Posted on 09/23/2007 7:46:56 AM PDT by paulat
Unexploded Rocket-Propelled Grenade Impales Army Private in Afghanistan By RUTH REISS
[snip]
One RPG skidded past Lt. Mariani's vehicle. All of the vehicles had to quickly get out of the "kill zone." But before they could get to safety, two rockets hit Pvt. Moss' Humvee.
Staff Sgt. Eric Wynn, 33, the soldier in the front passenger seat, felt one slice through his face. Moss remembers the truck practically lift up. He was thrown up against the Humvee and then moved to return fire.
"I smelled something smoking and I looked down ... and I was smoking," he said.
Wynn turned to tell Moss where to fire and saw the tail fins of the RPG sticking out of Moss' side.
Roughly the length of a baseball bat, an RPG travels at the speed of a bullet. At the front end is the warhead -- a large grenade. The detonator and fuel are contained in the shaft. On the back are its fins, pieces of metal that stick out like legs on a camera tripod. The RPG is the weapon of choice for many of the world's guerillas.
Luckily for Moss, the company medic Spc. Jared Angell, 23, who the soldiers call "Doc," was in his Humvee
[snip]
A Human Bomb The RPG that had plowed into Moss' lower abdomen stretched from one hip to the other. If the RPG went off, it would kill everyone within 30 feet of him. Yet Angell stayed close, bandaging his wounds and stabilizing the weapon so that movement wouldn't cause it to explode.
Moss was still fully conscious, so Angell ordered him to not look down at the injury. He didn't want Moss to panic.
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
(sorry if extra pings)
Thanks Brad’s Gramma, Albion Wilde and paulat. WOW!
The video at http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/09/marine_rpg_moss_070922w/ is just awe inspiring. “Because Moss was looking at me and breathing.” That’s a reason to be a surgeon. The best reason to be.
(Although I want to spank every one of them for the risk!)
Thanks for the ping——amazing story!
Watching them pull the missle out of his flesh wound was unbelievable. All of us hope that if we ever fall from a ladder, get in a car wreck or have some other grave accident and are unconscious, that some surgeons and techs will care enough. This video shows the deeply loyal mentality of the military — possibly able to do what they do because the malpractice lawyers are not breathing down their necks.
Absolutely amazing story! And I am so-o-o-o thankful that instead of facing court martial, the troops who violated the “rules” and risked their lives to save their brother-in-arms were recognized for their bravery. Note that it took 18 months for us to find out about this awesome display of “love for their brother”. And yes, the video of the extraction was incredible!
Outstanding! Only in the American military. Heroes all!
“Does anyone remember the ARVN soldier with the mortar round stuck in him that was removed by American doctors in a field hospital? The solider was surrounded with four walls of sandbags. Then, reaching through ports left in the sand bags the doctors removed the mortar round.
Bravery runs in the veins of America’s fighting forces from generation to generation. The same can’t be said for our politicians.”
If this was the incident that happened in late 1968 or 1969 at the Army Hospital (4th field, I believe) just south of TSN, I watched the surgery and joined in the applause when it ended.
It was, however, a 40mm grenade in the eye socket. I never knew who the patient was. The operation was conducted in a parking lot and we watched from a nearby balconey.
Thank God for all our heroes and their loved ones!
What an incredible story of bravery! Those guys are the ultimate heroes!
Take that, you communist (ahem!) Now those are men!
He lost too much unless they put him on a light duty.
This is really sad.
My daughter’s beau was in a vehicle in Iraq. An RPG hit the vehicle and penetrated it. Fortunately the RPG did not explode. My daughter’s beau is coming home to be with her on Tuesday. After reading this, I know how really lucky my daughter and her boyfriend are.
Beautiful, Dubya!
Thank you all for reading!!
Carolyn
Wow..........
Bump - thanks for posting.
My brother caught a little bit of shrapnel in Vietnam. It was very minor and required cleaning and band-aids. I asked him why he did not get a purple heart? He said he would have been "embarrassed to ask for it" with such a minor injury. This puts John Kerry in perspective.
Thanks for the post. I also got it from SandRat. I haven’t seen any food postings recently(?). If you need any ideas please let me know, since I love to cook. With the change of seasons it is time for a change in menu.
From one Freeper to another...
NO2
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