Battle Rattle

Battle Rattle was slang for the 50 odd Lbs of gear we carried on our person in the field. I left the rating everyone though there are F bombs

Full Battle Rattle

Breathing diesel sand

 

Apply the pressure bandage

blood gushes through my hands

 

Rockets skip the concrete

Electo sparking heat

 

Take the dead away in taxis

blood trails up the street

 

Full Battle Rattle

Automatic roaring death

 

Feed the bullets

change the barrel

 

You got any

last regrets

 

Full Battle Rattle

Sniper searing kiss

 

Dark Knight and Avenger

Wrapped in shrouded bliss

 

Terrifying moments

Pinned into the ground

 

Where the f**k is he

Wait for the next round

 

Full Battle Rattle

Cobras fill the sky

 

Mini guns and rockets

Kiss your a*s goodbye

 

Breaking into houses

no one knows a thing

 

Hajji took 5 bullets

what was he doing

 

Full Battle Rattle

Ears buzzing for days

 

Adrenaline overload

Standing in a daze

 

  Load up on the 7

Getting the f**k out

 

     After handing Hajji

Another demoralizing rout

 

Full Battle Rattle

Just another day

 

We were Marines baby

We blew Hajji's away

 

Sounds to brutal

Automatic weapon buzz

 

Tell you this much baby

It's the best I ever was

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Much of the imagery is from a fire fight that turned into a pitched battle in an erea called Sofia, just east of Ramadi. We were ambushed in what had been a ritzy neigborhood for politically connected Sunni's when Saddam was in power. We were re enforced by a rapid deployment force and other squad that was near by.The fighting raged for a good two hours before two Cobra Helicopter gunships were called in and chewed Hajji to pieces. The reference to "Breaking into houses was us looking for insurgents. Hajji typically bailed in the middle of the fight to another erea, changed his cloths and just blended into the crowd but with two cobras menacing the sky he was trapped where ever he was hiding so he was easy pickings that day. One house we went into there was a kid, 16-17 years old cradling a dead Hajji in his arms that had taken several rounds. There wasn't to much blood which meant he bleed out before they got there. The kid was sobbing hysterically and crying out. We had to arrest him but he didn't want to let go of the dead one. It turned out to be his brother. War is fuck brutal man.

Reviews

[Gene Denham]

Your words are powerful and moving. Thank you for sharing the poem and thank you for your service.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you gene

[Tattered Teddy]

Holy hell. Wow thought the poem was bloody brilliant then read the author's note which is just as good a read in and of itself. Well done.

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[Persephone]

I love the words you have used to describe this and your comparison of "dark knight and avenger" - people like you are the true heroes - thanks for sharing

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[∠( ᐛ 」..]

This is such a inspiring and outstanding poem!
Remarkable work!
100/100

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[Pax]

i feel the sad tone of war in the poem.
great job on expressing your experience my friend.

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[Kenneth The Poet]

William Tecumseh Sherman...need more be said.

[Baby Ricochet]

Coined the term "War is hell." good one

[Junert]

Hmm

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx for reading

[Mary]

Thank you for your service and for your write. I cannot even imagine the horror that is war, and it is because of people like you. This is disturbing to read, but amazing.

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

HEY U.S. CITIZENS ON MY FEED! PLEASE - GET OVER HERE AND READ THIS!

God. Thank you for this. After Viet Nam, the press and gvt. deem it prudent to shield the public from this type of honest brutal truth. (A whole bunch of other crap behind that statement, but that is not appropriate here). It is amazing the difference between what is real (you just wrote it), and what we are given to look at.
Without seeing the horror that is war, how else can we fully honor those who fought it on our behalf? War is NOT the Geneva Convention. It is that up there.

So - thank you. For the poem. But more importantly... MUCH more importantly, for your service to your country. For us. The truth up there - paints a picture of men who are heros, every one. You. Thank you proudly. Thank you.

[Baby Ricochet]

The media catastrophe for vietnam was the Tet offensive in 68. Tet was a military disaster for the VC but a media disaster for LBJ. Civilians can't be exposed to violence like that without a clear objective. Before the reporting on tet antiwar protests were fringe political activists. After Tet it was half the country. Tet was a HUGE learning experience for the military. WIth the occupation of Iraq America got Hollywood and Video games. Air strikes, smart bombs, laughing Iraqis tearing down Saddam's statue, happy American troops handing candy to kids. THey edited a lot. On the other side was Aljezzera. Heavy focus on the human face of collateral damage while ignoring Sunni and Shia rivalries. All sides got the half truths of spin.

[sienikeha]

yes, war is indeed brutal.
is it possible to live and thrive in a world where war doesn't exist? where hearts can safely unclench.. relax into love. yes, it is possible. even for the douchebags. let's make it happen! how? forgiveness, acceptance, truth, love. the basics. absolutely within the realm of collective possibility.

[Baby Ricochet]

"Love peace and Harmony. Love peace and Harmony. It's all very nice, very nine, very nice. Maybe in the next world." Morrissey. Sad but true. Pretty cool review. Thanx Sienikeha

[sienikeha]

:)

[L. Edward Neale]

Thats some scary hardcore s**t right there. My little brother is in the army. And every day I thank my lucky stars that he's done his service and he's had these sense to get out, before he has to deal with anything as full on as that. I support the rights and the wellbeing of the troops but I do not support the political or economic reasoning behind war. To me its a sign of great human failure.

[Baby Ricochet]

I left the corps in 09. A dicision I regret on a near daily basis but I can't go back, it's not in me anymore. There's something tragic about that I can't explain. Like the last line says "It's the best I ever was." Back in 09 I got angery with the "support our troops" bullshit because no one was actually doing anything to support me. I couldn't find a job, my marriage fell apart, I was pissed off all the time & what I really wanted wasn't recognition. I wanted sex, lots and lots of sex. I wrote a poem about 09 called "after the home coming" and the only reviewer who got the sex reference was another Marine. Not that I was expecting anyone to get anything, it just struck me as funny. All wars are total bullshit and a sign of human failure. We fought because we were Marines. There was no other reason.

[L. Edward Neale]

My little bro was in the Australian army. Writings a good outlet. Great to see you having the sense to share your stroies. I heard the suicide rate amongst returned US soliders is incredibly high and that the system is failing them in so many ways. You are lucky you've got a way of getting that s**t out of your system. Keep it up. Good place for it!

[Baby Ricochet]

Unfortunatly the suicide stories are true. Some of the stuff on the Armed Forces blogs is heart wrenching. I've a weird sense of humor so the way I look at it is Hajji couldn't kill me and I'm sure as s**t not gonna do it for him.

[L. Edward Neale]

Nothing weird about it! In life humour is the finest weapon we have against death. To be a survivor you've gotta have one, no to ways about it. Clearly your a survivor on a number of levels. Glad your still around to tell your story! Best wishes.