The Longest day

This is a story about me and a friend of mine who was sent out on a mission. It takes place over a period of a day and a half. This story is in a chronological order.

The Longest day:

I am The Hitman, a staff sergeant with this US Army.   This is my story of survival, In Sadr City Iraq, in June of 2004.

I served as a sniper during this deployment, and Birds Eye was my spotter.  We had been training together since November 2003 and had created a bond, uncommon to those outside the military.

Where to start. Looking back I would have to say it all started when the Mahdi Army ambushed an American convoy in December 2003.  The Mahdi Army would continue to engage American troops until late 2004 when they enacted a Cease fire.

I wouldn’t get to know the Mahdi Army until I got to Sadr City in May of 2004.  I was assigned to a small outpost in support of Company A.

In the first part of June 2004 I would see my first solo mission with my spotter Birds Eye. I t would soon be a day that I wouldn’t ever forget.

It would all start the day before at around 1900.  I would receive the op order.

1950. I would attend the mission briefing with 1^st platoon Company A.  At that time we were told we would be doing a simple reconnaissance, and set up a check point in search of Mahdi Army and weapons.

The market place was a simple place to defend.  There was one road going through the place with shops on both side of the street.  All of the buildings except for two, (which I would occupy one of them, and the other sniper team would be on the top of the other building) we just 2 story buildings.

My building was the tallest in the area, at over 5 stories tall.  Angel Vengador building as only 3 stories tall.

Birds Eye and I were to set up an over watch position on top of a tall building on the North West corner overlooking a large market place.  I would be close to 125 meters from 1^st squad, 300 meters from 2^nd squad and 500 meters from 3rd squad.

On the south east corner, would be another sniper team.  The Sargent liked to call himself Angel Vengador, or Avenging Angel.  He has been in Iraq since March of 2003.  He had volunteered to stay longer then he had to.   He was a Hispanic man, about 5’ 2” tall, with a heavy accent.  He had joined the Army in hopes to become a US citizen one day. He was originally from Mexico City.

1^st squad would be on the north east corner, guarding the road checking cars and people.

2^nd squad would set up in the middle of the market covering the foot entrances in the middle of the market.

3^rd squad would block the south east road, checking both people and cars.

Each squad consists of 13 men, 3 teams of 4 and one squad leader.  Within each of the 3 teams of 4 there was 3 M-4 and one M249 Saw (squad automatic machine gun).  The 

Squad leader would also have an M203 grenade launcher on their primary weapon.

Inside the platoon, there was a Platoon commander, A second Lieutenant just out of training just 2 months before.  Then there was the Platoon Sargent, I think this guy probably served in the civil war. 

As support, they brought along 2 medics and a radio operator.

2030.  Birds Eye and I gather the necessary equipment we would need for the mission the next day.  We would gather up water, extra ammunition, a couple of MRE’s (meals ready to eat), 8 claymores, and 4 hand grenades each. 

Then I would choose to use a Barrett M82 .50 Cal sniper rifle, for its stopping power and range.  I would also carry an M-4 rifle and a 9 mm pistol.

Birds Eye would have an M-4, and 9mm pistol with him.  He was also tasked to carry extra ammo for Barrett.

We both would be in bed by 2115.

0230. I woke and went to take a shower and shave.  I also made sure Birds Eye was awake and ready.

0255 Birds Eye and I would make our way off base and toward our destination.  We left way before the unit in order to get the advantage point. 

0420 we arrived at the designated building and made our way to the top. 

Once on top of the building we started setting up our defense.   We strung out a total 8 claymores, most of them in the stairway set to trip wires.

0440 we started look out over the area for any possible signs of the Mahdi Army.

0530 Company A leaves the gates of our base, and starts making their way to the market place.  We were not able to see them yet as they were too far away.

0553.  Sunrise.  Birds Eye and I started observing movement on the streets.  Soon after that the all so familiar sound of Muslim prayer filed the air.

Once silent you could hear birds were chirping, donkeys , and the movement of people and cars.  The smell of dirt and decaying trash would fill the air.  If the wind blew just right, the smell of dead flesh, probably left over from the day before during some skirmish between the US Army and the Mahdi Army.

