uh , what had happened was we were
going down one of the routes . Uh ,
somebody opened up with an automatic
rifle shot at one of our Humvees . We
then moved into what we call a court
and just basically surround off the
block . And we started searching homes
as we were searching those homes about
halfway through another small bursts of
automatic fire . And then we also got a
well aimed single shot , which most of
us automatically , particularly for
that being a sniper . So after that we
thought we had an idea where the sniper
was . We moved around to that block ,
surrounded that block , but
unfortunately we were wrong and uh ,
the block we surrounded was actually
the one next to it as you're looking at
me , the reason I'm on , that's how the
humvee is . Uh , we thought the threat
was on the opposite side . So I was
outside , I thought so it's gonna be
okay on that side , but unfortunately
it wasn't thanks . Yeah , uh ,
definitely . Unfortunately these guys
don't wear uniforms like we do , they
hide in with the crowd , Like the guy
that shot me , he was hiding inside of
a minivan . I mean you couldn't see
unless you're right next to him . So
unfortunately these guys won't come out
and fight fair , but just got to keep
your guard up and keep your eyes moving .
Hopefully you'll see him before they
see you . Yes ,
that's definitely saved my life . We
were another point inside of it , which
is what I actually stopped around so
long , We're talking today .
Oh yeah , I can't wait . We got uh ,
started packing . So everyone's kind of
got to take that before christmas ,
everyone just getting ready to get out
of here . I was pretty worried about
that . Um what he went at first , like
a couple of nights after I heard it
through the rumor mill that I had been
released . So I was like , man , I
don't even talk to my parents yet . Uh
unfortunately we're waiting for the ,
for a touch of lie down at one of the
lakes in your office and uh tell me
about 4.5 days before I finally got a
hold of them . So I was kind of worried
they got home and there's only like
three or four messages from local media
trying to contact them . So I'm glad I
got ahold of them . They hear my voice
pretty much , that's the only thing I
was worried about my parents getting
worried seeing the video before they
heard from me . Yeah ,
uh a
little nerve wracking at first because
my battalion commander was sitting
there right over my shoulder making
sure that I call them . So I really
didn't , trying to keep it all this
harsh , harsh and hey , I'm fine . I'm
gonna work for the , where I'm fine ,
but I'm not attacking their maybe call ,
I'm like , hey mom , how you doing ?
I'm just gonna start us off . I'm okay .
I don't know if you heard that . I got
shot the other day and I just can't
explain what happened . She got all
nervous and she was worried and I was
like , I'm fine , I'm here talking to
you , so I'm okay . So what I what I
gotta talk to them . They calmed down a
lot . So it's a lot . That was pretty
good after that .
Um Pretty much I'm assuming you've seen
the video as soon as I hit the ground ,
I knew I was hit and uh I was like , oh
man , I got hit , but I'm like , well
it doesn't hurt too fast , I guess I'm
okay . So called back up , got on the
humvee , I'm gonna get on the hunger ,
take a knee and I kind of open up my
back and I'm like , all right , no boy ,
good to go . All right , let's go get
them . No . Uh
we chased the vehicle down , we ended
up having a disabled , they wouldn't
stop for obvious reasons . Uh , one of
the guns on our Humvees uh shot out the
tires on the vehicles so they ended up
bailing out and they went running into
a neighborhood . We chased after them .
Uh , eventually one of our uh , we had
two sessions with us that day , One
section went down the road before they
went down kind of as a blocking force
and we kind of went to the street ,
they went down and trying to push them
towards the other humvee and it
actually worked for the driver , the
driver . Uh just luckily enough was
running , jumped over a fence and
there's our Humvees sitting right there .
So that was the easy nab . And then uh
we're going through the houses and
trying to talk to the families . Hey
have you seen this guy ? Have you seen
this guy ? All the Iraqi people in that
area were extremely helpful . Like oh
yeah , he went this way , he went that
way we ended up finding a blood trail
from the wounds that he would receive ,
follow back through a few homes . And
eventually uh we moved to the opposite
side where we have captured the driver
and start searching those homes . And
at that time the Iraqi army actually
helped us uh they show up and we're
gonna help us search their first house ,
they go in , they search out the house ,
clear it there on the roof and also not
here all this screaming and they're
like all these next door next door . So
myself into the Iraqi soldiers went
outside but excuse me went outside to
the next house and trying to get into
the front yard . We couldn't get into
the gate . So I just grabbed him ,
threw him over the wall , I jumped over
the wall after him . I just ran off
bread and drag him out in the yard ,
had them down and make sure didn't have
anything else on uh we caught them and
finish them up and lock them up and you
want the president after that . Yeah ,
it's part of the job . I'm a medic . Uh
he put down his arms , he's no threat .
I mean there's no excuse not to , it's
what anybody should have done , anybody
would have done . Yeah . Mhm .
Just I want to do is just doing a job
at the time , a medic . So many , it's
my job to make sure they will survive
and plus if he had died , unfortunately ,
you wouldn't have given us any
information so it's better to keep them
wide , see if we can get something out
of them and then just keep them than
having that life expire , then you've
got nothing except for a dead body . So
it's kind of workplace that for that .
Mhm . Mhm . Mhm . Um
changed my life , I don't know about
that . I mean the thing is like if I
see another van , I'm kind of weary
about that , I'm kind of really uh look
at them real tight , like let's make
sure we don't really changes that .
Everybody in my unit , they're all
freaking hey superstar . How you doing
superman and all this other stuff , so
honestly , I can't wait for it all the
fade away and just go back to doing my
job and go home .
Uh No proposals . Yeah , thank
thankfully not going better for that
one , but yeah , I've been getting
emails from all over the world uh made
it on a whole bunch of website ,
something like that . So it's been
really nice everything but everything
supportive saying , hey thanks for
doing what you're doing . And uh we're
just going here , we just want to say
thanks . So everyone has been emailing
us , that's what councils get day to
day over here . A lot of my
sit there , don't worry , I'll be home
soon . Just have a good summer and I'll
see you in a few months . Mm .
Yeah . Uh to be truthful , no , I don't
feel like a hero . I mean I'm a soldier ,
I got shot . I reacted , covered my
lane , we got them turn them in and
that's what we're here to do . Get
insurgents off the street , so I don't
think I'm here . I think I just did my
job . Mhm .
Good talking to , sir .