An Iraqi friend
When the Iraqi Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) goes out to deal with IEDs and car bombs they have a flash light, basic tools and a set of cojones the size of melons. One of the EOD drivers "Rod" became a good friend and started to learn English just to communicate with us. Little by little he would try to carry out a conversation and he would study magazines, books or anything with English written on it. For about six months he continued to drive for the Iraqi EOD and in his spare time would speak English with anybody who would talk to him. One day he came in with a very clean suit and looking very business like, and I asked him where he was going; he said that he had an interview with a company that hires interpreters for the Coalition Forces. I wished him luck and he went on his merry way.
A few hours later he came in from the interview with a million dollar smile to tell us that he was quitting and he was going to work as an interpreter for the Coalition Forces.
A few weeks went by and we would see him now and then as he went on patrols. On a very ugly night, over the radio we heard that one of our patrols was hit with an IED and some soldiers were wounded. A couple days later I heard that Rod was riding behind the vehicle that was hit with the IED and without thinking about it jumped out of his vehicle and ran to the burning HUMMV, and started to remove the wounded GIs, by the time the other soldiers got to where the vehicle was burning, Rod had taken two soldiers out and was helping with the other. (All this happened in about 15-20 seconds) Once all were out, the AMMO inside the HUMMV started to cook off (explode due to the heat and fire), but all soldiers were at a safe distance and nobody was injured due to the Ammo going off. Among the soldiers that he works for he is a hero, the families of the soldiers in the Company send him all kinds of stuff for that Iraqi guy that saved American lives.
I saw Rod today as he was going out on patrol with HIS soldiers. He had the same million dollar smile and his soldiers treated him as a brother in arms, I was so proud of Rod.
There are many Rods in Iraq, I know that because I work with some of them every day.
posted by Rob @ 1:07 PM
13 Comments:
I'm telling you, man, these stories just don't come home. I am SO thankful for your blog!
Keep 'em coming. We at home ARE listening!
Tonight, I send good wishes to Rod, wherever he and his million dollar smile may be...
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After few conversations with an American you forget he is American. He wasn't an Iraqi helping Americans. He was someone helping people he works with.
Were is the big story?
God, wake up.... I don't know what war means to you!
Would you think of the nationality of someone before you save his life?
Whoa, Still Alive... chill out, man. I think JM was making a point that all Iraqis aren't TERRORISTS. There are many who are just as human as you or I... with a heart. These kinds of stories just don't hit the news here at home.
I enjoyed the story, Rob.
Keep 'em coming.
xoxo
But I want him to answer my question. He knows what I mean.JM... Do you think before you help??
Hey girl,you should know that Iraqis were never terrorists.
There are many kind of stories never hit your news.
There are no angels in this life either humans or not, well at least in Iraq.
YES, I know what war is, I had a good friend die in my arms. I have been shot at, blown up, mortared and still help the people of IRAQ. NOPE, I have never cared where the person is from when they needed help. I have NEVER denied help to wounded terrorists. I have seen wounded US soldiers refused medical aid because there was an Iraqi woman or a child wounded by an IRAQI that blew his sorry ass up in the middle of the market, an IRAQI that thought Iraqi lives didn't matter. Have you ever seen 120 dead bodies after an explosion? The smell will hunt me for a million years. What about the other 200 left wounded that are screaming for YOUR help? Who do you help? The one with no arms? Or the one that has ONLY one leg left? Or the one who only wants his hand held by anybody because he knows he is about to die. Iraqis were NOT terrorists? Ask a Kurd if he thinks Iraqis were never terrorists. Is that the reason Kurds hate Arabs so much? Is it because they were poisoned by Iraqis? Is it because the 27,000 kurds that were killed between 1987-1990 by Iraqis? Ask anybody in Kuwait if Iraqis were never terrorists. We have unearthed so many mass graves from three to ten years ago with thousands of Iraqi bodies (and some from Kuwait, Iran and Turkey) killed by Iraqis. Your great leader was a terrorist against his own people.
But as I told you before Iraq is full of great people, hard working and devoted to their religion.
Yes, Like ALL nations in the world, Iraq has its share of terrorists.
IT WORKS!!
Thank you.That is what I want to know.
You talk like Arabs about America(just exchange parties).
After 1991 war I was talking this language too. If a soldier wrote this to me that time.. you really don't want to know what the reply would be,but now!!! not any more. I've paid my life for the lesson. Read some Iraqi blogs, I did that yesterday(I don't do that). some of them attack you and say things they lived like you do and see half of the picture too.
You like a man found one chapter of a book, the book is one of a long series on an issue, and he believes he know!
This you call hell will be a memory one day, but for me it is all my memories.
I lived these awful times, the difference is you chose to be soldier, I chose nothing of this.
I understand JM, I wish you go home safe.I don't know if I can ask you to keep writing after that. I wish I can ask you to forget all you know for awhile and see the picture again.
I wish there is a way to stop all this madness, but I know wishes and prayers are not enough.
Please, you as a human being pay too much, make it worth. Don't talk about IRAQ USA .. I am talking about something else about you as a person in the middle of this unhuman tragedy.
Mannnnn, Still Alive... you just like to talk in circles. Did you not READ what JM just wrote you?????
One more thing, Still Alive.... there ARE angels in this life. You just have to open your eyes to see them.
the problem is I can't close my eyes , so I see alot more than I should .
Hmmm... Still Alive... are you seeing more or less than you think you are?
And why speak in riddles? Just come out with it.
Dear Lil bit
Take a whole year of that and you can understand what we have gone through.
Rob
May I ask how old you are, Still Alive?
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