84
00:08:14,610 --> 00:08:15,910
The whole thing's charred.

85
00:08:21,810 --> 00:08:25,499
And the other Iraqis,
there was another bus load

86
00:08:25,500 --> 00:08:27,629
full of their friends,
the Iraqi national guards

87
00:08:27,630 --> 00:08:29,279
that had just pulled up
and they were already

88
00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:31,169
starting to pick up the pieces.

89
00:08:31,170 --> 00:08:34,799
They pick up this torso
and they move it like this

90
00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,459
and I just saw all kinds
of red slush come out

91
00:08:38,460 --> 00:08:41,157
into the ground and I'm like, "Oh shit."

92
00:08:42,540 --> 00:08:45,989
And since it was cold outside,
everything is just steaming.

93
00:08:45,990 --> 00:08:47,793
All the pieces are just steaming.

94
00:08:51,750 --> 00:08:54,269
There we are picking up pieces of meat,

95
00:08:54,270 --> 00:08:57,839
Kevlars, helmets that
were exploded this way.

96
00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,149
You had boots with feet still in it.

97
00:09:00,150 --> 00:09:05,149
You had gloves, you had
parts, pieces, body, brain,

98
00:09:05,150 --> 00:09:07,919
guts, blood everywhere.

99
00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,339
You had Iraqis crying, screaming,

100
00:09:11,340 --> 00:09:15,449
shooting their AKs in the
sky, it was pure chaos.

101
00:09:15,450 --> 00:09:18,539
Iraqi national guard pulling cars over,

102
00:09:18,540 --> 00:09:19,409
pulling civilians out

103
00:09:19,410 --> 00:09:21,032
and beating the out
shit of 'em just 'cause,

104
00:09:21,033 --> 00:09:22,773
they were taking out their anger.

105
00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,519
And it just began just getting pieces

106
00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,403
and putting 'em in the back
of a truck, getting pieces.

107
00:09:30,990 --> 00:09:32,759
There was not one complete person.

108
00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,909
There was not one full body.

109
00:09:35,910 --> 00:09:37,139
There was not that.

110
00:09:37,140 --> 00:09:40,113
It was just carnage.

111
00:09:50,310 --> 00:09:53,069
There I am at my house in
Brawley with all my friends, man,

112
00:09:53,070 --> 00:09:55,799
I got a frickin' lump in my throat, dude.

113
00:09:55,800 --> 00:10:00,059
Like, I don't want to cry,
and I just leave walking,

114
00:10:00,060 --> 00:10:03,689
my sister's bawling, my mom is bawling,

115
00:10:03,690 --> 00:10:06,479
my friends are looking at me
like, ah, look at this kid.

116
00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:07,313
Right?

117
00:10:10,140 --> 00:10:11,639
So being that I was 17,

118
00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,679
I had to have my parents'
permission slip, right?

119
00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:16,799
I had 'em sign the waiver
'cause I was underage

120
00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,073
and my parents kept trying
to talk me out of it.

121
00:10:20,928 --> 00:10:23,039
My dad kept telling me,
"Hector, go to college.

122
00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:23,872
Well, I'll pay for your college."

123
00:10:23,873 --> 00:10:26,339
It was almost pleading,
"I'll pay for your college."

124
00:10:26,340 --> 00:10:29,279
I'm like, "Hey dad, why
would I go to college

125
00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,075
when I frickin' hate high school?"

126
00:10:31,076 --> 00:10:33,089
Like?

127
00:10:33,090 --> 00:10:35,549
And he is like, you know,

128
00:10:35,550 --> 00:10:39,509
maybe they saw how much I wanted
it or how much I needed it.

129
00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:42,419
And yeah, ultimately
they signed the waiver.

130
00:10:42,420 --> 00:10:44,339
My sister who's three
years younger than me

131
00:10:44,340 --> 00:10:46,709
and has been my biggest
cheerleader from the start

132
00:10:46,710 --> 00:10:49,023
was all, all on board.

133
00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,719
The recruiter takes me away.

134
00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,609
Boom. San Diego.

135
00:10:56,610 --> 00:10:57,749
Padre Trail Inn.

136
00:10:57,750 --> 00:10:59,579
That was this little hotel in Old Town

137
00:10:59,580 --> 00:11:00,509
that they would take you there

138
00:11:00,510 --> 00:11:03,839
the night before you ship out.

139
00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:05,999
And I remember, dude, like I used that.

140
00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,399
There was a payphone at a
Mexican restaurant outside

141
00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,259
and I called my girlfriend at the time

142
00:11:10,260 --> 00:11:12,393
and that's when I felt it.

143
00:11:15,015 --> 00:11:17,459
I had hickeys on my neck,
I had a shaved head.

144
00:11:17,460 --> 00:11:19,889
I go and I have somebody
buy me some cigarettes

145
00:11:19,890 --> 00:11:22,439
'cause I'm not old enough
but I did smoke at that time

146
00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:24,119
and it's like, that was
your boy right there.

147
00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:29,120
Like fuckin',
young and dumb, dude.

148
00:11:29,340 --> 00:11:32,350
Just fuckin' ready to take
on the world, so I thought.

149
00:11:39,288 --> 00:11:40,244
I am the Infantry.

150
00:11:40,245 --> 00:11:43,373
I am my country's strength in
war, her deterrent in peace.

151
00:11:43,374 --> 00:11:46,029
I am the heart of the
fight, wherever, whenever.

152
00:11:46,030 --> 00:11:48,863
I carry America's faith and
honor against her enemies.

153
00:11:48,864 --> 00:11:50,244
I am the Queen of Battle.

154
00:11:50,245 --> 00:11:52,220
I am what my country expects me to be,

155
00:11:52,221 --> 00:11:54,178
the best trained Soldier in the world.

156
00:11:54,179 --> 00:11:55,390
In the race for victory,

157
00:11:55,391 --> 00:11:57,562
I am swift, determined, and courageous,

158
00:11:57,563 --> 00:11:59,180
armed with a fierce will to win.

159
00:11:59,181 --> 00:12:01,159
Never will I fail my country's trust.

160
00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,090
Always I fight on, through the foe,

161
00:12:03,091 --> 00:12:05,148
to the objective, to triumph overall.

162
00:12:05,149 --> 00:12:07,649
If necessary, I will fight to my death.

163
00:12:07,650 --> 00:12:09,010
By my steadfast courage,

164
00:12:09,011 --> 00:12:11,322
I have won more than 200 years of freedom.

165
00:12:11,323 --> 00:12:13,241
I yield not to weakness, to hunger,

166
00:12:13,242 --> 00:12:15,442
to cowardice, to fatigue,
to superior odds,

167
00:12:15,443 --> 00:12:17,602
for I am mentally tough,
physically strong,

168
00:12:17,603 --> 00:12:18,669
and morally straight.

169
00:12:18,670 --> 00:12:20,882
I forsake not, my country, my mission,

170
00:12:20,883 --> 00:12:22,898
my comrades, my sacred duty.

171
00:12:22,899 --> 00:12:23,850
I am relentless.

172
00:12:23,851 --> 00:12:26,029
I am always there, now and forever.

173
00:12:26,030 --> 00:12:28,447
I am the infantry! Follow me!

174
00:12:30,593 --> 00:12:33,599
The bayonet is a 25-mile road march,

175
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,429
that was the last test.

176
00:12:35,430 --> 00:12:37,709
So you're out in the field for a week

177
00:12:37,710 --> 00:12:40,709
doing these little tasks and trainings

178
00:12:40,710 --> 00:12:43,739
and challenges and obstacles
and then you finish it off

179
00:12:43,740 --> 00:12:47,699
with a 25-mile road
march in like 24 hours,

180
00:12:47,700 --> 00:12:49,300
with your rucksack, your weapon.

181
00:12:50,250 --> 00:12:52,709
Yeah, your feet are hurting
afterward, your back's hurting,

182
00:12:52,710 --> 00:12:54,843
and this is what I recall.

183
00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:56,763
It was nighttime.

184
00:12:59,310 --> 00:13:03,359
There was torches on the
side, there was signs,

185
00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,033
it said World War II, Korean War.

186
00:13:07,470 --> 00:13:11,309
Vietnam, Gulf War, at each torch.

187
00:13:11,310 --> 00:13:15,573
And then there was a blank
sign at the last torch.

188
00:13:16,650 --> 00:13:18,689
And our drill sergeant said, you see that?

189
00:13:18,690 --> 00:13:22,421
That's your guys' war. You guys
are gonna be there shortly.

190
00:13:39,013 --> 00:13:40,259
I fuckin' made it.

191
00:13:40,260 --> 00:13:42,059
Like, damn, all this training,

192
00:13:42,060 --> 00:13:44,279
all this like hard work,

193
00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,289
dedication that I put into this shit.

194
00:13:46,290 --> 00:13:49,109
Like, I'm a fuckin' foot soldier.

195
00:13:49,110 --> 00:13:51,059
I'm a fuckin' grunt.

196
00:13:51,060 --> 00:13:52,589
Tip of the fuckin spear.

197
00:13:52,590 --> 00:13:55,229
Like, when America goes to war, we're it,

198
00:13:55,230 --> 00:13:57,880
we're gonna keep the fuckin'
wolf away from the door.

199
00:14:14,820 --> 00:14:16,109
It was one thing for me to go

200
00:14:16,110 --> 00:14:18,359
from San Diego to Fort Benning.

201
00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,939
That was sad, right? Homesick.

202
00:14:20,940 --> 00:14:24,929
When I went to Germany, oh
my goodness, man, my dad,

203
00:14:24,930 --> 00:14:26,454
the look on my dad's face,

204
00:14:26,455 --> 00:14:28,379
it was like he was devastated, bro.

205
00:14:28,380 --> 00:14:32,249
And it's like, the
little son, man, is gone.

206
00:14:32,250 --> 00:14:33,933
Gone, right, overseas.

207
00:14:38,010 --> 00:14:43,010
I was 18 and Iraq was
brewing, to say the least.

208
00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,389
That made me feel like, oh
my God, what have I done?

209
00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:56,389
As a matter of fact, when
I touched down in Germany,

210
00:14:56,390 --> 00:15:01,270
December 8th, 2002, you find
out what unit you're going to

211
00:15:02,310 --> 00:15:04,780
and then you go, they
bused us into a classroom

212
00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,113
on Ledward Barracks in
Schweinfurt, Germany.

213
00:15:11,490 --> 00:15:12,876
And the soldier up there said,

214
00:15:12,877 --> 00:15:15,959
"If you guys are going to 1/18
infantry or 1/26 infantry,

215
00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:17,060
you're going to Iraq."

216
00:15:17,940 --> 00:15:20,399
And everybody just put their head down.

217
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:23,609
Like, this is real.

218
00:15:23,610 --> 00:15:26,159
Like yeah, this is what
we were begging for.

219
00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:28,979
But to actually hear him
say, "Hey, it's go time,

220
00:15:28,980 --> 00:15:32,763
like, you're gonna be going,"
was like, fuck, right.

221
00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:39,839
Again, the human
emotions, you're gonna be,

222
00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:41,729
it's the fear of the unknown.

223
00:15:41,730 --> 00:15:43,799
How am I gonna react?

224
00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,259
Am I gonna perform as expected?

225
00:15:46,260 --> 00:15:48,509
I hope I don't let my
brothers down, right?

226
00:15:48,510 --> 00:15:50,519
'cause to let your
brothers down would mean

227
00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:51,783
lives are gonna get lost.

228
00:16:40,676 --> 00:16:42,169
♪ And I saw you again
and again and again ♪

229
00:16:42,170 --> 00:16:44,883
My friend Jeffrey
King from Philadelphia.

230
00:16:47,430 --> 00:16:49,953
Hill's side of the room, Texas flag.

231
00:16:51,060 --> 00:16:51,933
Nonsense.

232
00:16:53,850 --> 00:16:54,783
Al Pacino.

233
00:16:57,390 --> 00:16:58,713
California, of course.

234
00:17:00,464 --> 00:17:03,313
This is my roommate Hill,
Richard, from Texas.

235
00:17:05,790 --> 00:17:09,089
Oh yeah, captured Saddam
Hussein today.

236
00:17:09,090 --> 00:17:09,923
Pretty cool.

237
00:17:10,980 --> 00:17:15,123
We got Big G, Michael Garcia from Arizona.

238
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,047
Brandon Winkel from Chicago.

239
00:17:19,048 --> 00:17:19,965
Chi Town.

240
00:17:22,740 --> 00:17:25,503
Maldanado,
Alex, from Puerto Rico.

241
00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:30,030
- What up?
- Corporal Luga.

242
00:17:32,610 --> 00:17:34,173
Specialist Garcia over here.

243
00:17:35,970 --> 00:17:37,020
Hey, Cruz.

244
00:17:37,860 --> 00:17:40,481
From Cali.

245
00:17:40,482 --> 00:17:41,686
Before you get on the plane.

246
00:17:41,687 --> 00:17:44,354
Josh Soto from Cali.

247
00:17:45,204 --> 00:17:46,287
Clayton Weeks.

248
00:17:47,820 --> 00:17:50,249
From Texas.

249
00:17:50,250 --> 00:17:52,439
Make sure I got everything ready for Iraq.

250
00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:56,626
Already started but here's all my DCUs

251
00:17:56,627 --> 00:17:58,623
and it is snowing outside.

252
00:17:59,672 --> 00:18:01,255
Or started to snow.

253
00:18:12,644 --> 00:18:17,210
Hey! Agh! Ferrel,
I'm gonna kick your ass, man.

254
00:18:17,211 --> 00:18:19,665
I'm gonna kick your ass.

255
00:18:19,666 --> 00:18:22,262
Classic.

256
00:18:22,263 --> 00:18:23,281
Good shit.

257
00:18:23,282 --> 00:18:25,128
Richard. Yeah.

258
00:18:58,492 --> 00:19:02,032
Maldo, what are we doing right now?

259
00:19:02,033 --> 00:19:04,773
I guess we are pulling guard.

260
00:19:06,196 --> 00:19:07,196
I'm not really sure.

261
00:19:08,168 --> 00:19:09,503
- On top of a roof.
- On top of a roof.

262
00:19:11,910 --> 00:19:14,243
Here's a view of
where we're pulling guard.

263
00:19:16,410 --> 00:19:17,253
Pretty weak.

264
00:19:18,780 --> 00:19:19,780
And right beside us,

265
00:19:20,700 --> 00:19:25,619
we have a Haji neighborhood.

266
00:19:25,620 --> 00:19:29,062
Neighborhood in the middle of
fuckin' FOB, we don't know.

267
00:19:32,670 --> 00:19:35,730
But this is what we do for
four hours, for 24 hours.

268
00:19:37,264 --> 00:19:39,299
Four hours on, four hours off.

269
00:19:39,300 --> 00:19:40,263
Sit and pull guard.

270
00:19:42,900 --> 00:19:44,816
Fun, fun time.

271
00:19:44,817 --> 00:19:46,443
Yep, all the fun.

272
00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,060
Roger, tell
'em to get no gas today.

273
00:19:52,754 --> 00:19:56,309
So when we get to FOB Paliwoda,

274
00:19:56,310 --> 00:19:59,039
4th Infantry Division, the
guys from 4th ID were there.

275
00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,579
These guys were salty,
uniforms looking like shit,

276
00:20:02,580 --> 00:20:05,339
tattered, fuckin' sunburned.

277
00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:07,919
These guys had been in country
for like 15 months, right?

278
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:09,179
They did the invasion

279
00:20:09,180 --> 00:20:11,219
and then they hung around a little longer

280
00:20:11,220 --> 00:20:12,809
than they anticipated.

281
00:20:12,810 --> 00:20:14,159
They were ready to go home, right.

282
00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,249
We showed up all fresh, 1st
Infantry Division, Big Red One.