0615 Company A was finally in view, and the streets were starting to see more and more movement. 

0633.  Company A was within 700 meters of our position.  They were starting to spread out and set up positions in different areas of the market.

0635.  Silence is broken with the unmistakable sound of an AK-47.  Moments later you could hear the nerve shattering screams of someone in agony.  The screams for a medic filled the air. 

Birds Eye and I started our search for the man who had fired the shot that took down and American Soldier.

Birds Eye spotted a man with an AK-47 sitting in the second story window of an apartment building.  Boom rang out the thunderous sound as I engaged the individual with a single shot from my Barrett.

Birds Eye Confirmed the sight of pink mist as the individual feel to the ground.  I had confirmed my first kill since arriving in Iraq.

0710.  The medevac arrives and picked up the wounded soldier and whisked him back to the trauma center.  I never heard weather the soldier lived or died.

0715 all squads report that they are in position

0720. 1^st platoon Company A starts searching for more Mahdi Army.

0750.  Shoots ring out in the market.  With the screams of RPG’s, AK-47, M-16’s, and M249 saws, it sounded like world war 3 had begun.

0800 All was quite again, no one would have expected just moments ago that it was a chaotic nightmare below us. 

We would continue to scan the area until I spotted a suspicious person in another window overlooking the market. 

0805.  We would receive a report that from the same area as we had seen the person in the window, one of the soldiers from 1^st squad thought they had seen a barrel of a rifle coming out of the window.

I continued to watch the window, until I saw what appeared to be the barrel of a rifle.  I aimed about a foot behind the barrel, with proper sight alignment, controlled breathing I would take the shot.  Kaboom, the sound of the rifle going off echoed throughout the square, the fire and smoke from the end of my barrel obscured my vision for a split second.  All of a sudden Bird Eye, who had been monitoring the same person through his range finder, said there was a nice sized whole in the wall, and the person behind it was gone.

0820.  By this time the market was beginning to buzz with activity from local business men and people walking around the market.  The situation seemed a little tense as I could not tell who Mahdi, and who was an ordinary person just going about their daily life.

0850.  2^nd squad was reporting a lot of suspicious activity in their location.  Immediately Birds Eye and I started scanning the area looking for anyone who might be looking for a fight.

0853 Birds Eye spots a guy with a strange bulge in his clothing.  Birds Eye immediately reports it to 2^nd squad and learned they did not have eyes on the suspect.

0854 the suspicious person starts moving toward 2^nd squad, at that time I made a decision if the person got within 25 meters from the platoon I was going to take him out.

At that moment the person started moving rapidly toward the squad.  I took the shot and scored a direct hit. 

BOOM!!!! The body exploded into thousands of pieces, blood and body parts rained down over the general area.  Several locals were also killed when this guy exploded.

Seconds later 2^nd squad was engaged in a fight for their lives.  

Mahdi and the squad where mixed in with locals. You could hear the screams and the cries for help coming from man woman and child caught in the middle of this horrific fight.

My next target would be a Mahdi carrying an RPG (rocker propelled grenade).  I squeezed off the shot hitting the RPG causing it to explode and killing 3 other Mahdi’s standing next to the man.

As second squad was fully engaging the attacking force, Birds eye got word that 3^rd squad as getting attacked by people in pickups with 50 cal machine guns in the back of them.

I spotted my first vehicle and began to engage it.  I fired 5 rounds into the engine compartment, which cause the vehicle to catch fire. 

The second vehicle was taken was taken out by a well-placed grenade from the squad leader.

0915, after what felt like an hour 1^st squad reported they were taking fire from all sides.   I immediately turn my gun toward them and started looking for targets of opportunity.

I spotted a man running toward 1^st squad with an AK47.  He was about 200 meters out and moving fast.  I started leading the man. I got comfortable I could hit the man and I took the shot.  It was a direct hit.  The 50 cal bullet took the man’s head clean off his shoulders.   As I watched in horror his body would keep running as if he was still alive. Blood was squirting out of his neck.  After about 15 feet his body just dropped to the ground like a bag of potatoes.

By this time I had scored my fifth kill since getting to the market.

