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What are you trying to say by noting that our one WIA from a gunshot caused all these guys to go into fantasyland? Only one of Alpha companies casualties was a result of small arms fire, but there were other incidents in the area that involved soldiers in the battalion being gravely wounded by sniper fire. Alpha company troops were on the scene of many incidents not noted in these articles, and many are justifiably affected by these experiences. Your comment was a low blow to try to minimize what soldiers with honorable and difficult service have been through. Our company had 6 KIA and over 20 WIA, as high as many Vietnam line units. Have a little respect.

Everyone reacts to extreme experiences differently, this article focused more on the individuals who are having rougher times than most. I'm not going to knock your experience because I was not wherever you claim to have been deployed. You weren't with us, so you have no clue. Who are you to apologize for us?

I was the driver of a Hummer on the night of 23 September, our patrol was hit by two chain IEDs the first one went off to my front on the left between my vehicle and a civilian contractor vehicle that was traveling with our patrol. The first IED killed the driver instantly, head was split in half, my TC ordered me to stop but then proceeded to tell me to push forward, as I went to hit the gas pedal a second IED exploded right next to us on the right side, I was just taking off so my speed was at my guess less than 10 miles per hour. The blast filed the hummer with smoke, flames and shrapnel that penetrated several parts of the hummer but only one hit, and it got my squad leader, TC on the leg. It was pitch dark out there and we could not pull him out the hummer because some shrapnel had got jammed between the door and the frame. We finally got the door open and he fell to the ground. He lost six pints of blood out there. This is the incident that put me where I was. I have spent time al Walter Read Medical and I have visited Walter Read numerous times and they have diagnosed me with TBI. Doctors made this diagnoses, Doctors whose interest is the military not the soldier. My family deals with it and I’m doing everything I can to deal with it. I never compared what I did in Iraq to Vietnam, two totally different conflicts, but lets pause and think,, six good men did get killed in the very same soil I was serving, one of them whom I was close with, SO HOW CAN I USE MY HANDS to type and depreciate that, how can I. Had I got killed and not survived the night I got hit, would that been enough for you? Probably, would that had made me a dead “screw up”? You did say I was a screwing up before Iraq. But you do not even know me. My presence is at the armory usually M-F between 0800 and 1500 hrs unless at a medical appointment. Remember, the reporter came to us we did not go to him. Every soldier has a story to tell but not all get to tell it and sometimes that makes them angry,
I forgot to mention,, when I told the reporter about my road rage incident, I could not stress to him how sorry and embarrassed I was, I told him that I did not leave my hose the next day because I was afraid of being seen by some one who recognize me and this where my exact words “I asked the reported to please send the victim my apologies and he said he will. When he re-visited me at the Brain Injury center I asked him if he told the victim how sorry I was, and he said he did.

I’ve gotten the help I needed and I’m doing very well, to the point that the Medical director at the Brain Injury Center made me a job offer, Told me that the center would pay for my family to move up to Johnstown, PA promised me a job at the Center as a Tech and that he would use their influence to get my fiancée a job in Johnstown, I’ve been invited to attend a Brain Injury. Conference this June for 3 days and they will pay for me and one guess (my fiancée) for travel and stay for the conference.
With all this said, we need to know what truly is wrong we some one before we jump the gun, you see me fine and every one too, but WALTER READ and a BRAIN INJURY CENTER sees a brain injury patient, Sgt.Dempster

I'm getting married this July 26 and my best man is the very same man that was on the sit behind me the day we got hit and he still serves with Alpha today, so why people are angry at soldiers who came back with troubles, he was in the same vehicle and we are good friends to the point that he will be my best man at my weeding Some soldiers are having troubles but also are adding to their troubles with drugs ans illegal stuff but not all of us are. Point being that we are all different.

Many Americans are afraid to join the army then along go to war, conflict, what every people choose to call it. How can someone be upset with an American who served his country and did it HONORABLY. IF IM THE ONE STANDING AND MY BROTHER IS DOWN, I WILL HELP HIM UP AND GUIDE HIM BE CAUSE HE IS LABELED LIKE ME, A US SOLDIER.

Edited 3/17/2008 3:11 am ET by ad1973

Edited 3/17/2008 3:29 am ET by ad1973

Edited 3/17/2008 3:30 am ET by ad1973

Flynn/Babnew

Take it easy. Babnew, you're right in one respect. I'll tell anyone that what we experienced isn't Vietnam. Do I feel like our experiences even compare with previous wars? No. I still don't. I said it to my family when I was there. My feeling on that hasn't changed. You are actually on to something, however. I think I have a more forgiving outlook on this because of age, probably, and that's why my sentiments are in line with Flynn. You can focus on what you think is a black eye for the company, or the military, whatever. But no matter what aspect of the war is getting told, people who are inclined to use it as peacenik fodder against the war are going to do that anyway. Once you get past that fact, look at this. These guys deployed. 99.9% of the population can't say that. You were there, more than once. You don't get to pick your sector. Everybody who is in uniform since 2001, whether they went or not, they know the deal. Everybody brings different life experiences with them to the military. You may be right, maybe these guys were more inclined to have problems after service, because of stuff that had nothing to do with the military. At least they served. Save your ammo for the people who didn't and would take this as an opportunity to use these guys to try and prove a point that doesn't apply. I'm not speaking for Flynn, but I agree with his take that we shouldn't be slamming these guys.