Entry 1

2100 hours                                                May 7th 2007                                 One Confirmed Kill

          Today is our 5^th day in Iraq, just 5 days and already our platoon has lost 10 men. We arrived a few days ago in large, vintage LCVP landing craft overloaded with draft troops. That’s us draft troops, all of us drafted in the 2006 draft. We were all put in the light cavalry division. The government did little for us draftees besides drafting us. We were given light body armor, old Mauser Kar 98 rifles, and no Kevlar helmets just helmets from past wars. On our first day here as soon as we stepped off the boats an Arabian model of the 1920 German M9 recon flying boat, came in to strafe us. It didn’t get far the great fleet completely destroyed the plane with two patriot missiles crashing into its tail. It did get off a burst that killed 1of ours and injured another. Then we marched for a few days to the frontline in the Sunni triangle. Somewhere between just below Baghdad and Tikirt was No mans land. In one trench our Army and Marine forces armed with Mauser Kar 98s, Mod 16 152mm cannons, MG42 machine guns, and No. 36 grenades. The other trench was crawling with Arab insurgents armed with Mas-36 rifles, 75 to 105mm cannons, Madsen light machine guns, and whatever explosives they could make. On the day we arrived at the frontlines, we saw an assault of the 42^nd infantry going over the top. At first the Madsen light machine guns seemed to be tearing them up, but a volley of running, firing US infantry soon silenced the Madsens. We had lost 5 men during the march here to landmines and booby traps. When we saw the assault, myself and a group of others got into position and fired. My shot hit an Arab firing his Mas. We soon engaged in an unauthorized support for the assault. Our officers ordered us back; by that time 4 of our men lay dead. Anyway, we’ve reached the frontlines, we got word the 42^nd’s assault didn’t succeed and that tomorrow at 1615 hours were going over the top to continue the assault. Were all leaving are valuable possessions in the trench and we’re all praying.

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Taken from XavierJets.