283
00:20:17,250 --> 00:20:19,259
So we had to do those left
seat, right seat rides

284
00:20:19,260 --> 00:20:21,929
where we would go out on patrol with 'em,

285
00:20:21,930 --> 00:20:23,930
they would show us the surrounding area.

286
00:20:26,070 --> 00:20:27,929
And the first patrol
that I went out with him,

287
00:20:27,930 --> 00:20:31,439
I remember there was a, he was
like a E-6, Staff Sergeant.

288
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,289
He looked like the lead
singer from Newfound Glory.

289
00:20:34,290 --> 00:20:37,799
And he's like, "Hey, just be aware

290
00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:39,689
that when you shoot these
guys with your M-16,

291
00:20:39,690 --> 00:20:41,156
the bullets are gonna go
right through 'em," right?

292
00:20:41,157 --> 00:20:43,619
The velocity's so fast, when
you're inside the house.

293
00:20:43,620 --> 00:20:44,870
And I'm like, "The hell?"

294
00:20:46,380 --> 00:20:50,039
And yeah, these guys had
been fucking killing people.

295
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:51,449
And I remember like looking at this guy

296
00:20:51,450 --> 00:20:52,529
like he was a god, right,

297
00:20:52,530 --> 00:20:55,259
like a fuckin' all thing grunt God.

298
00:20:55,260 --> 00:20:58,199
Because I'm like, damn, this
motherfucker's doing it.

299
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,539
And he's telling us like, "Hey,

300
00:21:00,540 --> 00:21:01,799
you're gonna have to shoot these dudes

301
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,199
four or five fuckin'
times to put 'em down."

302
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:05,549
And I was like, all right.

303
00:21:05,550 --> 00:21:08,249
So that was kind of the introduction

304
00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:10,350
to like what we're getting ourselves into.

305
00:21:12,090 --> 00:21:14,639
I mean I shot a dude one
time, like I mentioned,

306
00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:19,640
he was like at 250, 300 meters
and he still kept running.

307
00:21:20,070 --> 00:21:21,779
He still kept running.

308
00:21:21,780 --> 00:21:26,639
And you want to talk about
not being like the movies,

309
00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:27,809
in the movies you shoot somebody

310
00:21:27,810 --> 00:21:29,669
and they fuckin' fall over dead, right?

311
00:21:29,670 --> 00:21:31,370
Unless you hit a dude in the head,

312
00:21:32,460 --> 00:21:34,473
which we're taught to shoot center mass,

313
00:21:38,670 --> 00:21:42,749
it's very discouraging to
shoot at people or shoot people

314
00:21:42,750 --> 00:21:45,119
and have them continuously fight

315
00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:47,399
because some of them are
hyped up on adrenaline,

316
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,309
actual adrenaline and or meth.

317
00:21:50,310 --> 00:21:52,319
We were finding vials,
we were finding syringes

318
00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,413
where these dudes were getting
hyped up on fuckin' dope.

319
00:22:01,620 --> 00:22:04,799
And then in 2004 you had
a lot of foreign fighters.

320
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,649
You had Jordanians coming
to Iraq to fuckin' fight.

321
00:22:07,650 --> 00:22:11,343
You had Syrians, you had like
people from Africa coming.

322
00:22:12,900 --> 00:22:14,549
No doubt people from Afghan,

323
00:22:14,550 --> 00:22:17,399
like that was like a holy war to them.

324
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,979
Like hey, you want to come
fuck up some Americans?

325
00:22:19,980 --> 00:22:20,819
Come here.

326
00:22:20,820 --> 00:22:24,149
So yeah, we were finding Chechnyans,

327
00:22:24,150 --> 00:22:27,000
different shit, different
documents, different passports.

328
00:22:30,780 --> 00:22:33,599
Living on a FOB, we were on FOB Paliwoda,

329
00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,549
Forward Operating Base Paliwoda.

330
00:22:35,550 --> 00:22:36,839
The reason it got named that

331
00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:41,840
was a month prior to us arriving,
it was called FOB Eagle.

332
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,549
But there was a captain
by the name of Paliwoda,

333
00:22:44,550 --> 00:22:46,259
I believe he was in the
4th Infantry Division,

334
00:22:46,260 --> 00:22:49,859
he was killed by indirect
fire, I think it was rockets.

335
00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:52,349
So therefore they named it after him.

336
00:22:52,350 --> 00:22:56,159
So I want you to think
of like a small area

337
00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:57,329
where you can pretty much,

338
00:22:57,330 --> 00:22:59,489
you know everybody that's on the FOB,

339
00:22:59,490 --> 00:23:01,649
not too far of a walking distance

340
00:23:01,650 --> 00:23:03,569
and you have your living quarters.

341
00:23:03,570 --> 00:23:06,269
This happened to be a former Iraqi base

342
00:23:06,270 --> 00:23:08,311
that the Americans had taken over.

343
00:23:08,312 --> 00:23:10,101
This is our friend Zimmerman and
he can sleep through anything.

344
00:23:10,102 --> 00:23:12,453
Watch this alarm go off,
he won't even wake up.

345
00:23:14,015 --> 00:23:15,615
Watch this.

346
00:23:15,616 --> 00:23:16,449
- Oh!
- Oh!

347
00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,079
So in 2004, Operation Iraqi Freedom II,

348
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,130
that was the beginning of the insurgency.

349
00:23:39,990 --> 00:23:44,399
Up-armored anything was very
slim to none, irrelevant.

350
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,829
You know, I remember in
Kuwait being on a detail

351
00:23:46,830 --> 00:23:51,830
of filling up 7,000 sandbags in 24 hours.

352
00:23:52,290 --> 00:23:53,909
And that sucked, bro.

353
00:23:53,910 --> 00:23:57,629
And they were gonna use the
sandbags for the floorboards

354
00:23:57,630 --> 00:23:59,879
of the Humvees as as armor.

355
00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:04,169
And what a routine patrol would look like

356
00:24:04,170 --> 00:24:06,869
would be four vehicles
going out every time.

357
00:24:06,870 --> 00:24:09,449
One would be an up-armored Humvee,

358
00:24:09,450 --> 00:24:11,339
the other one was a frickin' supply Humvee

359
00:24:11,340 --> 00:24:14,579
that I drove, Bravo 2-4,
and that was an IED magnet.

360
00:24:14,580 --> 00:24:17,369
I think that thing ended
up getting hit directly

361
00:24:17,370 --> 00:24:20,879
probably by like 12, 13 IEDs.

362
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,549
Where we built, or my
sergeant built stencils

363
00:24:23,550 --> 00:24:24,539
and we were putting stencils.

364
00:24:24,540 --> 00:24:26,039
I even got a picture of it.

365
00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:27,239
After every time it got hit,

366
00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:28,949
like we would just bring it back and.

367
00:24:28,950 --> 00:24:30,299
Yeah, the windows would be blown out,

368
00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:31,900
the tires would be fuckin' flat.

369
00:24:33,300 --> 00:24:37,863
M-113, an armored personnel
carrier like Vietnam era.

370
00:24:38,820 --> 00:24:40,739
A tracked vehicle.

371
00:24:40,740 --> 00:24:41,669
And then I think the other one

372
00:24:41,670 --> 00:24:43,139
was another up-armored Humvee.

373
00:24:43,140 --> 00:24:47,459
Our biggest weapon system
was a 240 Bravo 7.62.

374
00:24:47,460 --> 00:24:51,209
So we would go out into sector, patrol.

375
00:24:51,210 --> 00:24:53,913
I was in Balad, very agricultural.

376
00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,393
It was like living out
in the country, villages.

377
00:24:58,770 --> 00:25:00,813
Dirt roads, canal roads.

378
00:25:01,950 --> 00:25:04,713
Grape vines, orchards.

379
00:25:28,421 --> 00:25:31,218
I took a picture of you already, man.

380
00:25:40,138 --> 00:25:43,134
When I deployed to
Iraq, they pulled our platoon,

381
00:25:43,135 --> 00:25:47,489
2nd Platoon, and attached
us to a unit of tankers.

382
00:25:47,490 --> 00:25:50,129
So they kind of did some
Mickey Mouse Frankenstein unit

383
00:25:50,130 --> 00:25:52,349
with one platoon of
infantry, which was us,

384
00:25:52,350 --> 00:25:55,799
one platoon of combat engineers,
one platoon of tankers,

385
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,983
and a National Guard
platoon from New York.

386
00:26:00,780 --> 00:26:03,479
It's safe to say that
they used and abused us,

387
00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,233
us and the engineers, to do
all the grunt work basically.

388
00:26:08,610 --> 00:26:13,610
Patrol, convoys, raids, guarding PoWs.

389
00:26:15,900 --> 00:26:19,383
Guarding on the FOB, the
towers, the front gate.

390
00:26:20,460 --> 00:26:25,460
Man, route clearance,
QRF, Quick Reaction Force,

391
00:26:25,620 --> 00:26:28,079
we were busy 24/7, 365.

392
00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,419
We have just discovered an IED,

393
00:26:30,420 --> 00:26:32,956
improvised explosive device,
ahead of Checkpoint 10.

394
00:26:32,957 --> 00:26:35,669
We are here with Jared
Hinks, take it away.

395
00:26:35,670 --> 00:26:37,979
That's right, Ferrel,
here in Balad, Iraq

396
00:26:37,980 --> 00:26:40,109
on route Linda where two Hajis,

397
00:26:40,110 --> 00:26:42,389
excuse me, indigenous personnel.

398
00:26:42,390 --> 00:26:44,643
- Iraqi members.
- Iraqis,

399
00:26:46,290 --> 00:26:48,179
came to the front gate
while we were leaving

400
00:26:48,180 --> 00:26:50,249
and told us they knew where a bomb was.

401
00:26:50,250 --> 00:26:52,900
Back from a raid, caught
us some fucking prisoners.

402
00:26:53,754 --> 00:26:55,754
- Huh?
- Going against you?

403
00:26:55,755 --> 00:26:56,690
No, I got myself.

404
00:27:00,390 --> 00:27:03,483
That's little Nathan Maez after a raid.

405
00:27:04,770 --> 00:27:06,520
We'll start off with a cousin, Doc.

406
00:27:08,256 --> 00:27:10,589
- I saw some action today.
- Edgar.

407
00:27:10,590 --> 00:27:13,229
- No shots fired.
- Our medic.

408
00:27:13,230 --> 00:27:14,699
It's a goddamn shame.

409
00:27:14,700 --> 00:27:17,129
The newest member
of the fuckin' family.

410
00:27:17,130 --> 00:27:19,315
- Who here?
- Straight out of basic.

411
00:27:21,090 --> 00:27:23,613
Scrolly as fuck, brand new BDUs.

412
00:27:25,148 --> 00:27:27,478
Cherry, he got his cherry popped today.

413
00:27:28,311 --> 00:27:30,457
- Here we got Apa.
- Look at this.

414
00:27:31,350 --> 00:27:32,309
So the movie "Platoon"

415
00:27:32,310 --> 00:27:33,719
where Charlie Sheen is writing a letter

416
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,129
to I believe it's his grandma.

417
00:27:35,130 --> 00:27:37,889
He's talking about his platoon
mates and where they're from

418
00:27:37,890 --> 00:27:38,999
and little small cities.

419
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,949
And to me it was exactly like that, man.

420
00:27:40,950 --> 00:27:45,059
You got Garcia from Miami, Arizona, right?

421
00:27:45,060 --> 00:27:47,879
You got Hinks from Duluth, Minnesota,

422
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:52,829
you got Hill from Amarillo, Texas,

423
00:27:52,830 --> 00:27:54,449
you know, Winkel from Chicago,

424
00:27:54,450 --> 00:27:56,939
you just got everywhere
from all these places, bro.

425
00:27:56,940 --> 00:27:59,729
And it's just like fuckin'
put us all together,

426
00:27:59,730 --> 00:28:01,201
become brothers.

427
00:28:49,196 --> 00:28:51,537
Look who's recording us right now.

428
00:28:51,538 --> 00:28:53,671
Yeah.

429
00:29:03,117 --> 00:29:04,364
It's a camera, it's recording.

430
00:29:04,365 --> 00:29:05,760
Oh, it's video, you're recording.

431
00:29:05,761 --> 00:29:07,928
- Yeah.
- Well. Let me see.

432
00:29:09,041 --> 00:29:11,194
I am Sergeant Saragosa,

433
00:29:11,195 --> 00:29:14,384
Jedi Knight and protector
of the Iraqi people.

434
00:29:14,385 --> 00:29:19,385
Anyone who defies me, the sons
of bitches, will fuckin' pay.

435
00:29:21,815 --> 00:29:24,148
That's good shit.

436
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:30,187
- He's good.
- Like fuckin' dogs.

437
00:29:33,909 --> 00:29:34,944
Another now.

438
00:29:34,945 --> 00:29:37,059
Man, the guy
in yellow's losing it.

439
00:29:37,060 --> 00:29:38,566
What are you throwin', man?

440
00:29:38,567 --> 00:29:40,728
- Airheads.
- Dude, gimme an Airhead!

441
00:29:43,232 --> 00:29:45,716
I'm right here, your fuckin' sergeant.

442
00:29:45,717 --> 00:29:49,212
Bastard.

443
00:29:49,213 --> 00:29:50,836
You're a bastard.

444
00:29:50,837 --> 00:29:52,979
I wanted a fuckin' airhead,
you know what, I'll go over

445
00:29:52,980 --> 00:29:54,607
there and beat the shit
outta those kids for it.

446
00:29:56,977 --> 00:29:58,679
I'm here in Balad Iraq

447
00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,203
on top of what we would call a mansion.

448
00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:04,150
Probably the only one in Balad right now.

449
00:30:05,010 --> 00:30:06,260
As you can see behind me,

450
00:30:07,860 --> 00:30:10,409
this man has a beautiful
view of the landscape around,

451
00:30:10,410 --> 00:30:12,993
lots of green because it
is nearing winter time.

452
00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:17,789
Around this area, the insurgents,

453
00:30:17,790 --> 00:30:21,179
AKA (speaking in foreign
language), like to plant IEDs,

454
00:30:21,180 --> 00:30:23,009
improvised explosive devices.

455
00:30:23,010 --> 00:30:25,829
Where at one point in
time, this young man here,

456
00:30:25,830 --> 00:30:29,399
Nathan Maez, 19 years old,
straight outta high school,

457
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,163
got blown up right over
there by a roadside bomb.

458
00:30:34,110 --> 00:30:35,960
Kind of where near that white car is.

459
00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,690
Hold on folks, lemme take care of this.

460
00:30:48,390 --> 00:30:51,813
And that's pretty much it.

461
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,493
This is Dan Withers saying.

462
00:30:58,830 --> 00:31:01,129
Dan Withers saying, tschuss.

463
00:31:01,130 --> 00:31:03,959
If it was during the day it would be,

464
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:05,429
kind of like a presence.

465
00:31:05,430 --> 00:31:07,919
Like you go, you go to a
village, you go to a house,

466
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,699
and then they tell you to
come in, offer you chai,

467
00:31:11,700 --> 00:31:13,499
which is like hot tea.

468
00:31:13,500 --> 00:31:15,659
Meanwhile we're pulling
security up on the rooftop.

469
00:31:15,660 --> 00:31:16,829
We're taking a look around.

470
00:31:16,830 --> 00:31:19,419
You know, you ask them,
"you got a silah, silah?"

471
00:31:19,420 --> 00:31:22,549
Silah is Weapon in Arabic, "Silah?"

472
00:31:22,550 --> 00:31:24,989
"No silah, no silah, mister."

473
00:31:24,990 --> 00:31:26,099
That's what they would say, right?

474
00:31:26,100 --> 00:31:28,859
So we're still looking around,
we fuckin' find an AK-47

475
00:31:28,860 --> 00:31:30,889
and we're like, "Silah!"

476
00:31:30,890 --> 00:31:33,432
They're like, "One silah, one silah."

477
00:31:33,433 --> 00:31:35,069
It's like, hey, these
motherfuckers, right?