I would then turn my gun toward a Mahdi dragging a 2^nd squad soldier away from his squad.  The Mahdi had the soldier about 100 meters away from his squad.  

I had to make a quick decision.  If I take the shot there is a chance of hitting the soldier, If I do not take the shot, then the soldier was most likely going to be tortured and killed.

I made the decision, I would take the shot.  I figured even if I killed the soldier he would be better off.

The bullet struck the Mahdi in the chest about 7 to 8 inches above the soldiers head.  This caused the Mahdi chest to explode, covering the soldier in his blood.  Both people were knocked to the ground by the impact of the bullet. 

I thought I had killed the soldier, he just laid there motionless, covered in blood for at least 15 seconds.  I was relieved when I saw the traumatized soldier raise his head look around, and then grab the AK47 from the dead man.  I would cover him while he fought his way back to his squad. 

As the soldier returned to his squad I saw another Mahdi running toward the soldier.  I shot the man hitting him in the shoulder, which severed his arm from his body, and spun him around one and a half times putting him face down in the dirt.  I noticed the man trying to get up, and wondered if I should shot him again.  This time I let the man live, I am sure it wasn’t long before he died.

By this time I had lost all track of time.  I didn’t know that we had been engaged with the enemy for almost 2 hours now.  By this time all three squads had fought their way to the middle of the market place and set up a defense.  We were officially behind the enemy now.

I did not know how many shots I had taken, but judging by the pile of brass on the ground it must have been over a 100 rounds.

1230 Birds eye pointed out a suspicious person in the mist of the battle. I would sight in and shot the person who appeared to be carrying a something in front of them, which we were both sure, was a bomb.  I shot the woman in the back, unbeknownst to me that the object she was carrying was her 6 or 7 year old daughter.

The bullet ripped through the ladies back, and straight through her daughter killing both.

1340 we received word that there would be a quick reaction force (QRF) arriving any time to evacuated the wounded, dead and the survivors.  They told us to just hang on and to provide over watch while they loaded the personnel on the ground, then they would come pick us up.

1425 one of the claymores we had placed in the stair way exploded, quickly Birds Eye rushed over to the stair way coming up to the roof top.  Once there he discovered that the Mahdi was attempting to come up the stair way to our location.

Birds Eye started engaging the men coming up the stairs with his M4.

For the remainder of our time on the roof top, he would continue fire bullet after bullet into the stair way.  He would through grenades until we ran out of them. 

Eventually Birds Eye ran out of bullets for his M4 and had used all of mine.  With his 9mm Berretta, he would venture into the stair way and acquire a couple of AK47’s. 

I have shot an AK, but it had been several years.

1520 Eight armored personnel carriers (APC) arrived to rescue every one. 

The first stop was to pick up Angel Vengador.  I watched as he moved from inside the building to the APC.  That’s when I watched as his body was ripped apart by a man with an AK47.

I took aim, and fired at the man with the AK, hitting him.  His lifeless body flew backwards landing on the ground only feet away from the Angel Vengador.  I could tell by looking through my scope that both men were dead.

By this time I only had a couple of bullets left for my Barrett, no rounds for my M4, and 18 rounds for my pistol.   The AK birds Eye gave me had less than 90 rounds.

1535 Birds Eye and I received word to make our way to the front of the building and get ready for extraction. 

I asked birds Eye if the stairs were clear, he yelled back no, we would have to find another way down.

We would have to rappel off the building.  When we first arrived at the location I attached a rope to a solid pipe just in case we needed a quick getaway.   

I would sling my two empty rifles across my back and signal to Birds eye that I will cover topside as he goes down the rope to set up security on the bottom.

As birds Eye made his way down the rope, there would be rounds hitting beside him and even sticking his gear.

Once Birds Eye got on the ground it was my time.  I quickly grabbed the rope, and started my way to the ground.  Bullets where ricocheting around me, even felt what would feel like a being hit by a fast moving baseball on my back.  I knew I was hit, but my protective vest done its job and saved me.

When I made it to the second floor I heard an RPG impact above me.  At that time the rope was cut and I would fall to the ground.

We found ourselves in the alley behind the building we were just on top.  Birds Eye told me that the radio had taken a few hits and was not working anymore. 

