Captain with 3rd ID rescues Iraqi civilian (caught in crossfire)

Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | Apr 1, 2003 | BO EMERSON

[Diddley]

Capt. Chris Carter, commander of A Company 3rd Battalion 7th Infantry Regiment, called in an armored ambulance for an injured woman who was caught in the crossfire with Iraqi forces over the Euphrates River Monday
. . . . .
Carter distinguished himself Monday when he left his Bradley Fighting Vehicle and dashed out on a bridge during a firefight outside of Hindiyah, to try to bring an Iraqi woman to safety.

The woman had apparently tried to race across the bridge when the Americans arrived but was caught in the crossfire.

Soldiers who had spotted her through the smoke at first thought she was dead, as was a man sprawled in the dust nearby. But the woman sat up and waved for help during breaks in the gunfire.

According to AP reporter Chris Tomlinson's account, Carter "ordered his Bradley armored vehicle to pull forward while he and two men ran behind it. They took cover behind the bridge's iron beams.

"Carter tossed a smoke grenade for more cover and approached the woman, who was crying and pointing toward a wound on her hip. She wore the black chador, common among older women in the countryside. The blood soaked through the fabric, streaking the pavement around her.

"Medics placed the woman on a stretcher and into an ambulance; Carter stood by, providing cover with his M16A4 rifle. Then she was gone, and Monday's battle for this town of 80,000, 50 miles south of Baghdad, raged on."
. . . . .

[Diddley]

Mkes one so proud to be an American.

[cavdad]

I have a son who is a medic with the 1st Cav and notice it was the medics who had to actually go onto the bridge and bring the woman back.

[Abn1508]

This, again, is why I think that the embed program is so incredibly revolutionary, in a good sense. Chris Tomlinson is just another AP guy, but so was Peter Arnett. And Dan Rather was "just another CBS guy."

These embeds are becoming folk stars, they're not going to be easy for the liberal "all soldiers are babykillers" senior producers and anchors to muzzle. And they're going to be the guys who in ten, fifteen, twenty, years are going to be sitting in the chairs at Columbia School of Journalism.

And when some snot-nosed spoiled-brat starts prattling about "babykillers" in one of their classes, they'll lean forward with fury on their face and say: "Let me tell you about a hot day in Iraq..."

Will this work on _all_ of them? No. But is it going to shift the balance in the media? You bet your patriotism it is.

[arasina]

Here are two photos of the rescue.

[SirChas]

Don't hold your breath for this story to be seen on ABC-CBS-NBC-CNN news.

[cookcounty]

Oh, I love my 3rd ID medics!

[cookcounty]

These pics were on Chicago Tribs' front page today.

[Diddley]

[2]-I have a son who is a medic with the 1st Cav .

God bless your son. They are all heroes to me.

[Diddley]

[3]-But is it going to shift the balance in the media? You bet your patriotism it is. .

I also believe that it will.

[Diddley]

[4]

Wow. Those photos are amazing. Thanks for posting them.
The soldiers/etc. are doing such an incredible job.

[Diddley]

[5]-Don't hold your breath for this story to be seen on ABC-CBS-NBC-CNN news .

I won’t. Maybe Fox.

[Adrastus]

Now that's what being a real soldier is about.

[Diddley]

[4]

These pictures will sure be the picture of the war for me (or at least one of them).