Posted on 02/07/2005 11:34:31 AM PST by Nachum
The following is a true account, emailed to me by an Army dentist friend of mine. She included pictures, but I am not sure that they would want them put up here, so I am not including that part of this letter.
Christmas Eve morning a soldier came into the clinic at the Ibn Sina Hospital in downtown Baghdad covered in his own blood. He recounted an incredible story. Early Christmas Eve morning, two squads were assigned to sweep and clear two adjacent homes where Iraq terrorists were holed-up. The patient, SGT C, was leading one of those assault squads. The other squad hit their target first.
SGT C said that he heard a lot of small arms fire and yelling, so he thought he would round the corner and size up the situation before advancing his team. Unfortunately, as he turned the corner, he found himself staring directly into the barrel of a 9mm automatic pistol. SGT C said he never had time to be scared, he just knew he was dead. The terrorist pulled the trigger and, miraculously, SGT C found himself still standing. He figured the bullet had missed. He advanced on the Iraqi, who immediately surrendered. After the enemy was rounded up, SGT C said he started to feel light! headed and one of his soldiers insisted that he proceed to the hospital. He realized at this time that he had lost his front tooth in the gun fight. He figured the ballistic shock from the weapon's blast had knocked it loose. He was wrong.
When he presented early that morning Major Kimberly Perkins, our oral surgeon, took a panograph and discovered the incredible truth. The 9mm bullet did NOT miss SGT C. He was hit directly in the face. The bullet entered just below his nose where it impacted the apex of #8. The energy from the bullet was transferred to the tooth, literally ejecting the tooth from its socket, and stopping the bullet in its track. Other than the missing tooth, the majority of SGT C's injuries were confined to soft tissue.
SGT C is a citizen soldier - a reservist. When he returns to the states, the Army will see he has an implant replacement for the missing #8. Meanwhile, the prosthodontist in Baghdad, LTC Richard Druckman, made him an acrylic interim treatment partial. When SGT C came in for the prosthesis,
I said "Can you imagine what the enemy thought when he shot you point blank in the face, and you just kept coming at him! ! Americans are invincible. No wonder he surrendered so fast!"
God Bless our troops !!
Wow!
This was posted a long time ago, the pictures were in fact posted. It would be nice to see again how tough our soldiers are! so put em up
Man, I'm glad you posted that. I thought I was having wicked deja vu!
I never realized. Thanks for letting me know.
I've seen that picture too. It's also amazing that the young man is all smiles. I think of our great servicemen and women how they go through so much with good cheer. Shoot me in the head, and I'll smile, they seem to say. They're tough and positive. Then I think of the sad sack liberals who do nothing but whine, spread negativism, and pray and hope for failure. The contrast is amazing. They've nothing to offer but despair. It's Liberalisms only hope.
WOW!
All our prayers going up each day do help our terrific soldiers.
Well I can tell you I stoped two "men" with 9's. My guess is old fault ammo.
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