478
00:31:35,070 --> 00:31:37,019
It just agitates you, like, hey.

479
00:31:37,020 --> 00:31:39,329
So the rule was they were allowed to have

480
00:31:39,330 --> 00:31:43,679
one AK-47 per household
for thieves or whatever.

481
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:45,006
Alibaba is what they call them.

482
00:31:45,007 --> 00:31:46,649
"Alibaba, Alibaba. mister."

483
00:31:46,650 --> 00:31:48,299
So there's a lot of interacting

484
00:31:48,300 --> 00:31:50,369
with the the Iraqi nationals.

485
00:31:50,370 --> 00:31:51,359
You got the kids, right?

486
00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,723
So you learn things like jenta is trunk,

487
00:31:56,610 --> 00:31:58,559
you know, you're doing
traffic control checkpoints

488
00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:00,059
where you're stopping
vehicles and searching 'em

489
00:32:00,060 --> 00:32:02,815
for insurgents, contraband,
weapons and stuff like that,

490
00:32:02,816 --> 00:32:04,899
and, "Jenta, open jenta."

491
00:32:05,893 --> 00:32:07,735
Jenta.

492
00:32:07,736 --> 00:32:09,319
- Jenta!
- Okay. Okay.

493
00:32:11,804 --> 00:32:14,054
Open the jenta.

494
00:32:23,379 --> 00:32:25,119
Jenta.

495
00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:26,537
- Jenta.
- Yes, yes.

496
00:32:35,250 --> 00:32:38,027
I want to marry the women Americans

497
00:32:39,336 --> 00:32:43,169
and live in America
because I'm stuck in Iraq.

498
00:32:44,638 --> 00:32:47,474
I want to go on America
because there isn't the

499
00:32:47,475 --> 00:32:52,067
freaky freak in Iraq, in
America there is the freak.

500
00:32:52,068 --> 00:32:52,901
Okay?

501
00:32:58,557 --> 00:33:01,409
And half the platoon
would go out on patrol,

502
00:33:01,410 --> 00:33:03,479
the other half of the
platoon would stay back

503
00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,539
doing weapons maintenance,
vehicle maintenance.

504
00:33:06,540 --> 00:33:08,039
Like I said, guard duty.

505
00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,319
If you had time to go
to the internet cafe,

506
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:15,320
back then in 2004 the internet
cafe was a little office

507
00:33:16,350 --> 00:33:18,419
or a little building a little room.

508
00:33:18,420 --> 00:33:20,969
And there was probably
about four computers

509
00:33:20,970 --> 00:33:23,459
hooked up to like old school internet.

510
00:33:23,460 --> 00:33:27,209
And then you were able to
send old school emails out,

511
00:33:27,210 --> 00:33:30,243
use the telephones, made
sure you had a calling card.

512
00:33:33,030 --> 00:33:34,889
It was never a dull moment considering

513
00:33:34,890 --> 00:33:37,949
that we would get indirect fire daily.

514
00:33:37,950 --> 00:33:39,513
Daily, for sure daily.

515
00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,589
Some of it accurate,
some of it not, you know,

516
00:33:43,590 --> 00:33:48,089
the rounds would hit
outside, inside the wire.

517
00:33:48,090 --> 00:33:52,229
We also had our outgoing,
which was our 120 millimeters,

518
00:33:52,230 --> 00:33:56,489
11 Charlie Mortarmen, they
had their mortar pit set up

519
00:33:56,490 --> 00:33:59,129
right outside of our building, barracks.

520
00:33:59,130 --> 00:34:03,899
So it was freaking loud
like, boom, constant.

521
00:34:03,900 --> 00:34:06,929
So we got to distinguish between incoming

522
00:34:06,930 --> 00:34:08,069
and outgoing fires,

523
00:34:08,070 --> 00:34:10,619
like there's certain
distinctive sounds to it.

524
00:34:10,620 --> 00:34:13,319
And right after we would
receive incoming from the enemy,

525
00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,529
the insurgents, our outgoing would run out

526
00:34:16,530 --> 00:34:19,769
to the mortar pits and
start fuckin' firing back.

527
00:34:19,770 --> 00:34:21,869
So there would be like battles sometimes

528
00:34:21,870 --> 00:34:25,829
of just ingoing and outgoing,
just extremely fuckin' loud.

529
00:34:25,830 --> 00:34:27,579
But you get used to it after a while.

530
00:34:38,019 --> 00:34:38,852
Yo!

531
00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:41,780
Zimmerman.

532
00:34:42,930 --> 00:34:43,763
Zimmerman.

533
00:34:45,930 --> 00:34:48,209
- Yell loud, yeah.
- Real loud? Real loud?

534
00:34:48,210 --> 00:34:49,935
Zimmerman!

535
00:34:50,896 --> 00:34:52,923
- Bro.
- What?

536
00:34:57,095 --> 00:34:59,109
Quit it.

537
00:34:59,110 --> 00:35:01,259
This is what a really
good friend of mine

538
00:35:01,260 --> 00:35:03,719
shot off in here accidentally,

539
00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:07,169
almost got me killed, almost
got the whole platoon killed.

540
00:35:07,170 --> 00:35:08,475
- Zimmerman!
- What?

541
00:35:08,476 --> 00:35:11,587
Hey, you alarm enough?

542
00:35:11,588 --> 00:35:12,420
Thanks.

543
00:35:12,421 --> 00:35:14,069
You feel the concussion.

544
00:35:14,070 --> 00:35:15,569
For sure you feel the concussion,

545
00:35:15,570 --> 00:35:17,520
the wave through your like chest, like.

546
00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:23,099
Depending on how close you are
to it, especially incoming,

547
00:35:23,100 --> 00:35:25,863
and, dude, I remember we got caught.

548
00:35:26,730 --> 00:35:31,730
Me, Maez, Garcia, and Deano, our sergeant,

549
00:35:32,340 --> 00:35:34,919
were walking to the internet cafe

550
00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:37,293
and in between us and there,

551
00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:40,469
there was a Bradley from 1/26 Infantry

552
00:35:40,470 --> 00:35:43,139
that the grunts there were working on.

553
00:35:43,140 --> 00:35:46,349
And as we're walking, we hear
like,

554
00:35:46,350 --> 00:35:49,679
so right away we look,
and it's like, fuck.

555
00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:51,216
My best man, Garcia, he's like,

556
00:35:51,217 --> 00:35:54,239
"Hey, don't worry, that's outgoing."

557
00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:56,399
And we look, there was
nothing outgoing about that.

558
00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:57,929
There was no Paladin there,

559
00:35:57,930 --> 00:36:00,269
which we had Paladins, 155 artillery,

560
00:36:00,270 --> 00:36:04,109
and definitely no our mortar
guys there, so it was incoming.

561
00:36:04,110 --> 00:36:06,809
It's like, "Oh shit,
run, motherfucker, run!"

562
00:36:06,810 --> 00:36:08,699
That's what the 1/26 guys yell to us.

563
00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:10,529
They get up, they scatter.

564
00:36:10,530 --> 00:36:12,959
And I kid you not, dude, we're running

565
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:15,806
and it just started dropping
on us like rain, dude.

566
00:36:18,450 --> 00:36:21,959
All right, PC
Maez is about to describe

567
00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:24,519
a rocket attack we went
through a while back,

568
00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,140
About the rockets, I don't
like to talk about 'em much

569
00:36:27,141 --> 00:36:30,359
because it's just
traumatizing, but anyway.

570
00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,429
We were walking towards the internet,

571
00:36:32,430 --> 00:36:34,709
towards the TOC at battalion.

572
00:36:34,710 --> 00:36:37,979
And once we got to that Charlie Rock area,

573
00:36:37,980 --> 00:36:40,919
their maintenance bay, we
heard an explosion to our right

574
00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,229
And Garcia said, "Outgoing."

575
00:36:43,230 --> 00:36:44,063
I said, "No. Rockets."

576
00:36:46,500 --> 00:36:48,599
Yeah, Garcia says "Paladin".

577
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:49,739
I was like, "There's no paladin."

578
00:36:49,740 --> 00:36:52,169
Yeah, I was like, wait,
there's not a Paladin there.

579
00:36:52,170 --> 00:36:54,276
Then I hear Charlie Rock maintenance crew,

580
00:36:54,277 --> 00:36:56,669
- "Go, motherfucker, run, run!"
- "Fuckin' run!"

581
00:36:56,670 --> 00:36:57,989
So what did we do?

582
00:36:57,990 --> 00:36:59,639
- We ran.
- We fuckin' ran.

583
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,799
- Was there a bunker? No.
- No there wasn't.

584
00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,469
So we had to run for about 100, 150 meters

585
00:37:04,470 --> 00:37:06,963
before we found a little overhead cover.

586
00:37:08,340 --> 00:37:10,859
Boofy ass Haji concrete barriers.

587
00:37:10,860 --> 00:37:12,946
Wouldn't have stopped anything.

588
00:37:12,947 --> 00:37:15,929
But we survived it, luckily,

589
00:37:15,930 --> 00:37:18,901
even though they were coming
in on us like fuckin' rain.

590
00:37:18,902 --> 00:37:20,407
The rounds would never stop.

591
00:37:20,408 --> 00:37:23,400
And then on the run back we left Deano.

592
00:37:23,401 --> 00:37:25,447
We sorta left our
team leader in the dust

593
00:37:25,448 --> 00:37:29,319
because he's not up to par where PT's set.

594
00:37:34,380 --> 00:37:36,435
If you're not ready to run,

595
00:37:36,436 --> 00:37:38,564
you shouldn't be allowed to
have fun and go to the internet.

596
00:37:40,260 --> 00:37:41,093
Simple facts.

597
00:37:42,660 --> 00:37:44,609
That's all I gotta say about that.

598
00:37:44,610 --> 00:37:46,349
Thanks. Thanks.

599
00:37:46,350 --> 00:37:49,469
Specialist Ferrel, You all right, man?

600
00:37:49,470 --> 00:37:50,429
No comment.

601
00:37:54,114 --> 00:37:57,241
It was scary.

602
00:37:57,242 --> 00:37:59,989
All right,
I'll let you be, man.

603
00:37:59,990 --> 00:38:02,939
- Huh?
- I said I'll let you be.

604
00:38:02,940 --> 00:38:04,769
Please. Let me gather my thoughts.

605
00:38:04,770 --> 00:38:06,120
I know it hurts.

606
00:38:07,020 --> 00:38:09,053
Lemme contemplate
what could have happened.

607
00:38:09,975 --> 00:38:11,658
Because you could hear
the rockets, it's like,

608
00:38:11,659 --> 00:38:14,699
especially how close they are.

609
00:38:14,700 --> 00:38:19,259
And the only thing we found
was those concrete walls

610
00:38:19,260 --> 00:38:21,929
that you'll see around
the green zone in Baghdad

611
00:38:21,930 --> 00:38:24,479
they put around perimeters of bases.

612
00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:25,499
Those concrete walls,

613
00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:27,179
but they were stacked
on top of each other.

614
00:38:27,180 --> 00:38:29,129
They were in a laying down position

615
00:38:29,130 --> 00:38:32,039
and like four of us managed to
just cram into a little hole.

616
00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,609
And, dude, it was like.

617
00:38:35,610 --> 00:38:39,569
So you can smell the black
smoke, the gunpowder, the dust.

618
00:38:39,570 --> 00:38:41,489
Could hear the whizzing of the rounds.

619
00:38:41,490 --> 00:38:43,409
Definitely the explosions.

620
00:38:43,410 --> 00:38:44,849
And we just started laughing, dude.

621
00:38:44,850 --> 00:38:47,999
We just started laughing because
there's nothing you can do.

622
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,959
You get to a point man,
you get to a point where

623
00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,269
you know there's nothing you can do,

624
00:38:54,270 --> 00:38:56,370
you might as well have a good time with it

625
00:38:57,720 --> 00:39:00,600
because, honestly, what
difference is it gonna make?

626
00:39:00,601 --> 00:39:03,917
Would you rather scare yourself
to death or just go out?

627
00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,043
Kind of like go out happy with it?

628
00:39:09,870 --> 00:39:11,489
It stopped after a while.

629
00:39:11,490 --> 00:39:13,769
We all picked up when it
seemed like a good time,

630
00:39:13,770 --> 00:39:16,229
like a lull in the fire, to go back.

631
00:39:16,230 --> 00:39:19,596
And we went back and my boy
Hinks from Minnesota was like,

632
00:39:19,597 --> 00:39:22,049
"Damn, bro, did you guys
get caught in that?"

633
00:39:22,050 --> 00:39:25,026
We're like, "Yeah, dude,
right in the middle."

634
00:39:25,027 --> 00:39:25,926
"Was it scary?"

635
00:39:25,927 --> 00:39:28,079
"100%, absolutely."

636
00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:32,099
But my dad had given me some
type of religious medallion

637
00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:36,929
prior to deploying, which was random.

638
00:39:36,930 --> 00:39:39,239
And I remember just clutching that thing

639
00:39:39,240 --> 00:39:41,523
when the rounds were
landing all around us.

640
00:39:49,410 --> 00:39:53,009
We're here in Balad, Iraq again,

641
00:39:53,010 --> 00:39:56,373
where I guess the driveby
happened on this fuckin' car here.

642
00:39:57,660 --> 00:39:59,425
Killed the driver definitely,

643
00:39:59,426 --> 00:40:01,726
'cause his brains are
hanging on his shoulder.

644
00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:04,122
And I guess some other
people were in the back

645
00:40:04,123 --> 00:40:06,228
that got shot up, taken to the hospital.

646
00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:10,829
I guess this is these
people's relatives or whatever

647
00:40:10,830 --> 00:40:13,323
and they're not too happy right now.

648
00:40:14,231 --> 00:40:16,229
I guess it was a tribal
war between two tribes

649
00:40:16,230 --> 00:40:17,163
or some shit like that.

650
00:40:18,150 --> 00:40:20,429
Anyways, just another day here in Balad,

651
00:40:20,430 --> 00:40:21,630
we're almost outta here.

652
00:40:23,190 --> 00:40:24,190
More brains for you.

653
00:40:25,304 --> 00:40:28,304
- Oh, I gotta go down there.
- Go down there with a camera.

654
00:40:42,170 --> 00:40:44,432
I don't see him.

655
00:40:56,647 --> 00:40:58,276
All right.

656
00:41:12,469 --> 00:41:14,802
I don't see him.

657
00:41:23,647 --> 00:41:26,160
This here is
high speed Second Squad

658
00:41:28,022 --> 00:41:32,439
In the middle of what we
would call a battle I guess.

659
00:41:58,548 --> 00:42:00,923
Get out of
here! Get out of here!

660
00:42:00,924 --> 00:42:02,368
- Clear?
- Yeah.

661
00:42:02,369 --> 00:42:04,286
House clear.

662
00:42:21,152 --> 00:42:24,235
Let's go, bro, that easy.

663
00:42:26,540 --> 00:42:29,457
Look at Hill on the gun.

664
00:42:37,701 --> 00:42:38,533
What's going on?

665
00:42:38,534 --> 00:42:41,223
We are in downtown Balad
on a regular patrol.

666
00:42:44,340 --> 00:42:45,817
On the gun as usual.

667
00:42:58,800 --> 00:42:59,633
Moo.

668
00:43:01,643 --> 00:43:06,153
Look at that dirty fuckin'
kid, and his brother.

669
00:43:07,947 --> 00:43:09,247
All right, there's mother.

670
00:43:11,250 --> 00:43:13,250
Don't mind the bullet hole in the glass.

671
00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:17,873
Yep.

672
00:43:23,070 --> 00:43:24,123
Hard at work.

673
00:43:37,883 --> 00:43:41,542
Oh, look at the helicopter,

674
00:43:41,543 --> 00:43:43,379
Hey did it record?

675
00:43:43,380 --> 00:43:46,959
That's fucked up, dude. That
was my best one too, man.

676
00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:48,836
There goes another one.

