Sure-Shot
03-16-2004, 06:43 AM
PRINT THIS STORY (http://cfapps.thesunlink.com/printthis/printthis.cfm) LETTERS FROM IRAQ
'We couldn't see who was shooting at us' Spc. Shaun Loun
For The SunMarch 16, 2004 Editor's note: The Sun is publishing an alternating series of letters from Army Spc. Shaun Loun, a 1997 North Kitsap High School graduate, and Anna Bachmann, a Port Townsend human rights worker, who are serving in Iraq.
Ride of my life
It was early one evening, just after dark, and we were returning from Sadr City (the Shiite slum formerly known as Saddam City) in two Humvees. We were heading back into our sector to drop off our platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Barnum, at the power plant we were guarding. In addition to him, it was me, Spc. Duncan, Spc. Dolezal, and Sgt. Devlin in the trail Humvee. Pfc. Laufenberg was standing up and manning the 240 Bravo, the heavy machine gun. Devlin was driving and the others were scattered about the seats, with me sitting in the back pulling rear security. In the lead Humvee was the rest of my squad. Spc. Schingten was driving, with my squad leader, Staff Sgt. Lujan, in the front passenger seat. Pfc. Martin was in the gunner's hatch with his SAW (squad automatic weapon) light machine gun. Cpl. Magana, the other team leader, was in the back seat. As we headed out of Sadr City, I started to notice long bursts of machine gun fire arching up into the air from either side of the street we were on. The tracers shot up like laser beams, bright glowing red and green. Shooting in the air is very common in the city, but this was more than usual. More and more shots were racing into the air, and to me it looked as if the gunfire was chasing us. "Look, there's a lot of shooting going on .... and I swear to God I think it's chasing us," I said, the sound of my voice betraying the fact that I was a little skeptical myself. "Duncan -- check this out, man!" "What the **** ..." Duncan replied, staring back at the strange phenomenon. As we drove down the road, shots would fire shortly after we drove by, off to the side but angled in toward us and heading in our direction. It wasn't a great concern, because the shots weren't any danger to us at the time, but it had an unreal quality to it, and we had no idea what was going on. Adrenaline starts to pump
A few minutes later the shots seemed to die out, and we arrived at the power plant. We dropped off Barnum, and my squad headed out to patrol the city. Not even a quarter mile down the road, gunshots erupted a few blocks away, with hundreds of tracers lighting up the night. We got the call on the radio from Staff Sgt. Lujan that we were going to investigate. Our adrenaline started to pump just a bit as we sped through a neighborhood toward the gunfire. Finally we were close; the shots were just around the next block. People just brazenly firing off hundreds of rounds into the air would not be tolerated. We were about to find out what was going on. The lead Humvee whipped around the corner, and we were close behind. We came screeching to a halt and started to get out. Just then the furious KAK-KAK-KAK-KAK of gunfire erupted around us. We knew there was shooting going on, but we were not prepared for the sudden outburst just feet away. Rounds whizzed and popped as they flew by our heads. Chips of asphalt flew up as some rounds went low and chewed up the road. We were taking heavy fire from at least two different homes. To make matters worse, some other neighbors were firing into the air -- we couldn't see who was shooting at us. The gunfire was loud and seemingly everywhere. Lujan made the decision to exit the area and find a position with better cover. The Humvees sped up the street and around the corner ... and the shooting didn't stop. "What the f--- is going on?" someone yelled -- I'm not sure who. It could have even been me. Shots were streaking by both Humvees as we raced up one of the main roads. The whizzing sound of rounds parting the air and the crack of gunfire was everywhere. Tracers were arching into the sky from seemingly every courtyard and rooftop. 'Can't see who's shooting at us'
If I had to guess I would say there were about 10 to 20 people shooting from every block. Not everyone was shooting at us, but out of every 10 or so one or two were taking advantage of all the fire to attack us. With that much shooting going on, it was nearly impossible to know just who was shooting at us, and who was just shooting in the air. We had no idea what was going on. "Shoot somebody! ... Do you got a shot?" yelled Sgt. Devlin. "I can't see who's shooting at us!" Spc. Duncan yelled back. Everyone else said about the same thing. We were racing down the road doing about 60 mph, and it seemed like all of Baghdad just decided to light us up or something. It was unreal. Time seemed to slow down. I scanned all around as the Humvee flew down the street. Rather than being frightened or excited, a quiet calm descended on me. It was slow motion. People were trying to kill us. And I was hoping to get one of them in my sights. As we raced around the traffic circle next to our destination, the power plant, three men ran towards the lead Humvee and opened fire with AKs. Pfc. Martin saw the threat and calmly swung around and opened up with his machine gun. Schingten fired his M-4 out of the driver's