Posted on 07/06/2003 9:40:26 PM PDT by honeygrl
Carter recalls his experience in Iraq A hero's story: Local veteran shares his faith
By Patrick Crotty patrick.crotty@onlineathens.com
Addressing his hometown congregation at Watkinsville First Baptist Church on Sunday, Capt. Chris Carter talked more freely about his faith than his leadership of 150 soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
''I'm not gonna tell a bunch of war stories this morning,'' Carter said.
Carter said he came up with what he called ''PCPs'', or ''pre-combat prayers,'' in addition to the other preparations he and soldiers made. Carter said his prayers during combat were that each soldier make it home alive, which they all did. Secondly, he said he prayed his family knew that he was OK, especially when communication was otherwise not an option. And thirdly, Carter said he prayed for the opportunity to share Jesus Christ with his fellow soldiers.
Carter, a native of Oconee County, received widespread media coverage during his time fighting in Iraq. An Associated Press reporter embedded with the battalion Carter commanded wrote stories about their combat experiences that were read by friends, family and audiences nationwide.
Carter became a favorite in the Athens area, and of University of Georgia supporters, when he unfurled a Georgia flag in front of a presidential palace in Baghdad.
For his service, Carter received the Silver Star for bravery in combat. One episode included the rescue of a woman stranded on a bridge amid cross-fire between U.S. and opposition forces. Carter talked about the bridge during his speech at Watkinsville First Baptist Church on Sunday, only because ''I know I'll be asked about it repeatedly after this if I don't.
''Some of you have seen Black Hawk Down,'' Carter said. ''That's what it was like. We had RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) flying all around us.''
As they secured the bridge, Carter said he and fellow soldiers noticed a woman in trouble on the bridge. They used a smoke grenade to shield their movements from Iraqi gunfire, and went in to rescue her.
It was only later when the reporter told Carter what he had seen that Carter realized how dangerous the rescue had been. Carter said the reporter told him the Iraqis ''opened up on us'' once the smoke grenade cleared.
''We wanted to get her out of the way,'' Carter said. ''What we did was nothing different from what hundreds of other soldiers did in Iraq. We just happened to have a reporter from the AP with us.''
Due to a change of command, Carter returned to Ft. Stewart on June 21, leaving most of his battalion behind.
Carter encouraged the First Baptist congregation to remember those still deployed in Iraq, and to greet soldiers at the airports when they return home.
''Pray for them,'' Carter said. ''Too often we don't fully appreciate the power of prayer.''
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