677
00:43:48,837 --> 00:43:50,337
Say something, Dick.

678
00:43:51,270 --> 00:43:53,579
We're in Balad right now, downtown.

679
00:43:53,580 --> 00:43:55,932
We're not in downtown Balad right now.

680
00:43:55,933 --> 00:43:57,726
- Dude, you're fuckin' stupid.
- Huh?

681
00:43:57,727 --> 00:43:59,926
On dangerous mission today?

682
00:43:59,927 --> 00:44:01,473
Not dangerous at all.

683
00:44:01,474 --> 00:44:04,391
- Very dangerous.
- Dangerous mission today.

684
00:44:06,780 --> 00:44:08,380
That's scroll on the gun.

685
00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:13,110
Always talkin' that shit.

686
00:44:15,300 --> 00:44:16,863
My foot hurts really bad.

687
00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:22,339
We're gonna escort these
fags to the hospital.

688
00:44:22,340 --> 00:44:26,069
- Go go, show the fags.
- Show the fags, dude.

689
00:44:26,070 --> 00:44:28,503
Show the
non-combatant motherfuckers.

690
00:44:29,970 --> 00:44:31,203
Zoom in, zoom in.

691
00:44:32,438 --> 00:44:33,638
I dunno how.

692
00:44:34,850 --> 00:44:37,216
- I'm Luga.
- Shut the fuck up, asshole.

693
00:44:37,217 --> 00:44:38,883
- Hey.
- I'll fuckin' kill you.

694
00:44:55,479 --> 00:44:59,435
This is how we do it in the Humvees.

695
00:44:59,436 --> 00:45:02,309
Smokin' Newports and
shit, not giving a fuck.

696
00:45:02,310 --> 00:45:03,509
I ain't dismounting for nothing,

697
00:45:03,510 --> 00:45:05,639
'cause my foot's all fucked up.

698
00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:08,558
I'm here for the hell of it,
for shits and fuckin' giggles.

699
00:45:10,770 --> 00:45:14,519
You gonna put that on a fuckin'
documentary when I make it.

700
00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:18,509
This is how we lived in Iraq.

701
00:45:18,510 --> 00:45:20,519
I guess, damn.

702
00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:21,839
I never really, really thought of this,

703
00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:26,260
but I guess the first time that
I fired my weapon in combat

704
00:45:27,930 --> 00:45:32,753
was April 15th, 2004.

705
00:45:34,460 --> 00:45:36,899
I was taking a shit in the latrines.

706
00:45:36,900 --> 00:45:39,963
It was like a trailer, like
the ones you see at a concert.

707
00:45:40,830 --> 00:45:44,523
And we started getting incoming
like rockets or mortars.

708
00:45:45,990 --> 00:45:48,346
I remember thinking like,
I'm gonna die on the shitter.

709
00:45:48,347 --> 00:45:51,026
Right, you never want
to die on the shitter.

710
00:45:51,027 --> 00:45:52,829
And I remember thinking like, damn,

711
00:45:52,830 --> 00:45:54,659
shrapnel's about to come through

712
00:45:54,660 --> 00:45:57,029
like this aluminum fricking tin thingy.

713
00:45:57,030 --> 00:45:59,939
So I like throw on my vest
real quick, my helmet.

714
00:45:59,940 --> 00:46:02,549
I don't even think I wiped my
ass, and I take off running.

715
00:46:02,550 --> 00:46:04,319
Outside of the door

716
00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:05,789
and you got the maintenance
bay right there.

717
00:46:05,790 --> 00:46:07,803
This is on our FOB, FOB Paliwoda.

718
00:46:09,660 --> 00:46:12,179
And we were QRF, Quick Reaction Force.

719
00:46:12,180 --> 00:46:16,799
So it was our job to go to
the point of origin, the POO,

720
00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:18,359
that was tracked by a satellite

721
00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:20,009
that would give us the exact coordinates

722
00:46:20,010 --> 00:46:20,842
of where it came from,

723
00:46:20,843 --> 00:46:22,820
it would track the
trajectory of the round.

724
00:46:24,210 --> 00:46:27,029
So we load up, we get in the Humvees.

725
00:46:27,030 --> 00:46:30,220
We stop and set up a
traffic control checkpoint

726
00:46:32,435 --> 00:46:34,467
to try to find the mortarmen.

727
00:46:35,894 --> 00:46:37,979
Well, we see a white truck
coming in our direction,

728
00:46:37,980 --> 00:46:40,289
they see us and they fuckin'
haul ass and do a U-turn.

729
00:46:40,290 --> 00:46:42,179
So it's like, "Hey, jump in,
jump in, get in the vehicle.

730
00:46:42,180 --> 00:46:44,009
There they are."

731
00:46:44,010 --> 00:46:46,923
Man, we're chasing this
fricking truck vehicle.

732
00:46:47,790 --> 00:46:51,033
We go about 30 miles away from
where we're supposed to be.

733
00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:53,759
It's like we damn near
ended up in Fallujah

734
00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:54,783
from what I gather.

735
00:46:56,970 --> 00:47:00,313
I was an E-3, E-4, so
I really didn't like,

736
00:47:00,314 --> 00:47:02,219
you know, I wasn't making
any fuckin' decisions.

737
00:47:02,220 --> 00:47:03,970
Just driving a Humvee at this time.

738
00:47:05,910 --> 00:47:07,143
So we chase them.

739
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:12,303
Again, to some village
right in front of a house.

740
00:47:13,590 --> 00:47:16,319
They parked the truck,
it was a white truck,

741
00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:19,529
three males, military-age males jump out,

742
00:47:19,530 --> 00:47:21,839
they run through a house.

743
00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:23,849
Even though I was the
driver of the Humvee,

744
00:47:23,850 --> 00:47:26,699
something told me just get
out and fuckin' chase 'em.

745
00:47:26,700 --> 00:47:29,549
Right, so I jump out

746
00:47:29,550 --> 00:47:30,929
and instead of us going through the house,

747
00:47:30,930 --> 00:47:32,519
we went around the side.

748
00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:36,839
And as I'm looking, Sergeant
Hendrickson is over there

749
00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:39,989
and he's handling one of the dudes,

750
00:47:39,990 --> 00:47:40,822
one of the older guys, right?

751
00:47:40,823 --> 00:47:45,823
It is him and he's handling
him, we'll just say that.

752
00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:51,200
So now you see two guys
running, me, Hinks and Deano.

753
00:47:53,670 --> 00:47:55,889
These dudes are fuckin' gaining on us.

754
00:47:55,890 --> 00:47:57,689
Right, we didn't know if
they had weapons on them,

755
00:47:57,690 --> 00:48:01,019
they just fuckin' like, it was all bad.

756
00:48:01,020 --> 00:48:02,703
Bad area, bad people.

757
00:48:03,750 --> 00:48:05,819
That was the crazy thing
about fuckin' Iraq is that,

758
00:48:05,820 --> 00:48:07,970
you know, they didn't
really wear uniforms.

759
00:48:09,990 --> 00:48:12,809
So I asked my sergeant,
"Can we shoot warning shots?

760
00:48:12,810 --> 00:48:13,859
Can we shoot warning shots?"

761
00:48:13,860 --> 00:48:16,289
So he's like, "Yeah." So
it's like boom, boom, right?

762
00:48:16,290 --> 00:48:18,989
Warning shots get fuckin'
fired, dudes are still running.

763
00:48:18,990 --> 00:48:21,873
I was like, man, these guys
are really up to no good.

764
00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:25,529
So I see one kind of turning,

765
00:48:25,530 --> 00:48:27,749
kind of like turning to the left.

766
00:48:27,750 --> 00:48:30,550
And then that's when I draw
on him and just, boom, boom.

767
00:48:31,410 --> 00:48:33,963
The dude was like 250 meters away, 300.

768
00:48:35,250 --> 00:48:37,079
And when I seen he was running,

769
00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:38,819
he skipped the ground with his hand.

770
00:48:38,820 --> 00:48:40,623
I'm like, holy fuck. I shot him.

771
00:48:42,420 --> 00:48:43,503
So he kept running.

772
00:48:45,450 --> 00:48:46,900
I mean, they were a distance.

773
00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:50,219
And when we come up to the guy,

774
00:48:50,220 --> 00:48:54,629
there's a canal that's empty
of water, but there's mud.

775
00:48:54,630 --> 00:48:56,163
It's a very muddy canal.

776
00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:01,559
And the dude is on his
knees like this, soaked,

777
00:49:01,560 --> 00:49:02,733
soaked in blood.

778
00:49:05,490 --> 00:49:06,719
And I remember thinking in my head,

779
00:49:06,720 --> 00:49:08,339
God, please let that be mud.

780
00:49:08,340 --> 00:49:10,229
Please let that be mud, right?

781
00:49:10,230 --> 00:49:13,079
I was hoping it would be mud
from what he had just crossed.

782
00:49:13,080 --> 00:49:15,299
And the dude was wearing sandals,
which caught me off guard.

783
00:49:15,300 --> 00:49:17,129
Like, how the hell did
he keep his sandals on

784
00:49:17,130 --> 00:49:17,962
through that mud?

785
00:49:17,963 --> 00:49:20,519
Right, you would think
it would've got stuck.

786
00:49:20,520 --> 00:49:22,713
So we end up coming up, coming behind him.

787
00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:27,419
And my sergeant yells, "Hey,
you shot him, you search him."

788
00:49:27,420 --> 00:49:29,399
So I just kicked him. Boom.

789
00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:32,129
I kicked him in the back and
he fuckin' falls forward.

790
00:49:32,130 --> 00:49:34,469
And now he's in the prone position.

791
00:49:34,470 --> 00:49:35,549
And I'm standing over him,

792
00:49:35,550 --> 00:49:38,159
'cause they did teach us
how to do EPW searches,

793
00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:41,909
enemy prisoner of war searches,
in case they have grenades,

794
00:49:41,910 --> 00:49:44,099
which is one of the last stands

795
00:49:44,100 --> 00:49:45,809
or one last-ditch efforts that they'll do

796
00:49:45,810 --> 00:49:47,759
is they'll lay on top of a grenade

797
00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:51,059
or just fuckin' pull the pin
and just take everybody out.

798
00:49:51,060 --> 00:49:53,310
So he's like, "You shot
him, you search him."

799
00:49:57,171 --> 00:50:00,749
So I go to search him and
I put my hands on his back

800
00:50:00,750 --> 00:50:02,763
and my fuckin' hands slipped.

801
00:50:03,960 --> 00:50:05,519
He's wearing a man-dress,

802
00:50:05,520 --> 00:50:10,520
and my hand slipped on the red,
slick blood, dark ass blood.

803
00:50:10,620 --> 00:50:14,099
And I fell on top of
him and I'm like, "Ah!"

804
00:50:14,100 --> 00:50:16,199
Right, I looked at my hands
and I just remember thinking,

805
00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:18,209
like, damn, I have blood
on my hands, right,

806
00:50:18,210 --> 00:50:21,153
like the figure of speech,
I have blood on my hands.

807
00:50:23,520 --> 00:50:25,559
So by then another sergeant came,

808
00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:27,633
who he claimed to be a medic,

809
00:50:28,470 --> 00:50:30,209
but he gets here and he starts panicking

810
00:50:30,210 --> 00:50:33,869
'cause the dude's exit wound
is here in his neck, right?

811
00:50:33,870 --> 00:50:36,329
Again, I'd never seen a gunshot wound.

812
00:50:36,330 --> 00:50:40,799
I had never shot anybody
up until that point.

813
00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:42,743
You know, this is like really happening.

814
00:50:44,460 --> 00:50:47,489
So Sergeant Deano tells
him, "Hey, patch him up.

815
00:50:47,490 --> 00:50:49,679
You're supposed to be a fuckin' medic."

816
00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:50,669
And he says, "Hey, let's go.

817
00:50:50,670 --> 00:50:52,649
We still have to go
and get the other guy."

818
00:50:52,650 --> 00:50:56,325
Right, so it was me and
then we were all regrouped.

819
00:50:56,326 --> 00:50:59,519
Hendo, Deano, Hinks and me and I

820
00:50:59,520 --> 00:51:02,549
and we're running, the
other guy disappeared, man.

821
00:51:02,550 --> 00:51:05,219
Holy shit, he ran into a fuckin' village.

822
00:51:05,220 --> 00:51:06,719
It was a bad village, dude.

823
00:51:06,720 --> 00:51:07,889
It was a really bad village.

824
00:51:07,890 --> 00:51:09,959
I mean, you would think
because you're in Iraq,

825
00:51:09,960 --> 00:51:13,319
it's a hostile area of combat operations

826
00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:16,319
like 24/7 everywhere.

827
00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:19,049
Some fuckin' places are
more sketchier than others

828
00:51:19,050 --> 00:51:21,389
and just different things that give away.

829
00:51:21,390 --> 00:51:24,029
Like the way people look
at you in their eyes,

830
00:51:24,030 --> 00:51:25,649
it's like the hate is radiating

831
00:51:25,650 --> 00:51:28,919
from people's like body, souls.

832
00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:31,439
And we were seeing a lot of that.

833
00:51:31,440 --> 00:51:34,859
Pictures of Saddam Hussein
up on people's walls.

834
00:51:34,860 --> 00:51:37,079
That wasn't something we
had necessarily encountered

835
00:51:37,080 --> 00:51:38,699
in our area of operations.

836
00:51:38,700 --> 00:51:42,449
I told you we had driven frickin'
30 minutes out of our AO.

837
00:51:42,450 --> 00:51:45,299
And I remember clearing
a house clearing it,

838
00:51:45,300 --> 00:51:47,999
and there was an old lady in a wheelchair.

839
00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:51,629
And as I come across the
room, she just stares at me.

840
00:51:51,630 --> 00:51:53,433
She's just in the wheelchair, like.

841
00:51:55,260 --> 00:51:58,589
Doesn't say nothing to me,
I don't say nothing to her.

842
00:51:58,590 --> 00:52:00,539
It is almost like she's used to

843
00:52:00,540 --> 00:52:03,419
people coming in her house with guns

844
00:52:03,420 --> 00:52:04,979
and it's like just keep pushing, right?

845
00:52:04,980 --> 00:52:07,593
Like, she's not a threat, keep pushing.

846
00:52:11,490 --> 00:52:13,619
We start getting like the heebie-jeebies.

847
00:52:13,620 --> 00:52:14,879
Like, Hey, we gotta get outta here.

848
00:52:14,880 --> 00:52:17,669
We gotta get outta here,
we've been here for too long.

849
00:52:17,670 --> 00:52:19,409
We've been here for too
long, we're in a bad area.

850
00:52:19,410 --> 00:52:22,139
It's just a matter of time
before they come down on us.

851
00:52:22,140 --> 00:52:26,253
And so we start making our
way back to the vehicle.

852
00:52:28,890 --> 00:52:31,739
And you had the family
members of that individual

853
00:52:31,740 --> 00:52:33,149
that I shot were crying.

854
00:52:33,150 --> 00:52:36,119
I mean, I assume they
were their family members.

855
00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:37,889
And then you had the dad,

856
00:52:37,890 --> 00:52:39,449
which this is what I found extremely odd.

857
00:52:39,450 --> 00:52:41,516
The dad walks up to me
and I shake the dad's hand

858
00:52:41,517 --> 00:52:43,113
and the dad shakes my hand.

859
00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:49,593
So if there was a major
event, which there were,

860
00:52:50,670 --> 00:52:52,589
they would send the chaplain over to us

861
00:52:52,590 --> 00:52:55,409
in our little makeshift barracks.

862
00:52:55,410 --> 00:52:58,499
You know, initially it
was just a big open bay,

863
00:52:58,500 --> 00:53:01,139
then we somehow got some
plywood and made cubicles,

864
00:53:01,140 --> 00:53:02,579
two-man cubicles.

865
00:53:02,580 --> 00:53:05,579
But we're learning this as it's happening.

