All of the guys in my unit are real heroes. They would have done the exact same thing I did. We were there to take care of our mission and of our fellow soldiers. We covered each other's back every day. |
Being in the infantry is hard on family life. I want to get married someday and I want to be around for my family. |
I was so pumped up with adrenaline I didn't even know I'd been hit. The shrapnel that hit me in the wrist cauterized the wound, so I didn't bleed much. |
It was my first real contact. I was driving and our squad leader was riding to my right in the front seat. The car bomb was in a Land Rover and we got hit in the right side. I didn't know what was happening. Smoke filled the rig. It blew us into the air and spun us around, but luckily, we landed on our wheels. |
Most Iraqis are really cool people. I picked up some of their language. There are good and bad people everywhere. So many people there lived under fear. They distrust the military because it's scary for them. |
Our job was to help secure the main supply route through raids and air assault missions. It was day and night. We never stopped. At times, we took a lot of fire. There were definitely some scary moments. |
Receiving the Silver Star is a big honor, but it's hard for people to understand that I also lost a good buddy that day. |