Iraq Case

Domonick Coleman

03-5-13

Deve Writing

Narrative Paper Final Draft

No one told me that War would be like this. In high school I read books, my father told me he never wanted to go to war. But, that cold winter night in Al Asad, Iraq the mission came down.

My Marine Corps unit 1st Battalion 8th Marines better known as the beruit battalion. An attack on a U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon by a suicide bomber driving the van full of explosives directly into the Marines Corps barracks of 1st Battalion 8th Marine. This was the unit I was sent to after graduating from School of infantry February 2003.

After training for 8months I found myself in Iraq. Only 18 years old and not understanding the world yet but, I knew if it came down to my life or the enemy's mine is worth more. So, there I sit receiving this mission statement to go into the city called, "Fallujah". Standing there listening to every detail, the hair on my neck stands up as the thoughts of actually going to battle sinks into my mind.

"My battle buddy LCPL. Brown looks at me with concern like he just was

Told that hey tomorrow were all going to die?"

. I look at Brown and said "I'm ready for this shit."

He says to me" I stay ready so I don't have to get ready Cole."

That's what my brothers in arms called, "Cole" short for Coleman.

Now, the mission is in our minds and souls. The senior Marines in my unit pulled us new Marines aside. I guess they wanted to see how we were adjusting to the news, whether they saw signs of weakness by asking questions about the mission statement. My understanding was that as long as my buddy has my back we both will come out of this. My senior Marine seemed please then asked for a cigarette, he never had cigarettes but kept a lighter.

Two weeks goes bye and now it's time to go to Fallujah. Suddam's supporters lay low, as they ran illegal raids on nearby cities as well as their own communities. Insurgents, is what we called them. The insurgent could be a child, a woman, a Muslim anyone who opposed our mission to free the good citizens of this city was an insurgent. No one could have told me that war would be like this.

Day 1, like any other day when doing patrols in a city to me. Roads were filled with trash and debris. The sun beamed down on you like an ant under a magnifying glass. My mind still on one thing and that was making sure me and my buddy came home. Day 2, I woke up to Islamic prayers blaring form the intercom. I get up and go the window of a hut that my unit took over just the night prior. All you could hear are these voices in unison singing this praise.

My Squad leader comes in yelling, "GEAR UP NOW"!

All that ran thru my mind was, "here we go, let's do it baby"!

So we move out into the road where Staff Sargent Pillsbury begins to brief us on the mission. I can barely understand him from all the bombing of arterially fire and rifle rounds straying off buildings.

War. It's time to defend my country, 8 months of training all came down to this day. We began to get in patrol formation. Ready to head out in the street out of nowhere BOOM! Someone fired a Rocket Propelled Grenade at the gate we were exiting from. We scatter around the yard trying to find cover;

Staff Sargent Pillsbury comes across the radio," Asking for status