866
00:53:05,580 --> 00:53:08,069
The big army will send
a chaplain over to us

867
00:53:08,070 --> 00:53:11,309
and talk to us about what's going on.

868
00:53:11,310 --> 00:53:14,309
Of course, we're not
gonna openly, you know,

869
00:53:14,310 --> 00:53:16,049
pour our heart and soul into this guy.

870
00:53:16,050 --> 00:53:18,119
We don't even know him and
we're not trying to look weak.

871
00:53:18,120 --> 00:53:22,383
So at that time, right, I
don't have that same mindset.

872
00:53:26,310 --> 00:53:27,359
'Cause you gotta understand, bro,

873
00:53:27,360 --> 00:53:29,009
weakness will get you killed.

874
00:53:29,010 --> 00:53:31,619
You gotta be fuckin hard, stern.

875
00:53:31,620 --> 00:53:32,879
I mean, you gotta be a killer

876
00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:35,879
to survive and adapt in that environment.

877
00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:37,533
You can get got at any time.

878
00:53:38,580 --> 00:53:39,839
Like about five minutes ago,

879
00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:42,190
the Humvee that I drive
just got hit by an IED.

880
00:53:43,254 --> 00:53:45,479
But the other squad was driving it.

881
00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:46,349
Pretty fuckin' scary.

882
00:53:46,350 --> 00:53:47,939
Joe, why you
ain't got no fuckin' grease

883
00:53:47,940 --> 00:53:49,203
on his face, Specialist?

884
00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:51,833
Dad's mad.

885
00:53:53,670 --> 00:53:57,839
It's PFC Roberts Zimmerman
reporting from Balad, Iraq.

886
00:53:57,840 --> 00:54:00,269
As you can see, the weather
out there is fucking shitty.

887
00:54:00,270 --> 00:54:02,609
Fucking electric lines and transformers

888
00:54:02,610 --> 00:54:04,199
are blowing all over the place.

889
00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:05,150
Oh fuck.

890
00:54:07,350 --> 00:54:08,819
What is it,
from the fuckin' sand?

891
00:54:08,820 --> 00:54:10,220
It's probably from the sand.

892
00:54:12,540 --> 00:54:14,879
A big ass piece of metal.

893
00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:17,530
Oh man, that's what this
is, a piece of a shrapnel

894
00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:21,749
from the bomb that went off
right next to my vehicle today.

895
00:54:21,750 --> 00:54:23,219
- A bomb?
- Yeah man,

896
00:54:23,220 --> 00:54:25,619
a roadside bomb fuckin'
almost blew me up today.

897
00:54:25,620 --> 00:54:27,663
A piece of the metal. Check it out.

898
00:54:28,892 --> 00:54:32,942
Check out this little piece.

899
00:54:32,943 --> 00:54:34,193
Good shit, huh?

900
00:54:37,770 --> 00:54:40,191
That's a big piece of fuckin' metal.

901
00:54:40,192 --> 00:54:41,025
Yep.

902
00:54:42,003 --> 00:54:43,499
12th of May.

903
00:54:43,500 --> 00:54:44,459
So how do you feel?

904
00:54:44,460 --> 00:54:47,131
How do you feel about that
flying past your head?

905
00:54:47,132 --> 00:54:49,953
Nah. can't really do much about it.

906
00:54:50,850 --> 00:54:53,189
We killed somebody though,
that's what counts.

907
00:54:53,190 --> 00:54:54,749
Hopefully it was the guy.

908
00:54:54,750 --> 00:54:57,331
If it want, oh well. Really don't know.

909
00:54:57,332 --> 00:54:59,995
- That's about it.
- All right.

910
00:55:26,901 --> 00:55:29,401
Six in the barrel.

911
00:55:32,190 --> 00:55:35,193
First time I met Doc
Daclan was in Hohenfels.

912
00:55:37,230 --> 00:55:40,469
We actually had a medic prior to him

913
00:55:40,470 --> 00:55:42,539
that refused to fire his weapon

914
00:55:42,540 --> 00:55:45,869
on one of the live fire ranges
and our platoon sergeant,

915
00:55:45,870 --> 00:55:48,299
Sergeant First Class
Goehlich, kicked him out.

916
00:55:48,300 --> 00:55:49,859
He's like, "Hey, get outta
here. I don't need you.

917
00:55:49,860 --> 00:55:52,019
I need somebody that's gonna
fuckin' fire their weapon."

918
00:55:52,020 --> 00:55:56,643
And asked for a replacement,
which was Doc Daclan, Edgar.

919
00:56:17,520 --> 00:56:19,889
I ended up going to the PX at Hohenfels

920
00:56:19,890 --> 00:56:23,043
and buying this big giant
Rambo knife, like a gimmick.

921
00:56:24,120 --> 00:56:26,789
And it came with a compass

922
00:56:26,790 --> 00:56:29,009
and I was so excited, man,
probably like a bargain,

923
00:56:29,010 --> 00:56:30,929
probably like 10 bucks.

924
00:56:30,930 --> 00:56:33,119
And I was so anxious to open it up

925
00:56:33,120 --> 00:56:35,759
that I actually sliced my
hand open with that knife.

926
00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:38,459
And we were in the billets,

927
00:56:38,460 --> 00:56:39,326
you know, the little barracks area.

928
00:56:39,327 --> 00:56:40,919
And I go up to the medic, Doc,

929
00:56:40,920 --> 00:56:43,320
and I'm like, Hey Doc,
can you help me out here?

930
00:56:44,490 --> 00:56:45,412
And he starts bandaging me up.

931
00:56:45,413 --> 00:56:47,219
This is the first time I meet him.

932
00:56:47,220 --> 00:56:49,199
And he has that like high-pitched voice

933
00:56:49,200 --> 00:56:50,879
and he is like, "Hey,
man, you gotta be careful

934
00:56:50,880 --> 00:56:52,529
when you're messing with these knives."

935
00:56:52,530 --> 00:56:53,606
And I'm like, "I know, man, I know."

936
00:56:53,607 --> 00:56:56,456
And he starts like bandaging my hand.

937
00:56:56,457 --> 00:56:58,649
And even then I just
remember thinking like,

938
00:56:58,650 --> 00:56:59,699
this dude's so caring,

939
00:56:59,700 --> 00:57:01,950
like this dude's so
passionate about his job.

940
00:57:34,050 --> 00:57:37,559
Get in the Humvees, we start
driving out the FOB front gate,

941
00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:40,469
Specialist Maldanado, my boy
from Puerto Rico's there,

942
00:57:40,470 --> 00:57:42,509
and he's just like looking at us, right?

943
00:57:42,510 --> 00:57:44,879
And I'm looking at him, which was weird

944
00:57:44,880 --> 00:57:47,219
because like the whole mood was somber.

945
00:57:47,220 --> 00:57:49,270
It was just weird right out the the gate.

946
00:57:50,190 --> 00:57:52,679
Normally he would've been like,
"Hey, what's up, fuckers."

947
00:57:52,680 --> 00:57:54,183
But it was just like nothing.

948
00:58:02,610 --> 00:58:06,419
We drive to the location
where the point of origin is,

949
00:58:06,420 --> 00:58:08,133
along the Tigris River.

950
00:58:09,390 --> 00:58:11,249
Right before we get to the POO,

951
00:58:11,250 --> 00:58:14,193
there's a T-intersection
on a hard ball street.

952
00:58:15,943 --> 00:58:17,219
And I was the third vehicle

953
00:58:17,220 --> 00:58:19,979
out of four vehicles in the patrol.

954
00:58:19,980 --> 00:58:21,179
And we hear over the radio

955
00:58:21,180 --> 00:58:24,719
that the last vehicle had
broken down about a mile back.

956
00:58:24,720 --> 00:58:25,683
Like, what?

957
00:58:26,550 --> 00:58:30,299
So the lieutenant in the first
vehicle made the decision

958
00:58:30,300 --> 00:58:33,866
to send my vehicle back
and link up with them.

959
00:58:33,867 --> 00:58:35,399
So we're like, "All right."

960
00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:38,816
So I drive back and I link
up with that other vehicle.

961
00:58:38,817 --> 00:58:41,249
Now I didn't give it any thought

962
00:58:41,250 --> 00:58:43,709
whether they were gonna stay
put or continue mission.

963
00:58:43,710 --> 00:58:45,629
I mean, I guess I figured
they were just gonna stay put

964
00:58:45,630 --> 00:58:47,223
till we got back and linked up.

965
00:58:57,150 --> 00:59:00,100
What ended up happening is that
patrol went and carried on.

966
00:59:02,010 --> 00:59:04,889
And Doc, Edgar Daclan
was like a grunt to us.

967
00:59:04,890 --> 00:59:07,439
Even though he was a medic, combat medic,

968
00:59:07,440 --> 00:59:09,839
he was a grunt to us, 'cause
he was always leading,

969
00:59:09,840 --> 00:59:11,219
he was always kicking in doors,

970
00:59:11,220 --> 00:59:13,899
he was always shooting his weapon with us.

971
00:59:32,100 --> 00:59:33,539
So as we're there,

972
00:59:33,540 --> 00:59:35,939
I'm with the last vehicle that broke down.

973
00:59:35,940 --> 00:59:39,273
We hear.

974
00:59:42,630 --> 00:59:47,189
Like the loudest rumbling forever.

975
00:59:47,190 --> 00:59:49,349
Like, I never heard
anything like this before.

976
00:59:49,350 --> 00:59:50,317
Followed by gunfire.

977
00:59:52,156 --> 00:59:54,869
- Wow.
- Don't get up, guys.

978
00:59:54,870 --> 00:59:56,470
That rocket tracked.

979
00:59:59,533 --> 01:00:01,086
It took like a fuckin' half a second.

980
01:00:01,087 --> 01:00:03,449
"Hey, let's go, they're
getting hit. Let's go."

981
01:00:03,450 --> 01:00:05,366
So then my wheel starts spinning like,

982
01:00:05,367 --> 01:00:06,809
oh, they went forward, right?

983
01:00:06,810 --> 01:00:10,006
They continued mission, they
pushed on and they got hit.

984
01:00:12,688 --> 01:00:14,188
Here we go, here's part of it.

985
01:00:17,820 --> 01:00:20,729
The Humvee parked right next to the IED.

986
01:00:20,730 --> 01:00:23,939
It was a surface leveled IED,
meaning it was surface leveled

987
01:00:23,940 --> 01:00:25,199
and it was in a mound of dirt.

988
01:00:25,200 --> 01:00:27,950
So there was only dirt covering
those artillery rounds.

989
01:00:28,800 --> 01:00:31,919
And as soon as Doc stepped
in front of the Humvee

990
01:00:31,920 --> 01:00:34,979
and the insurgent saw
him, he detonated the IED,

991
01:00:34,980 --> 01:00:36,753
which blew Doc across the road.

992
01:00:45,517 --> 01:00:47,999
So I convinced the sergeant
like, "Hey, let's go, let's go."

993
01:00:48,000 --> 01:00:50,039
So we had jumped in the Humvee,

994
01:00:50,040 --> 01:00:52,649
and I know a shortcut to the location,

995
01:00:52,650 --> 01:00:53,799
it was through like a dirt road.

996
01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:58,079
And I see the Humvee
that got hit and it was,

997
01:00:58,080 --> 01:00:59,639
we would come to it like a T.

998
01:00:59,640 --> 01:01:02,849
I jump out and as soon as I jump out,

999
01:01:02,850 --> 01:01:05,156
Sergeant Edgar comes around
and said, "They killed Doc."

1000
01:01:05,157 --> 01:01:06,929
I'm like, "What do you
mean they killed Doc?"

1001
01:01:06,930 --> 01:01:08,699
And he's like, "He's
right over there, look."

1002
01:01:08,700 --> 01:01:12,539
And like I look past him
and I see a body on the road

1003
01:01:12,540 --> 01:01:13,740
and my vision just goes,

1004
01:01:17,040 --> 01:01:18,740
and my whole world just went dark.

1005
01:01:20,670 --> 01:01:22,979
And like at that moment,
my innocence left me.

1006
01:01:22,980 --> 01:01:25,919
Like a shift in my, like my innocence,

1007
01:01:25,920 --> 01:01:27,539
anything I was ever taught,

1008
01:01:27,540 --> 01:01:29,039
that good things happen to good people,

1009
01:01:29,040 --> 01:01:31,499
bad things happen to
bad people, shattered,

1010
01:01:31,500 --> 01:01:33,599
fucking shattered on the spot.

1011
01:01:33,600 --> 01:01:36,419
So I run over there, I don't know why.

1012
01:01:36,420 --> 01:01:41,219
And I look down and there's a
body, and I look at his face

1013
01:01:41,220 --> 01:01:43,589
and there's droplets of blood on his face.

1014
01:01:43,590 --> 01:01:45,719
But he doesn't look like Doc, right?

1015
01:01:45,720 --> 01:01:48,689
His face is in one piece,
his face isn't injured,

1016
01:01:48,690 --> 01:01:50,369
it just doesn't look like Doc.

1017
01:01:50,370 --> 01:01:53,853
And then I started going
down, look, scanning his body.

1018
01:01:54,690 --> 01:01:57,749
And then I get to his right leg, his shin,

1019
01:01:57,750 --> 01:01:59,249
and his shin bone is exposed

1020
01:01:59,250 --> 01:02:01,413
so he took like shrapnel to the shin.

1021
01:02:04,560 --> 01:02:07,743
Lieutenant Torres took shrapnel
on the bottom of his foot.

1022
01:02:08,940 --> 01:02:11,999
Because when I arrived,
Lieutenant Torres was sitting

1023
01:02:12,000 --> 01:02:14,999
on the passenger side of the Humvee,

1024
01:02:15,000 --> 01:02:17,489
holding his foot up like this, cussing.

1025
01:02:17,490 --> 01:02:20,039
And the bottom of his boot was chewed up

1026
01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:22,563
and his foot looked like ground beef.

1027
01:02:23,400 --> 01:02:26,729
Then you had Oneal who was the gunner

1028
01:02:26,730 --> 01:02:29,159
at the time of that Humvee.

1029
01:02:29,160 --> 01:02:32,339
He had his back of his
head facing that IED.

1030
01:02:32,340 --> 01:02:34,889
So when that IED blew, boom,

1031
01:02:34,890 --> 01:02:38,699
it blew some shrapnel into his Kevlar.

1032
01:02:38,700 --> 01:02:42,299
We had the old school Kevlars,
the ones that came down,

1033
01:02:42,300 --> 01:02:44,339
not like the new ones.

1034
01:02:44,340 --> 01:02:45,599
And that saved his life.

1035
01:02:45,600 --> 01:02:47,429
It punctured his skull

1036
01:02:47,430 --> 01:02:50,069
and it wounded him, took
him out of the fight.

1037
01:02:50,070 --> 01:02:52,559
And Hinks was bandaging up Oneal

1038
01:02:52,560 --> 01:02:56,189
and Hinks was bandaging
up Lieutenant Torres,

1039
01:02:56,190 --> 01:02:57,479
which was a fucked up feeling

1040
01:02:57,480 --> 01:02:59,279
because we never in our wildest dreams

1041
01:02:59,280 --> 01:03:01,480
anticipated that our
medic would get killed.

1042
01:03:07,710 --> 01:03:10,233
And I'm just like, holy fuck.

1043
01:03:11,700 --> 01:03:12,899
But then I realized like, hey,

1044
01:03:12,900 --> 01:03:16,229
this is an unsecured like scene still,

1045
01:03:16,230 --> 01:03:17,759
we still have to pull security.

1046
01:03:17,760 --> 01:03:19,799
Like the insurgents, the bad guys

1047
01:03:19,800 --> 01:03:24,719
can still be out in the bushes.

1048
01:03:24,720 --> 01:03:27,359
So we look down and
they're like, "Hey, Ferrel,

1049
01:03:27,360 --> 01:03:29,760
there's a fucking vehicle
coming down the road."