side door. A wall of lead tore through the three men, and they dropped like sacks. They were no longer a threat. At about the same time Martin was dispatching the men in the street, Duncan and I saw the burst of a muzzle flash as someone shot at us from a rooftop. Finally, I thought. Finally we had seen one of our attackers. I was facing backwards up on one knee as I flipped my safety off and opened fire. At the same instant Duncan opened up with his light machine gun. I watched as tracers leapt out of my rifle and seared into the exact spot the fire was coming from. Duncan's shots were in the same spot. The fire from the rooftop stopped. Gunfire continued all around but we saw no one else that we could say for sure was shooting at us in the time it took to come screeching into the power plant. All of Baghdad erupts
We all jumped out and checked each other for bullet holes. The adrenaline was so great and the whole thing so surreal, we weren't sure if any of us had been hit or not. The guys in the lead Humvee thought some of us were dead for sure. At that time we had no idea they had even shot any rounds from the lead Humvee. It was the wildest ride of my life. If you've never experienced something like it, there just isn't any way to properly explain. We were riding on the edge of life or death. Luckily, all of us were all right. The gunshots continues all around the power plant -- and in fact all around the city. We still had no idea what was happening. We moved to the roof and got behind some cover. Someone across the street shot at the roof. Three different weapons opened up on him, and there was no more shots at us and the power plant. All of Baghdad seemed to be out and shooting into the air. Flares and even fireworks exploded all around. Sgt. 1st Class Barnum called up to the roof. They just announced it. Gen. Sanchez announced that Uday and Qusay have been killed. The Iraqis are celebrating. The public had gotten the word before we had. Saddam's sons had been killed and the Iraqis were ecstatic. But some of the Iraqi people had taken advantage of all the firing to take some free shots at the Americans. It wasn't just us -- it happened all over Baghdad. Most took their shots, and like they hoped, had no repercussions. A few who shot at us paid the ultimate price for their stupidity. It was five minutes that seemed to take an hour. It was a defining moment in my life -- a ride I will never forget. I later read in a paper that over 70 Iraqis were killed from falling rounds that night, and hundreds were injured. I don't think I've ever seen a fireworks show like that in my life. Those who were there know what I'm talking about. For those who weren't there, be happy that was a show that you missed.
'We couldn't see who was shooting at us' Spc. Shaun Loun
For The SunMarch 16, 2004 Editor's note: The Sun is publishing an alternating series of letters from Army Spc. Shaun Loun, a 1997 North Kitsap High School graduate, and Anna Bachmann, a Port Townsend human rights worker, who are serving in Iraq.
Ride of my life
It was early one evening, just after dark, and we were returning from Sadr City (the Shiite slum formerly known as Saddam City) in two Humvees. We were heading back into our sector to drop off our platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Barnum, at the power plant we were guarding. In addition to him, it was me, Spc. Duncan, Spc. Dolezal, and Sgt. Devlin in the trail Humvee. Pfc. Laufenberg was standing up and manning the 240 Bravo, the heavy machine gun. Devlin was driving and the others were scattered about the seats, with me sitting in the back pulling rear security. In the lead Humvee was the rest of my squad. Spc. Schingten was driving, with my squad leader, Staff Sgt. Lujan, in the front passenger seat. Pfc. Martin was in the gunner's hatch with his SAW (squad automatic weapon) light machine gun. Cpl. Magana, the other team leader, was in the back seat. As we headed out of Sadr City, I started to notice long bursts of machine gun fire arching up into the air from either side of the street we were on. The tracers shot up like laser beams, bright glowing red and green. Shooting in the air is very common in the city, but this was more than usual. More and more shots were racing into the air, and to me it looked as if the gunfire was chasing us. "Look, there's a lot of shooting going on .... and I swear to God I think it's chasing us," I said, the sound of my voice betraying the fact that I was a little skeptical myself. "Duncan -- check this out, man!" "What the **** ..." Duncan replied, staring back at the strange phenomenon. As we drove down the road, shots would fire shortly after we drove by, off to the side but angled in toward us and heading in our direction. It wasn't a great concern, because the shots weren't any danger to us at the time, but it had an unreal quality to it, and we had no idea what was going on. Adrenaline starts to pump
