Somalia
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SOMALIA
"As we fly in the Blackhawk, buzzing the tree tops, I look down, M60 machine-gun ready to fire, I see those who want to kill me. Their feet naked; they look so young, but their faces look so weathered. Even though their teeth are showing, they're not smiling. Their lips look stone dry; breathing heavily through their hungry mouths. Many have already dropped from exhaustion, but the group doesn't get any smaller. I momentarily look away, but everywhere I look it's the same. The walls of all these buildings are heavily peppered with bullet holes from top to bottom; out from the rubble comes a woman holding her dying offspring. The stench of death is in the air. I try to pin-point it's location but it can be anywhere.
The street lanes are heavily polluted with the corpses of old rusty vehicles with mounted machine-guns. The people don't look much different; some are motionless with flies feasting on their faces. I wonder what they think of us; are we a sign of hope, or are we just another breed of conquistadors?
I am a Veteran.
I don't hunt, because I've been the hunted and I know how it feels. I don't like guns, because I've seen the effects of one, and I don't want to see it again. I answered when I was called, put on a uniform, traveled away from home and did what I was told to do. I didn't run, I didn't hide. I didn't look for some excuse or some way out. I understood the dangers involved and was willing to give my life for my country. I still have that uniform, in a box and will put it on again if the need arises."
Somalia Veteran
US Army
44 Killed in Action
176 Wounded in Action
