Posted on 11/19/2004 12:41:35 AM PST by Former Military Chick
Anyone who has ever been in combat -- not just in a combat zone, but gun-in-hand against an enemy trying to kill you -- needs no investigation to know exactly what happened in that Fallujah mosque last Saturday. The anonymous Marine who is seen shooting and killing a motionless and seemingly unarmed Iraqi in the television footage, was in that special state of temporary, chemically induced compulsion to kill that makes hand-to-hand combat possible at all.
Before the fighting there might be tension or not, depending on situations and personalities. But when the body receives the message, right or wrong, that the moment of killing or being killed has arrived, one can actually feel the adrenaline jetting into action. An endocrinologist who had himself been in combat once explained to me why it is the fighter's molecule (C9133) par excellence: It increases the rate and strength of the heartbeat to add energy, dilates bronchi and pupils to enhance breathing and vision, increases vasoconstriction and sweating and -- most appropriately -- accelerates the clotting of blood.
No matter what happens under its influence -- and people do the strangest things besides fighting -- there is one thing that cannot happen: Adrenaline does not dissipate instantly when it is no longer essential for survival. That is why fighters kill surrendering enemies -- they are still chemically compelled to kill, and have someone to kill in front of them. A moment later, with the effect dissipated, that same fighter becomes a person once again or, in the case at hand, a disciplined and presumably decent Marine who would never dream of killing a defenseless, harmless, wounded prisoner.
(Excerpt) Read more at journals.aol.com ...
I always got the shakes ten minutes AFTER a situation; I couldn't even light a cigarette at times. During, you're going on training, instinct and adrenaline.
Oh how you make me jumpy.
When I'm scared, you pump in my viens
I can run or I can fight
O-drenaline O-drenaline
Where the heck were you last night?
Let's stop sending our Marines into Iraqi cities, because they need media sensitivity training. Before shooting, they need to stop and visualize: "Is this really my enemy?"
And then when the hand grenade blows up in their faces, at least NBC will be satisfied.
"sewing machine leg", but only after.
Ain't got no... re-action... ain't got no.....
LOL! My legs were always fine, I just looked like I was signing for the deaf at a tobacco auction.
Those who talk about this young man "cold-bloodedly" killing, have no idea what it's like. There are no live philosophers on the battlefield.
Funny, my hands were steady, just the right leg would start in after things started calming down.
Have I heard/read that this Marine is in custody???
I grew up in SO. MD, and remember the tobacco auctions in Upper Marlboro. Long time ago. My brother and I got the tips one year and stripped them out as partial payment for working on the crop all summer. $50.00 seemed like a fortune then.
I remember those days. LOL! When my sons were growing up I always told them I'd never pay more for sneakers then I did my first car: $50.
Concur 100%
Q6
Your 2 Cents is correct. The travesty is that we are even having to discuss this. NBC and it's reporter are now to blame for the death and injuries which occur to our troops due to the anger they (NBC) have singularly stirred up in the Muslim community against America which was not there before. The Arab folks over there are very subject to propaganda and they certainly do not get the other side of the story from the terrorist controlled TV network. I believe with all my heart that this nation will suffer more and longer from the damage done to our society through the leftists here than through anything the terrorists will do to us.
It's not about some automatic involuntary urge to kill. He eliminated a potential threat - an enemy combatant - and it was within his rights to do so. My 2 cents.
You could even say "within his duty". He owes it to us, the God who made him, and those who love him and would be grieved by his coming to harm or dying to take every prudent step to stay alive.
This is a real media outrage.
Isn't it funny how just recently the MSM was lauding Kerry about the medal he got for shooting a wounded, retreating VC. I guess it's all about who does the shooting.
You get my vote. Adrenaline, or the fight or flee reaction, does not stop the brain or conscience from operating. What ever one might do under normal circumstances, one would still be capable of doing under the influence of adrenaline, rather than being overcome by fear, or some other reaction that would hinder fight or flee.
Big PS, I disagree completely with the inference of the last sentence in the article, that would have us believe the the prisoner was wounded, and defenceless, harmless, and not dead already. Something MR ED has no clue about, but he is willing to attempt to influence the world on the state of the marine. The authors name has an interesting ring nes't pas?
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