1050
01:03:30,660 --> 01:03:34,499
So you have the dead
body, you have my Humvee,

1051
01:03:34,500 --> 01:03:36,749
that Humvee that got hit, the 113,

1052
01:03:36,750 --> 01:03:38,800
and we're set up in this little position.

1053
01:03:40,170 --> 01:03:42,959
But it's on a hard ball so you
got traffic trying to come,

1054
01:03:42,960 --> 01:03:46,139
Iraqi civilians trying
to come from both sides.

1055
01:03:46,140 --> 01:03:49,533
So I start shooting
warning shots at this car.

1056
01:03:50,460 --> 01:03:53,699
Probably had to be an Opal.
Everybody drove Opals.

1057
01:03:53,700 --> 01:03:55,503
The the car turns around and leaves.

1058
01:03:56,460 --> 01:03:58,199
Well then I see a white truck coming

1059
01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:00,800
and I do the same thing,
but the truck keeps coming.

1060
01:04:03,210 --> 01:04:05,849
So then I shoot in front of the street

1061
01:04:05,850 --> 01:04:09,296
right where that truck is at with my M-16.

1062
01:04:09,297 --> 01:04:10,997
The truck is still fuckin' coming.

1063
01:04:12,600 --> 01:04:14,189
So then I shoot at the engine block.

1064
01:04:14,190 --> 01:04:16,259
And now this is only .556, but I mean,

1065
01:04:16,260 --> 01:04:18,689
I don't know what else to do so I'm like,

1066
01:04:18,690 --> 01:04:20,249
and the fuckin' truck is still coming.

1067
01:04:20,250 --> 01:04:21,989
I'm like, I'm gonna
have to kill this dude.

1068
01:04:21,990 --> 01:04:25,404
I'm gonna have to fuckin'
kill this dude, right?

1069
01:04:25,405 --> 01:04:27,659
'Cause at that time they had
already started implementing

1070
01:04:27,660 --> 01:04:30,123
car bombs, VBIEDs, vehicle borne IEDs.

1071
01:04:31,380 --> 01:04:33,749
I see that there's a
driver, but no passenger.

1072
01:04:33,750 --> 01:04:37,559
So I aim at the passenger
side window, windshield,

1073
01:04:37,560 --> 01:04:39,536
and just put a couple rounds in there

1074
01:04:39,537 --> 01:04:41,549
and the fucking truck kept coming.

1075
01:04:41,550 --> 01:04:43,589
And I'm like, I'm gonna
have to kill this dude.

1076
01:04:43,590 --> 01:04:46,799
I'm gonna have to fuckin'
kill this dude, right?

1077
01:04:46,800 --> 01:04:49,109
And it's one of those things,

1078
01:04:49,110 --> 01:04:50,789
like, I don't know if this is a bad guy.

1079
01:04:50,790 --> 01:04:53,609
I don't know if he's a car
bomber. Is this a risk?

1080
01:04:53,610 --> 01:04:56,129
By then, the dude is up on us, right?

1081
01:04:56,130 --> 01:04:59,219
So much time, like
everything's happening so fast,

1082
01:04:59,220 --> 01:05:00,719
we see that it's a old man,

1083
01:05:00,720 --> 01:05:02,879
dude had to have been 80 or 90 years old.

1084
01:05:02,880 --> 01:05:05,009
Blind, deaf, dumb.

1085
01:05:05,010 --> 01:05:08,669
So we just break the, the
window, we drag 'em out,

1086
01:05:08,670 --> 01:05:10,259
we rough 'em up a little bit

1087
01:05:10,260 --> 01:05:14,159
'cause we're highly upset and young

1088
01:05:14,160 --> 01:05:18,029
and our friend just got killed
and we him back in the truck

1089
01:05:18,030 --> 01:05:20,076
and he turns around and I hear Hinks say,

1090
01:05:20,077 --> 01:05:21,059
"Hey, did you shoot him?"

1091
01:05:21,060 --> 01:05:23,309
And I'm like, "No," like pissed.

1092
01:05:23,310 --> 01:05:25,349
He fuckin' goes off.

1093
01:05:25,350 --> 01:05:28,019
And now Weeks shows up.

1094
01:05:28,020 --> 01:05:32,489
So it's like, hey, let's
go follow the wire, right?

1095
01:05:32,490 --> 01:05:34,829
Because back then they would
have two types of IEDs,

1096
01:05:34,830 --> 01:05:38,129
command detonated and remote detonated.

1097
01:05:38,130 --> 01:05:42,779
So command, they would have
a copper wire strung out

1098
01:05:42,780 --> 01:05:45,839
to two 155 artillery
rounds, or one or three,

1099
01:05:45,840 --> 01:05:48,149
however many they wanted,
with a blasting cap

1100
01:05:48,150 --> 01:05:49,229
and then they would string it out

1101
01:05:49,230 --> 01:05:50,459
and they would be there watching you

1102
01:05:50,460 --> 01:05:51,710
with a nine volt battery.

1103
01:05:53,130 --> 01:05:57,839
So we follow the wire and we
look and we look right down.

1104
01:05:57,840 --> 01:05:59,519
It was right on the edge of the Tigris.

1105
01:05:59,520 --> 01:06:01,739
The dude had a clear line of sight

1106
01:06:01,740 --> 01:06:03,719
to the Humvee down the canal.

1107
01:06:03,720 --> 01:06:06,120
So they would use different
markings to hit you.

1108
01:06:07,050 --> 01:06:09,509
And then when he donated,
he ran into the village,

1109
01:06:09,510 --> 01:06:10,739
which we would later drop

1110
01:06:10,740 --> 01:06:12,993
fuckin' two 500-pound
bombs on that village.

1111
01:06:13,980 --> 01:06:16,259
After we've traced the wire,

1112
01:06:16,260 --> 01:06:19,409
the dude was nowhere to be
found, the insurgent, we go back.

1113
01:06:19,410 --> 01:06:23,849
And it's time to load the
bodies on the medevac, right?

1114
01:06:23,850 --> 01:06:27,149
So they tell me to pop smoke,
I had red smoke canister.

1115
01:06:27,150 --> 01:06:29,339
I popped it and I threw
it into the street,

1116
01:06:29,340 --> 01:06:31,499
but it didn't go where
I wanted it to land.

1117
01:06:31,500 --> 01:06:34,889
So I go to pick it up and I
burned the shit outta my hand.

1118
01:06:34,890 --> 01:06:36,929
Like, I didn't realize it
was gonna be burning so hot.

1119
01:06:36,930 --> 01:06:38,759
So I just dropped it.

1120
01:06:38,760 --> 01:06:41,939
By then pretty much
all the reinforcements,

1121
01:06:41,940 --> 01:06:44,669
all the big wigs, everybody
came from the FOB.

1122
01:06:44,670 --> 01:06:45,709
We weren't that far from our FOB.

1123
01:06:45,710 --> 01:06:48,929
As a matter of fact, my friends on the FOB

1124
01:06:48,930 --> 01:06:52,019
that heard the explosion,
which was like two miles away

1125
01:06:52,020 --> 01:06:54,209
or three miles away, it was so loud

1126
01:06:54,210 --> 01:06:56,369
that they thought it
was incoming on the FOB.

1127
01:06:56,370 --> 01:06:59,370
I'm telling you, that IED was
just fuckin' weird, different.

1128
01:07:01,860 --> 01:07:06,123
I'm standing in the middle
of this empty field in shock.

1129
01:07:09,150 --> 01:07:12,809
Sergeant First Class Joselito
gets me and pushes me down.

1130
01:07:12,810 --> 01:07:13,979
He's like, "Hey, you're
doing good, Ferrel,

1131
01:07:13,980 --> 01:07:15,629
you're doing good, take a knee."

1132
01:07:15,630 --> 01:07:18,119
At the same time the medevac was landing.

1133
01:07:18,120 --> 01:07:20,969
You know, I didn't realize
that I was standing straight up

1134
01:07:20,970 --> 01:07:22,199
and he's like, "Hey, you're doing good."

1135
01:07:22,200 --> 01:07:24,600
Like, I don't know if he
noticed I was in shock.

1136
01:07:25,860 --> 01:07:28,049
And we get up afterwards

1137
01:07:28,050 --> 01:07:31,649
and then we start loading the
bodies onto the stokes litters

1138
01:07:31,650 --> 01:07:34,079
and onto the helicopter.

1139
01:07:34,080 --> 01:07:36,446
And I remember the helicopter
pilot looking at me

1140
01:07:36,447 --> 01:07:39,359
and just me looking at him
kind of like, you know,

1141
01:07:39,360 --> 01:07:42,209
like thank you and like take care of them.

1142
01:07:42,210 --> 01:07:45,243
But we had one KIA, two wounded in action.

1143
01:07:47,370 --> 01:07:49,953
Yeah, those guys left and never came back.

1144
01:07:52,920 --> 01:07:56,039
Doc's death hit the
platoon fuckin' hard, man.

1145
01:07:56,040 --> 01:07:59,339
It hit the platoon hard
because of who he was, right?

1146
01:07:59,340 --> 01:08:00,959
I'm not saying had it been anybody else

1147
01:08:00,960 --> 01:08:05,669
who wouldn't have been
dealt the same emotions,

1148
01:08:05,670 --> 01:08:08,793
but because it was him, it
fuckin' sucked that much more.

1149
01:08:09,750 --> 01:08:10,582
On top of that,

1150
01:08:10,583 --> 01:08:13,739
September 10th happens
to be my mom's birthday,

1151
01:08:13,740 --> 01:08:16,109
which makes it the worst day of my life.

1152
01:08:16,110 --> 01:08:19,439
'cause I had to come back
to the FOB, call my mom,

1153
01:08:19,440 --> 01:08:20,790
and tell her happy birthday

1154
01:08:21,720 --> 01:08:23,849
and keep all those feelings inside

1155
01:08:23,850 --> 01:08:25,853
because I didn't want
to ruin her birthday.

1156
01:08:29,160 --> 01:08:33,483
It was usually like this,
two guys in a cubicle, quiet.

1157
01:08:34,950 --> 01:08:36,359
You know, when Doc got killed,

1158
01:08:36,360 --> 01:08:38,519
it was me and my best
man sitting right across

1159
01:08:38,520 --> 01:08:40,079
exactly like we are right now.

1160
01:08:40,080 --> 01:08:41,939
He's crying, I'm crying.

1161
01:08:41,940 --> 01:08:43,679
And he wanted to know what happened.

1162
01:08:43,680 --> 01:08:46,079
And I told him exactly how it happened.

1163
01:08:46,080 --> 01:08:47,969
And he's just like, "Fuck, man."

1164
01:08:47,970 --> 01:08:50,820
It's almost like the facial
expressions couldn't hide it.

1165
01:08:54,300 --> 01:08:57,839
It's moments of just sad, extreme sorrow.

1166
01:08:57,840 --> 01:08:59,969
Reflecting back, what could we have done?

1167
01:08:59,970 --> 01:09:01,259
Why couldn't we get killed?

1168
01:09:01,260 --> 01:09:05,519
Survivor's guilt, bouncing
stories off of each other.

1169
01:09:05,520 --> 01:09:07,709
And then, hey, guess what?
Suit up. Put your shit on.

1170
01:09:07,710 --> 01:09:08,810
We're going out again.

1171
01:09:09,900 --> 01:09:11,249
You know, looking around the room

1172
01:09:11,250 --> 01:09:12,539
and seeing everybody's face,

1173
01:09:12,540 --> 01:09:15,119
it's like that little kid
trying to hold their lip in,

1174
01:09:15,120 --> 01:09:16,203
right, from crying.

1175
01:09:17,670 --> 01:09:20,039
I was crying. Other dudes were crying.

1176
01:09:20,040 --> 01:09:23,849
But it's the group mentality
as a whole, it's like,

1177
01:09:23,850 --> 01:09:25,349
A, we don't wanna show weakness.

1178
01:09:25,350 --> 01:09:27,089
B, we can't afford to show weakness.

1179
01:09:27,090 --> 01:09:29,039
C, we gotta continue mission.

1180
01:09:29,040 --> 01:09:31,139
But like I said, those glimpses, right?

1181
01:09:31,140 --> 01:09:36,140
Those glimpses of complete sheer terror,

1182
01:09:37,920 --> 01:09:42,509
bewilderment, excitement, joy, right?

1183
01:09:42,510 --> 01:09:44,669
Blowing up a fricking
house, blowing up a car,

1184
01:09:44,670 --> 01:09:46,589
and it's like a little
kid with some fireworks

1185
01:09:46,590 --> 01:09:48,089
and a little GI Joe doll.

1186
01:09:48,090 --> 01:09:49,139
Boom, right?

1187
01:09:49,140 --> 01:09:51,839
It's like during those
glimpses you can catch like,

1188
01:09:51,840 --> 01:09:54,329
hey, you know, we're still kids,

1189
01:09:54,330 --> 01:09:58,109
but I'll tell you what thing,
man, 13 months of that,

1190
01:09:58,110 --> 01:10:01,349
18 months of that, 15 months
of that, multiple deployments,

1191
01:10:01,350 --> 01:10:03,420
you do lose your innocence, fuckin' fast

1192
01:11:21,960 --> 01:11:23,583
February, 2005.

1193
01:11:25,756 --> 01:11:27,089
The lieutenant colonel pulled us

1194
01:11:27,090 --> 01:11:30,149
into an airplane hangar in Germany.

1195
01:11:30,150 --> 01:11:32,639
He said, these three things,
don't drink and drive.

1196
01:11:32,640 --> 01:11:33,719
don't beat your wife,

1197
01:11:33,720 --> 01:11:35,819
and if you hear loud
sounds, you may flinch.

1198
01:11:35,820 --> 01:11:38,159
Have a good day. Boom.

1199
01:11:38,160 --> 01:11:40,169
Coming back home, bro, to San Diego,

1200
01:11:40,170 --> 01:11:41,913
to El Centro, to Brawley.

1201
01:11:43,230 --> 01:11:45,599
I felt like a fuckin' alien, dude.

1202
01:11:45,600 --> 01:11:48,209
Like an absolute fucking alien.

1203
01:11:48,210 --> 01:11:50,639
My parents didn't understand
what was happening to me.

1204
01:11:50,640 --> 01:11:53,490
My sister didn't understand
what I had just went through.

1205
01:11:54,540 --> 01:11:56,519
My friends knew that I was turned up

1206
01:11:56,520 --> 01:11:59,140
and that I was drinking
the most and doing the most

1207
01:12:00,750 --> 01:12:03,659
and acting bizarre, wild, and unusual.

1208
01:12:03,660 --> 01:12:05,189
But they enjoyed that shit.

1209
01:12:05,190 --> 01:12:07,709
I was a life of the fuckin' party.

1210
01:12:07,710 --> 01:12:09,960
And that's where it was
a double-edged sword.

1211
01:12:23,477 --> 01:12:27,575
Hit him.

1212
01:12:27,576 --> 01:12:28,826
Daclan. Daclan.

1213
01:12:30,877 --> 01:12:31,710
Help.

1214
01:12:32,949 --> 01:12:33,782
What?

1215
01:12:35,296 --> 01:12:38,365
Back up. Back up. Get away.

1216
01:12:38,366 --> 01:12:39,203
Get away!

1217
01:13:02,060 --> 01:13:05,849
So in April of 2004,
yeah, I shot a dude, right?

1218
01:13:05,850 --> 01:13:08,729
The dude was bleeding out. We
fuckin' ran up to the scene.

1219
01:13:08,730 --> 01:13:10,280
The dude was bleeding out, man.

1220
01:13:11,640 --> 01:13:13,799
The exit wound was coming out of his neck.

1221
01:13:13,800 --> 01:13:18,299
And while he didn't die
then and there, you know,

1222
01:13:18,300 --> 01:13:19,889
my sergeant would later on tell me like,

1223
01:13:19,890 --> 01:13:21,840
yeah, that dude fuckin' didn't make it.