A few minutes later the shots seemed to die out, and we arrived at the power plant. We dropped off Barnum, and my squad headed out to patrol the city. Not even a quarter mile down the road, gunshots erupted a few blocks away, with hundreds of tracers lighting up the night. We got the call on the radio from Staff Sgt. Lujan that we were going to investigate. Our adrenaline started to pump just a bit as we sped through a neighborhood toward the gunfire. Finally we were close; the shots were just around the next block. People just brazenly firing off hundreds of rounds into the air would not be tolerated. We were about to find out what was going on. The lead Humvee whipped around the corner, and we were close behind. We came screeching to a halt and started to get out. Just then the furious KAK-KAK-KAK-KAK of gunfire erupted around us. We knew there was shooting going on, but we were not prepared for the sudden outburst just feet away. Rounds whizzed and popped as they flew by our heads. Chips of asphalt flew up as some rounds went low and chewed up the road. We were taking heavy fire from at least two different homes. To make matters worse, some other neighbors were firing into the air -- we couldn't see who was shooting at us. The gunfire was loud and seemingly everywhere. Lujan made the decision to exit the area and find a position with better cover. The Humvees sped up the street and around the corner ... and the shooting didn't stop. "What the f--- is going on?" someone yelled -- I'm not sure who. It could have even been me. Shots were streaking by both Humvees as we raced up one of the main roads. The whizzing sound of rounds parting the air and the crack of gunfire was everywhere. Tracers were arching into the sky from seemingly every courtyard and rooftop. 'Can't see who's shooting at us'
If I had to guess I would say there were about 10 to 20 people shooting from every block. Not everyone was shooting at us, but out of every 10 or so one or two were taking advantage of all the fire to attack us. With that much shooting going on, it was nearly impossible to know just who was shooting at us, and who was just shooting in the air. We had no idea what was going on. "Shoot somebody! ... Do you got a shot?" yelled Sgt. Devlin. "I can't see who's shooting at us!" Spc. Duncan yelled back. Everyone else said about the same thing. We were racing down the road doing about 60 mph, and it seemed like all of Baghdad just decided to light us up or something. It was unreal. Time seemed to slow down. I scanned all around as the Humvee flew down the street. Rather than being frightened or excited, a quiet calm descended on me. It was slow motion. People were trying to kill us. And I was hoping to get one of them in my sights. As we raced around the traffic circle next to our destination, the power plant, three men ran towards the lead Humvee and opened fire with AKs. Pfc. Martin saw the threat and calmly swung around and opened up with his machine gun. Schingten fired his M-4 out of the driver's side door. A wall of lead tore through the three men, and they dropped like sacks. They were no longer a threat. At about the same time Martin was dispatching the men in the street, Duncan and I saw the burst of a muzzle flash as someone shot at us from a rooftop. Finally, I thought. Finally we had seen one of our attackers. I was facing backwards up on one knee as I flipped my safety off and opened fire. At the same instant Duncan opened up with his light machine gun. I watched as tracers leapt out of my rifle and seared into the exact spot the fire was coming from. Duncan's shots were in the same spot. The fire from the rooftop stopped. Gunfire continued all around but we saw no one else that we could say for sure was shooting at us in the time it took to come screeching into the power plant. All of Baghdad erupts
We all jumped out and checked each other for bullet holes. The adrenaline was so great and the whole thing so surreal, we weren't sure if any of us had been hit or not. The guys in the lead Humvee thought some of us were dead for sure. At that time we had no idea they had even shot any rounds from the lead Humvee. It was the wildest ride of my life. If you've never experienced something like it, there just isn't any way to properly explain. We were riding on the edge of life or death. Luckily, all of us were all right. The gunshots continues all around the power plant -- and in fact all around the city. We still had no idea what was happening. We moved to the roof and got behind some cover. Someone across the street shot at the roof. Three different weapons opened up on him, and there was no more shots at us and the power plant. All of Baghdad seemed to be out and shooting into the air. Flares and even fireworks exploded all around. Sgt. 1st Class Barnum called up to the roof. They just announced it. Gen. Sanchez announced that Uday and Qusay have been killed. The Iraqis are celebrating. The public had gotten the word before we had. Saddam's sons had been killed and the Iraqis were ecstatic. But some of the Iraqi people had taken advantage of all the firing to take some free shots at the Americans. It wasn't just us -- it happened all over Baghdad. Most took their shots, and like they hoped, had no repercussions. A few who shot at us paid the ultimate price for their stupidity. It was five minutes that seemed to take an hour. It was a defining moment in my life -- a ride I will never forget. I later read in a paper that over 70 Iraqis were killed from falling rounds that night, and hundreds were injured. I don't think I've ever seen a fireworks show like that in my life. Those who were there know what I'm talking about. For those who weren't there, be happy that was a show that you missed.