LTC Erik Kurilla (front right), the moment the bullets strike.(2nd LT front-left; radioman near-left; "AH" the interpreter is near-right.)
Posted on 08/25/2005 10:35:17 AM PDT by saquin
[...]
About fifteen seconds later our ramp dropped. We ran into combat.
Folks who haven't done much urban fighting might take issue with the wild chases, and they might say that people should always "stack up" and do things this or that way, but men in Delta Force, SEALs and the like, all know that when chasing wild men into the labyrinth, soldiers enter the land of confusion. If soldiers don't go fast, the bad guys simply get away. Just a few minutes ago, these three guys were going "105 miles per hour," and outrunning a helicopter.
There were shops, alleys, doorways, windows . . .which to me screamed: death, death, death, death...
The soldiers with LTC Kurilla were searching fast, weapons at the ready, and they quickly flex-cuffed two men. But these were not the right guys. Meanwhile, SSG Konkol's men were clearing towards us, leaving the three bad-guys boxed, but free.
Shots were fired behind us but around a corner to the left.
Both the young 2nd lieutenant and the young specialist were inside a shop when a close-quarters firefight broke out, and they ran outside. Not knowing how many men they were fighting, they wanted backup. LTC Kurilla began running in the direction of the shooting. He passed by me and I chased, Kurilla leading the way.
There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. And then LTC Kurilla was shot.
LTC Erik Kurilla (front right), the moment the bullets strike.(2nd LT front-left; radioman near-left; "AH" the interpreter is near-right.)
Three bullets reach flesh: One snaps his thigh bone in half.
[...]
Kurilla was running when he was shot, but he didn't seem to miss a stride; he did a crazy judo roll and came up shooting.
The Commander fights...
Their courage is certainly something to be admired. And they're all volunteers, too .
Truly amazing human beings.
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." - General George S. Patton, Jr
I agree. First person accounts (and Yon's website has pics he took himself of combat operations) count as news to a much higher degree than a NY Times account filed from the lobby of a Baghdad hotel. There are two classes of blogs: people venting their opinions, and people reporting on important news as it happens. The second category deserves the option of front-page news
Amazing. America produces heroes like France produces cowards. Where one hero like LTC Kurilla falls, two more heroes yet unnamed will stand to take his place. This is why many in the world hate the United States of America.
Outstanding letter. Don't stop with the NY Times, there's "Times" in every city across this country that need a wake up that letter offers! You know how it goes, they'll all try to ignore it unless it looks like one of the other lazy bastards are gonna run with it, then the race is on!
This is one hell of alot bigger scandal than the last abu grabass. Let's hear the rest of the story. btw, I donated what I could to Michael Yon and I'm out've work. This is a guy that needs our full support.
There are real heroes as well as fake. There are untrumpeted heroes, too. Will no one mention CSM Robert Prosser? The citation should read (assuming anyone thinks about an award at all) "... disregarding his personal safety, CSM Prosser advanced, firing on the enemy who had wounded his commander, and when he ran out of amunition, not knowing how many enemy he faced, attacked the sole enemy combatant he could see with his bare hands."
Cortland
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