1224
01:13:25,307 --> 01:13:26,369
That happened in April.

1225
01:13:26,370 --> 01:13:31,370
I got R and R, rest in
relaxation, in August.

1226
01:13:31,860 --> 01:13:34,619
I was already kind of
fighting that in my mind.

1227
01:13:34,620 --> 01:13:35,609
Like, am I gonna go to hell?

1228
01:13:35,610 --> 01:13:37,499
I grew up with a religious
background, Catholic.

1229
01:13:37,500 --> 01:13:39,500
So I'm like, I know the 10 Commandments.

1230
01:13:41,460 --> 01:13:43,679
Well, I surprised my parents
when I came back in August

1231
01:13:43,680 --> 01:13:48,479
for R and R and they threw
me on the whim block party

1232
01:13:48,480 --> 01:13:49,829
with all the neighbors.

1233
01:13:49,830 --> 01:13:51,899
Well, I remember getting drunk and crying

1234
01:13:51,900 --> 01:13:54,509
and saying, I'm a murderer,
I've killed somebody.

1235
01:13:54,510 --> 01:13:56,099
And like, fuck, man.

1236
01:13:56,100 --> 01:13:57,629
You could just imagine the
neighbors looking at me.

1237
01:13:57,630 --> 01:13:58,953
This was in 2004.

1238
01:14:00,210 --> 01:14:02,249
I didn't plan that.

1239
01:14:02,250 --> 01:14:05,283
You know, once the
alcohol started flowing,

1240
01:14:07,650 --> 01:14:09,629
that's kind of just what came out

1241
01:14:09,630 --> 01:14:12,959
and everything always
been inside of me, right?

1242
01:14:12,960 --> 01:14:16,109
In my thoughts, in my
gut, and in my heart.

1243
01:14:16,110 --> 01:14:19,143
But when I drank, shit came out.

1244
01:14:20,490 --> 01:14:23,283
In a very unhealthy, very ugly way.

1245
01:14:26,310 --> 01:14:31,310
I wrestled with that, tackled with that

1246
01:14:34,380 --> 01:14:39,380
thought, memory, idea, action,
for a long, long time, man.

1247
01:14:39,600 --> 01:14:42,209
And that just goes hand in
hand with every other trauma

1248
01:14:42,210 --> 01:14:45,123
that I experienced throughout
the duration of the war.

1249
01:14:46,440 --> 01:14:47,273
My war.

1250
01:15:23,097 --> 01:15:25,658
You guys are fuckin' crazy.

1251
01:15:25,659 --> 01:15:29,235
You need your little AK-47 now, dude.

1252
01:16:20,400 --> 01:16:24,509
The whole year of 2005,
I was definitely drunk

1253
01:16:24,510 --> 01:16:27,029
and the majority of
times under the influence

1254
01:16:27,030 --> 01:16:29,129
of a controlled substance.

1255
01:16:29,130 --> 01:16:33,419
Marijuana, cocaine, meth,
and those were the three.

1256
01:16:33,420 --> 01:16:36,603
And to be honest with you,
this is what it looked like.

1257
01:16:38,100 --> 01:16:41,193
Wake up at nighttime,
start drinking, okay?

1258
01:16:42,210 --> 01:16:44,069
Start dabbling in some coke.

1259
01:16:44,070 --> 01:16:45,629
That's the word I was
looking for, dabbling,

1260
01:16:45,630 --> 01:16:46,930
'cause I wanted to get up.

1261
01:16:47,820 --> 01:16:49,182
It didn't put me up where I wanted to,

1262
01:16:49,183 --> 01:16:51,689
so I would smoke some
meth or snort some meth

1263
01:16:51,690 --> 01:16:53,339
and it would put me too up.

1264
01:16:53,340 --> 01:16:54,599
So then I would kind of panic

1265
01:16:54,600 --> 01:16:55,872
and smoke some weed to bring me down.

1266
01:16:55,873 --> 01:16:58,889
And then I would just continue
that rollercoaster from hell

1267
01:16:58,890 --> 01:17:00,573
for the whole 2005.

1268
01:17:04,530 --> 01:17:06,989
September 10th, the anniversary
of my friend getting killed,

1269
01:17:06,990 --> 01:17:09,029
still came around all those years,

1270
01:17:09,030 --> 01:17:09,956
and that's a trigger for me.

1271
01:17:09,957 --> 01:17:11,999
And I had to learn about triggers.

1272
01:17:12,000 --> 01:17:14,399
I had post-traumatic stress disorder.

1273
01:17:14,400 --> 01:17:16,769
I mean, I still have post
traumatic stress disorder,

1274
01:17:16,770 --> 01:17:18,269
but I didn't know what the hell that was.

1275
01:17:18,270 --> 01:17:21,659
I literally thought I was
losing my fuckin' mind, bro.

1276
01:17:21,660 --> 01:17:24,599
The word anxiety, if I
tell you the word anxiety,

1277
01:17:24,600 --> 01:17:25,949
people know the symptoms.

1278
01:17:25,950 --> 01:17:29,193
Oh, anxiety, rapid heart
increase, nervousness.

1279
01:17:30,180 --> 01:17:32,399
Not only did I not know
the fuckin' word anxiety,

1280
01:17:32,400 --> 01:17:33,594
I didn't know the symptoms.

1281
01:17:33,595 --> 01:17:35,009
I thought I was fuckin' losing my mind

1282
01:17:35,010 --> 01:17:37,199
and having a heart attack simultaneously.

1283
01:17:37,200 --> 01:17:39,059
Adding dope and everything else,

1284
01:17:39,060 --> 01:17:40,863
oh bro, you could just imagine.

1285
01:17:42,210 --> 01:17:45,659
And then when you go
through prolonged periods

1286
01:17:45,660 --> 01:17:49,409
of fight or flight scenarios,
your brain gets rewired.

1287
01:17:49,410 --> 01:17:51,299
And this is something I
learned after the fact

1288
01:17:51,300 --> 01:17:53,099
in therapy and treatment.

1289
01:17:53,100 --> 01:17:55,409
So sending those neurons
and everything else,

1290
01:17:55,410 --> 01:17:57,839
and your brain remembering
survival things.

1291
01:17:57,840 --> 01:18:00,179
The problem is you get in an
argument with your girlfriend,

1292
01:18:00,180 --> 01:18:02,879
you go straight to full
combat mode, right?

1293
01:18:02,880 --> 01:18:06,029
She's thinking you're a abusive
son of a bitch from hell.

1294
01:18:06,030 --> 01:18:10,319
Right, verbally abusive,
physically abusive, and a drunk.

1295
01:18:10,320 --> 01:18:12,689
You look like a fuckin'
piece of shit asshole,

1296
01:18:12,690 --> 01:18:13,556
is what you look like.

1297
01:18:13,557 --> 01:18:15,869
But what's really happening
is you're suffering, right?

1298
01:18:15,870 --> 01:18:18,239
It's not an excuse at all, right?

1299
01:18:18,240 --> 01:18:19,529
You gotta be held accountable.

1300
01:18:19,530 --> 01:18:21,119
I gotta be accountable for my actions.

1301
01:18:21,120 --> 01:18:24,573
However, that it was an ugly mess.

1302
01:18:32,400 --> 01:18:34,049
I was the king of self-sabotage,

1303
01:18:34,050 --> 01:18:36,089
the absolute king of self-sabotage.

1304
01:18:36,090 --> 01:18:38,399
I was a manipulator, right?

1305
01:18:38,400 --> 01:18:40,349
And that comes with being an alcoholic.

1306
01:18:40,350 --> 01:18:42,063
The traits of alcoholism.

1307
01:18:44,490 --> 01:18:47,309
I knew something wasn't
right, bro. I wasn't happy.

1308
01:18:47,310 --> 01:18:48,595
I wasn't happy.

1309
01:18:48,596 --> 01:18:50,249
You know, you hear people
say, they look in the mirror,

1310
01:18:50,250 --> 01:18:51,929
they don't like the person that they see.

1311
01:18:51,930 --> 01:18:53,549
Well, I mean, I would look in the mirror,

1312
01:18:53,550 --> 01:18:56,429
I didn't think I was fuckin',
you know, bad looking.

1313
01:18:56,430 --> 01:18:59,639
But I didn't like the person
that was inside of me.

1314
01:18:59,640 --> 01:19:02,190
And that person inside of
me came out when I drank.

1315
01:19:06,856 --> 01:19:08,189
There was no forethought though.

1316
01:19:08,190 --> 01:19:13,109
There was no knowledge
of what scientifically

1317
01:19:13,110 --> 01:19:15,509
was happening to me or
what I was enduring,

1318
01:19:15,510 --> 01:19:16,739
if that makes sense.

1319
01:19:16,740 --> 01:19:18,239
Like medical terminologies,

1320
01:19:18,240 --> 01:19:21,359
mental health terminology, symptoms.

1321
01:19:21,360 --> 01:19:22,863
It looked fuckin, you know?

1322
01:19:24,027 --> 01:19:26,076
And I remember telling
my parents one time like,

1323
01:19:26,077 --> 01:19:28,349
"Hey, this looks ugly to you guys.

1324
01:19:28,350 --> 01:19:31,019
Just imagine what the fuck
it looks like inside of me."

1325
01:19:31,020 --> 01:19:34,173
Because yeah, dude, the
thoughts, oh my God, bro.

1326
01:19:35,160 --> 01:19:36,989
And I haven't reflected back to that,

1327
01:19:36,990 --> 01:19:39,929
how it was that bad in ages.

1328
01:19:39,930 --> 01:19:41,163
But it was bad, dude.

1329
01:19:50,990 --> 01:19:53,819
In 2010, I would hit my
bottom, bro. I'd hit my bottom.

1330
01:19:53,820 --> 01:19:56,223
I'd had a fiance at a time.

1331
01:19:57,630 --> 01:20:00,899
I totaled my truck, I
totaled my Toyota Tundra.

1332
01:20:00,900 --> 01:20:04,199
I bought that Toyota Tundra
in 2005 as a gift to myself

1333
01:20:04,200 --> 01:20:06,659
coming back from Iraq as a trophy.

1334
01:20:06,660 --> 01:20:07,653
Fuckin' totaled it.

1335
01:20:09,060 --> 01:20:13,379
And I was upset that I
didn't die in the accident.

1336
01:20:13,380 --> 01:20:14,553
That's how bad I was.

1337
01:20:15,450 --> 01:20:17,729
My dad said, "I'm gonna
drop your fuckin' ass off

1338
01:20:17,730 --> 01:20:19,589
at the VA in La Jolla.

1339
01:20:19,590 --> 01:20:21,689
You're not gonna call us anymore.

1340
01:20:21,690 --> 01:20:24,479
You're not gonna talk to us
anymore. You're not my son.

1341
01:20:24,480 --> 01:20:27,483
You're their problem. You're
not our problem anymore." Boom.

1342
01:20:28,500 --> 01:20:30,989
Thank God he didn't just
drop me off and leave.

1343
01:20:30,990 --> 01:20:32,879
He actually waited right there

1344
01:20:32,880 --> 01:20:35,879
as I checked myself into
the emergency room of the VA

1345
01:20:35,880 --> 01:20:39,539
and I told him, "Hey, I need help".

1346
01:20:39,540 --> 01:20:41,159
There was a female
working behind the counter

1347
01:20:41,160 --> 01:20:42,239
at the emergency room.

1348
01:20:42,240 --> 01:20:43,589
I said, "I need help."

1349
01:20:43,590 --> 01:20:44,909
She's like, "Well, what's wrong?"

1350
01:20:44,910 --> 01:20:45,742
I said, "I don't know.

1351
01:20:45,743 --> 01:20:47,249
Every time I drink,
something bad happens."

1352
01:20:47,250 --> 01:20:48,809
She's like, "Well, what do you mean?"

1353
01:20:48,810 --> 01:20:52,529
I'm like, "I don't know. I
have these thoughts. I can't."

1354
01:20:52,530 --> 01:20:55,349
She's like, "All right, have
a seat." She was really nice.

1355
01:20:55,350 --> 01:20:57,659
We're gonna get you
processed through the room.

1356
01:20:57,660 --> 01:21:01,649
And then that's when my
journey began, bro, in 2010,

1357
01:21:01,650 --> 01:21:04,289
of inpatient rehab.

1358
01:21:04,290 --> 01:21:06,419
Started off with a trip to the psych ward

1359
01:21:06,420 --> 01:21:09,089
to south in La Jolla voluntarily.

1360
01:21:09,090 --> 01:21:11,009
They kind of duped me into going up there.

1361
01:21:11,010 --> 01:21:12,389
They said I was gonna get some help.

1362
01:21:12,390 --> 01:21:13,769
There was no help up there, bro.

1363
01:21:13,770 --> 01:21:16,379
It was a fuckin' locked psych ward.

1364
01:21:16,380 --> 01:21:18,449
I did go to my first AA meeting up there,

1365
01:21:18,450 --> 01:21:20,429
which it's been on and
cracking ever since, you know,

1366
01:21:20,430 --> 01:21:23,039
and I just hit 13 years of sobriety.

1367
01:21:23,040 --> 01:21:26,999
So that's what that looked like, man.

1368
01:21:27,000 --> 01:21:32,000
It got worse before it got better.

1369
01:21:43,260 --> 01:21:46,769
Their death like hung over me

1370
01:21:46,770 --> 01:21:49,499
like a fucking black
cloud from hell, dude.

1371
01:21:49,500 --> 01:21:52,949
And I blamed all my
drinking, my drug usage,

1372
01:21:52,950 --> 01:21:56,009
and all this and all of that, man.

1373
01:21:56,010 --> 01:22:01,010
And the bottom line is I
refused to accept their death.

1374
01:22:04,260 --> 01:22:05,410
That's the bottom line.

1375
01:22:06,360 --> 01:22:08,729
I was at the VA hospital, like I said,

1376
01:22:08,730 --> 01:22:12,389
all this fuckin' treatment
came from the VA hospital.

1377
01:22:12,390 --> 01:22:17,167
And the doctor's like, "You
need to accept Doc's death."

1378
01:22:19,290 --> 01:22:20,789
And I'm like, "Yeah, well
that's not gonna happen.

1379
01:22:20,790 --> 01:22:21,989
I don't give a fuck what you say.

1380
01:22:21,990 --> 01:22:25,679
I'm never going to accept Doc's death."

1381
01:22:25,680 --> 01:22:28,379
And he said, "Hector, accepting something

1382
01:22:28,380 --> 01:22:30,629
doesn't mean that you agree with it.

1383
01:22:30,630 --> 01:22:33,749
It simply means that you
accept that it happened.

1384
01:22:33,750 --> 01:22:36,839
And I'm like, oh, the light bulb went off.

1385
01:22:36,840 --> 01:22:40,049
And that's exactly what did it for me.

1386
01:22:40,050 --> 01:22:43,319
That's what it was, dude,
that was a turning moment

1387
01:22:43,320 --> 01:22:48,320
in accepting, once I was able
to accept his death, oh dude,

1388
01:22:48,570 --> 01:22:50,236
it felt like a million
pounds lifted off of me.

1389
01:22:50,237 --> 01:22:53,009
Right? I wasn't holding onto that.

1390
01:22:53,010 --> 01:22:56,639
And yeah, you best believe
I don't agree with it,

1391
01:22:56,640 --> 01:22:59,013
but now I can accept that it did happen.

1392
01:23:04,380 --> 01:23:08,669
They got killed doing
what they enjoyed doing.

1393
01:23:08,670 --> 01:23:11,789
And I know they enjoyed
it because we were,

1394
01:23:11,790 --> 01:23:16,589
you know, shoulder to shoulder,
kicking in doors together,

1395
01:23:16,590 --> 01:23:20,073
laughing, joking, eating, smoking.

1396
01:23:23,430 --> 01:23:25,619
It's more than just losing a friend.

1397
01:23:25,620 --> 01:23:28,199
It's more than just losing a brother.