We decided the best thing was not to stay in that alley; we needed to get to the front of the building to the awaiting APC’s.

I was armed with just my pistol at this time.  I had left the AK on the roof since it was out of bullets.

Birds Eye, he still had his AK and had a lot of ammunition for it.

As we made our way around the building, we ran into 5 Mahdi who were looking for us.  I engaged one of them with a quick burst of 3 rounds from my pistol.  I hit the man once in the chest and twice in the head.

Birds Eye would eliminate the other 4 with his weapon.  I quickly picked up myself an AK and we gathered all rounds we could find.

1550 we finally made it to the front of the building.  At that time the realization we had been left sank in.  There was no APC waiting for us. 

We thought maybe they were still in the market, we decided to join them there.  To our shock, the only people left in the market were the Mahdi Army.  Much to our surprise we were greatly outnumbered.  

Birds Eye and I quickly turned around and made our way out of sight.  I do not think they saw us.

We both decided to make a quick getaway out of the area.  I quickly pulled my map and compass. My compass must have gotten broken in the fall.  I looked at the map and tried to find a way around the market.

1555 Birds eye and I started moving as far away from the market as we could, a few blocks away we ran into some Iraqi men who wanted to fight.  We would engage them killing all of them.  There must have been 8 or 9 of them.

1615 Birds eye decided we were tired of walking, and we needed transportation.  Like a scene from Grand Theft Auto we ran up to a car with our guns aimed at the men inside, we pulled them out throwing them to the ground.  We quickly took off racing through the streets of Sadr City.  No idea where we were going or how to get there.

After 4 or 5 miles of driving around lost, Birds Eye would broad side a public bus, totaling our car, and sending us out on foot again.

1640 we decided to stop and find a place we could hide until we could figure out where we were at.   We determined we were in Baghdad.

1700 we decided it would be best to continue to hide till after dark, we would stay vigilant. 

2130 we moved from our current location in search of an American base.  Our map didn’t have any base locations on it, so it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, in an area everyone wanted to kill us.

2150 we spotted a couple of local men digging on the side of the road.  At this time of night I knew it couldn’t be anything good.  So with AK’s aimed in we unleashed a flurry of hell on the 2 men.  Both men died and subsequently detonated a roadside bomb. 

 2350 we had found a main road and decided to hide out in a culvert till morning.  We knew this was a main supply route so all we had to do is wait for an American convoy to come along.   

0430 a vehicle pulled up just a few hundred feet from us.  The men would throw something out and speed away.  We knew what it was, but didn’t want to venture closer to investigate. 

0510 Birds eye would hear the distant rumble of what would sound like several Humvees. 

Bird’s eye and I both got into a position to observe the vehicles coming toward us were indeed American.  We were saved. 

Once the vehicles got within 200 meters, we started waiving and drawing their attention.  They quickly came at us with guns drawn.  We were treated as if we were the enemy.  They took our weapons, flex cuffed us, and put backs over our heads. 

0800 we arrived at a base in the green zone in Baghdad. At that time we were asked a barrage of questions, pictures were taken and we were escorted to a jail cell. 

We only spent about 30 minutes in the jail before someone came in and said we were Americans and would take us to the chow hall for some real food.

1900 that evening we got a ride from a Black Hawk over to our base.  

Although we were only gone for a day and a half, it seemed like a life time. Being away from the safety of a base, can make you appreciate the smallest things in life.

Birds Eye and I would spend a year together in Iraq.  We both would deploy 2 more times in our military Career.  I still keep close contact with Birds Eye.  I honestly believe that our time in combat together has created a bond stronger than any married couple could ever imagine.  No mater were Birds Eye or I are at, if we need each other we are quick to drop everything and rush to each other’s aid.

 

                                The Hitman  Portland, Or.

 

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

A very compelling and captivating story. It read like I was watching a movie, your words and descriptions brought your story and experience alive as much as possible for me. I can understand why and and Birds Eye are still close today after
what you went through together. I think that kind of bond is probably unbreakable. You did a superb job on telling your story here.

[Hitman]

thank you. Someday I would love to take this and make it into a script. I think it could be as good of a movie as Black hawk down or we were soldiers. I am afraid I wouldn't want to watch it though.