1398
01:23:28,200 --> 01:23:32,283
It's what it is, is actually
the world got a valuable,

1399
01:23:33,750 --> 01:23:35,793
valuable asset taken from them.

1400
01:23:40,740 --> 01:23:42,929
Everybody went their separate ways.

1401
01:23:42,930 --> 01:23:45,839
My buddy Maez ended up going to NTC,

1402
01:23:45,840 --> 01:23:48,993
Fort Irwin in California.

1403
01:23:51,060 --> 01:23:52,919
The majority of the guys stayed in.

1404
01:23:52,920 --> 01:23:54,329
They got stop-lossed.

1405
01:23:54,330 --> 01:23:55,529
I got out.

1406
01:23:55,530 --> 01:23:57,449
I only did a three year contract.

1407
01:23:57,450 --> 01:23:59,159
I got in and I got out, right?

1408
01:23:59,160 --> 01:24:00,389
It was kind of a perfect thing.

1409
01:24:00,390 --> 01:24:02,669
Train, deploy for 13 months,

1410
01:24:02,670 --> 01:24:06,179
and then, well, I went
from Iraq to home, dude,

1411
01:24:06,180 --> 01:24:07,769
that's kind of a problem.

1412
01:24:07,770 --> 01:24:10,289
And they got stop-lossed

1413
01:24:10,290 --> 01:24:13,469
and went back to Baghdad for 18 months.

1414
01:24:13,470 --> 01:24:15,389
So not only am I home,

1415
01:24:15,390 --> 01:24:19,199
I'm still losing brothers from
my platoon overseas, dude.

1416
01:24:19,200 --> 01:24:23,099
So like I'm home and
I'm getting calls that,

1417
01:24:23,100 --> 01:24:24,689
Hey, did you hear about so and so?

1418
01:24:24,690 --> 01:24:25,829
Did you hear about Allen?

1419
01:24:25,830 --> 01:24:27,059
I'm like, "No, don't tell me."

1420
01:24:27,060 --> 01:24:28,460
Yeah, he got fuckin' killed.

1421
01:24:29,490 --> 01:24:30,869
It was with the 10th Mountain,

1422
01:24:30,870 --> 01:24:33,329
'cause he ended up PCSing
with the 10th Mountain.

1423
01:24:33,330 --> 01:24:36,659
One that hit me hard was Staff
Sergeant Leija, Hector Leija.

1424
01:24:36,660 --> 01:24:39,329
Called him Big Hector, he
called me Little Hector.

1425
01:24:39,330 --> 01:24:42,269
He got shot in the head by
a sniper in Haifa Street.

1426
01:24:42,270 --> 01:24:44,279
That came out on the news.

1427
01:24:44,280 --> 01:24:46,259
That whole scene came out on the news.

1428
01:24:46,260 --> 01:24:48,149
This is somebody that was my mentor,

1429
01:24:48,150 --> 01:24:50,009
one of my leaders in my platoon

1430
01:24:50,010 --> 01:24:52,679
that took me under his wing
when I got into Germany.

1431
01:24:52,680 --> 01:24:54,269
So I'm like hurting, bro.

1432
01:24:54,270 --> 01:24:58,589
Like extremely hurting
and all this is happening.

1433
01:24:58,590 --> 01:25:01,743
So some of my friends
continued war and died.

1434
01:25:07,768 --> 01:25:10,529
King went back to Philadelphia,

1435
01:25:10,530 --> 01:25:12,423
he killed himself a couple years ago,

1436
01:25:13,953 --> 01:25:17,017
right after Memorial Day or
right before Memorial Day.

1437
01:26:20,670 --> 01:26:23,553
I recently got asked to
speak at my high school,

1438
01:26:24,540 --> 01:26:26,369
Brawley Union High
School for Veterans Day.

1439
01:26:26,370 --> 01:26:27,809
You know, one of my
buddies from my hometown,

1440
01:26:27,810 --> 01:26:29,819
he joined the Army Infantry.

1441
01:26:29,820 --> 01:26:31,919
He went to Iraq, he
deployed to Afghanistan.

1442
01:26:31,920 --> 01:26:33,599
He's a teacher now.

1443
01:26:33,600 --> 01:26:36,989
So he tells me I'm gonna be
the guest speaker to speak

1444
01:26:36,990 --> 01:26:37,822
and that there's gonna be

1445
01:26:37,823 --> 01:26:39,209
other veterans there in attendance.

1446
01:26:39,210 --> 01:26:44,210
So I get there and as soon
as I see my buddy Jay, right?

1447
01:26:45,450 --> 01:26:50,279
Jay has a sister my age

1448
01:26:50,280 --> 01:26:53,459
and it's a small town so
everybody knows each other.

1449
01:26:53,460 --> 01:26:57,333
And me and him both came back in 2005.

1450
01:26:58,560 --> 01:27:01,173
He was a Marine, he was in Fallujah,

1451
01:27:02,070 --> 01:27:04,709
I was in the Army, I was in Balad.

1452
01:27:04,710 --> 01:27:07,139
We both came back to that hometown

1453
01:27:07,140 --> 01:27:09,179
and we were both suffering

1454
01:27:09,180 --> 01:27:12,779
and hurting the exact identical same way.

1455
01:27:12,780 --> 01:27:17,429
And we remember, I remember him at his low

1456
01:27:17,430 --> 01:27:20,429
and I'm pretty damn sure
he remembers me at my low.

1457
01:27:20,430 --> 01:27:24,899
And when I seen him at
that like two weeks ago,

1458
01:27:24,900 --> 01:27:27,959
my eyes lit up like, "Oh
shit, Jay, what's up?"

1459
01:27:27,960 --> 01:27:29,609
It's like, oh.

1460
01:27:29,610 --> 01:27:32,187
And I said, "We made it, bro. We made it."

1461
01:27:39,870 --> 01:27:41,999
Five or six of 'em ended up relocating

1462
01:27:42,000 --> 01:27:43,713
to the Phoenix, Arizona area.

1463
01:27:45,660 --> 01:27:49,679
I have made annual trips out to Arizona,

1464
01:27:49,680 --> 01:27:51,329
out to the Phoenix area

1465
01:27:51,330 --> 01:27:53,559
where we will just chop
it up like brothers, bro,

1466
01:27:53,560 --> 01:27:54,727
and reminisce.

1467
01:27:57,683 --> 01:28:00,239
And I took my daughter, my
daughter was four or five.

1468
01:28:00,240 --> 01:28:01,409
So I introduced her to like,

1469
01:28:01,410 --> 01:28:03,779
hey, these are your uncles, right?

1470
01:28:03,780 --> 01:28:05,530
So that's, you know, we're growing.

1471
01:28:12,150 --> 01:28:13,829
One of my brothers, Hinks,

1472
01:28:13,830 --> 01:28:16,019
he just came to San Diego
and brought his daughter.

1473
01:28:16,020 --> 01:28:18,059
His daughter's the same age as mine

1474
01:28:18,060 --> 01:28:19,529
and we were, you know, we were so happy

1475
01:28:19,530 --> 01:28:20,999
that like they can play.

1476
01:28:21,000 --> 01:28:24,869
And then you talk about when we were young

1477
01:28:24,870 --> 01:28:27,449
and it's like, we both were
thinking the same thing.

1478
01:28:27,450 --> 01:28:29,219
Like, damn bro, look at us.

1479
01:28:29,220 --> 01:28:31,379
Look at what we went
through together young.

1480
01:28:31,380 --> 01:28:34,049
And now look, dude,
we're grown men, fathers,

1481
01:28:34,050 --> 01:28:35,909
and look at our daughters together.

1482
01:28:35,910 --> 01:28:38,459
You can't put a price on that.

1483
01:28:38,460 --> 01:28:40,387
You know, it is unexplainable

1484
01:34:09,703 --> 01:34:13,019
Balad, Iraq, where we have
just discovered an IED,

1485
01:34:13,020 --> 01:34:15,556
improvised explosive device
ahead of checkpoint 10.

1486
01:34:15,557 --> 01:34:18,239
We are here with Jared
Hinks, take it away.

1487
01:34:18,240 --> 01:34:20,549
That's right, Ferrel,
here in Balad, Iraq

1488
01:34:20,550 --> 01:34:22,709
on route Linda where two Hajis,

1489
01:34:22,710 --> 01:34:24,989
excuse me, indigenous personnel.

1490
01:34:24,990 --> 01:34:27,213
- Iraqi members.
- Iraqis,

1491
01:34:28,860 --> 01:34:30,749
came to the front gate
while we were leaving

1492
01:34:30,750 --> 01:34:32,879
and told us they knew where a bomb was.

1493
01:34:32,880 --> 01:34:34,619
Sergeant Coleman, being
the man that he is,

1494
01:34:34,620 --> 01:34:37,533
said, he didn't care, he
wanted to continue mission.

1495
01:34:38,520 --> 01:34:40,799
But being the men we are,
we said, let's be heroes.

1496
01:34:40,800 --> 01:34:41,733
Let's go get 'em.

1497
01:34:43,140 --> 01:34:46,169
- So here we are now.
- The bomb is down there.

1498
01:34:46,170 --> 01:34:48,779
The wait is undescribable.

1499
01:34:48,780 --> 01:34:52,919
Usually pertains to about four
to eight hour wait for EOD.

1500
01:34:52,920 --> 01:34:54,869
They have to do certain
things to prepare themselves

1501
01:34:54,870 --> 01:34:57,149
to blow up these roadside bombs.

1502
01:34:57,150 --> 01:34:58,067
With a chance of ambush.

1503
01:34:58,068 --> 01:35:01,473
Like, getting out of bed,
shutting off the PlayStation,

1504
01:35:02,400 --> 01:35:05,673
taking a shower, lacing
up their tennis shoes,

1505
01:35:06,810 --> 01:35:08,823
putting on bomb favorite underwear,

1506
01:35:10,140 --> 01:35:13,049
and then coming to blow
the bomb up with a robot.

1507
01:35:13,050 --> 01:35:14,193
Strenuous job.

1508
01:35:16,380 --> 01:35:17,999
Oh, if you look to the right,

1509
01:35:18,000 --> 01:35:22,139
there's cars that we are
diverting traffic off the road

1510
01:35:22,140 --> 01:35:23,969
onto the canal road.

1511
01:35:23,970 --> 01:35:27,029
Canal road being
that road right there.

1512
01:35:27,030 --> 01:35:29,129
If I had it my way, I'd
be able to send those cars

1513
01:35:29,130 --> 01:35:32,609
right to the bomb and blow it myself.

1514
01:35:32,610 --> 01:35:37,143
There you got some well hygiened
and groomed Iraqi children.

1515
01:35:38,010 --> 01:35:40,893
They're not dirty, dusty,
or stinky whatsoever.

1516
01:35:41,940 --> 01:35:43,589
This is a nice home
that you would like to,

1517
01:35:43,590 --> 01:35:46,140
you'd most likely see in
Beverly Hills, California.

1518
01:35:47,414 --> 01:35:48,449
You see you got the smoke trail.

1519
01:35:48,450 --> 01:35:49,889
They got chickens and cows

1520
01:35:49,890 --> 01:35:52,019
running through their living room.

1521
01:35:52,020 --> 01:35:53,939
Fires burning in the yard.

1522
01:35:53,940 --> 01:35:57,959
I did see this kid crap in
the the living room floor once.

1523
01:35:57,960 --> 01:35:59,699
Look at Sergeant
Acosta work his magic.

1524
01:35:59,700 --> 01:36:02,350
Do it again, Sergeant Acosta,
please, for the camera.

1525
01:36:03,900 --> 01:36:06,029
Look at his weapon
Different than ours. Why?

1526
01:36:06,030 --> 01:36:09,449
Because that bad boy'll spit
30 rounds out in one second.

1527
01:36:09,450 --> 01:36:11,483
Wanna see a thousand-yard stare?

1528
01:36:14,216 --> 01:36:17,385
Oh come, come on,
I'm nearly coming, come on.

1529
01:36:17,386 --> 01:36:19,404
Don't make me lose that feeling.

1530
01:36:19,405 --> 01:36:21,655
42, 43, one more, one more.

1531
01:36:23,539 --> 01:36:25,122
46, 47, 48, 49, 50!

1532
01:36:32,890 --> 01:36:35,193
That there was a monkey fucker.

1533
01:36:50,070 --> 01:36:52,619
Hear ye, we
are gathered here today

1534
01:36:52,620 --> 01:36:56,099
for our little Richard Freddy Hill.

1535
01:36:56,100 --> 01:36:58,199
Who's not so little anymore.

1536
01:36:58,200 --> 01:37:00,123
It's his 23rd birthday today.

1537
01:37:01,128 --> 01:37:04,409
The 30th of June, 2004.

1538
01:37:04,410 --> 01:37:05,723
Yay.

1539
01:37:05,724 --> 01:37:08,099
- Go on! Cut it.
- Cut that motherfucker.

1540
01:37:08,100 --> 01:37:11,909
Richard Hill,
do the honors, big guy.

1541
01:37:11,910 --> 01:37:12,743
Big nuts.

1542
01:37:13,680 --> 01:37:15,119
Hold on, hold on. Not yet.

1543
01:37:15,120 --> 01:37:16,349
Hey, Sergeant Stewart,

1544
01:37:16,350 --> 01:37:20,069
welcome to Richard Hill's
23rd birthday party

1545
01:37:20,070 --> 01:37:22,608
where he cuts the watermelon.

1546
01:37:22,609 --> 01:37:25,349
- Cut that bitch.
- Begin.

1547
01:37:25,350 --> 01:37:26,253
Cut it, big guy.

1548
01:37:27,143 --> 01:37:27,976
Cut it.

1549
01:37:28,860 --> 01:37:31,051
No, don't cut it long-ways man.

1550
01:37:31,052 --> 01:37:31,884
You ain't got a birthday cake?

1551
01:37:31,885 --> 01:37:33,059
You gonna have a birthday watermelon?

1552
01:37:33,060 --> 01:37:34,739
It's a birthday.

1553
01:37:34,740 --> 01:37:35,849
Gave all the cakes to the Hajis.

1554
01:37:35,850 --> 01:37:38,310
Cut it, Richie like you would a man.

1555
01:37:38,311 --> 01:37:40,947
Yeah, like you're starting
right at his sternum.

1556
01:37:40,948 --> 01:37:42,534
- Yeah.
- Yeah!

1557
01:37:42,535 --> 01:37:44,495
Yeah, big guy!

1558
01:37:46,830 --> 01:37:49,563
23 years old, biggest
fuckin' nuts in the platoon.

1559
01:37:51,060 --> 01:37:51,892
Nuts so hard

1560
01:37:51,893 --> 01:37:53,699
that he ate the boogers out of a dead man

1561
01:37:53,700 --> 01:37:54,659
and asked for seconds.

1562
01:37:54,660 --> 01:37:56,777
Yeah, there you go. Oh!

1563
01:38:10,433 --> 01:38:15,243
This is our new room, my roommate Weeks.

1564
01:38:17,940 --> 01:38:19,529
Yeah, this is the friend
I was telling you about

1565
01:38:19,530 --> 01:38:23,673
that kind of shot that off in here.

1566
01:38:24,900 --> 01:38:27,479
What do you have to say
about that incident, Weeks?

1567
01:38:27,480 --> 01:38:28,399
Hold on.

1568
01:38:28,400 --> 01:38:31,173
About that day.

1569
01:38:34,020 --> 01:38:35,613
- Man.
- Little reenactment.

1570
01:38:43,320 --> 01:38:44,609
Where'd you
get that flashlight?

1571
01:38:44,610 --> 01:38:46,799
Did you order it offline?
'Cause that's fuckin' high speed

1572
01:38:46,800 --> 01:38:48,299
how you got it all hooked up.

1573
01:38:48,300 --> 01:38:49,133
Isn't it?

1574
01:38:52,830 --> 01:38:57,485
Shit, should probably put the safety on.