thunder_sti

iTrader: (5)

Heres a short life of this place..Written by a veteran...

........................ "Mortaritaville"............90km NW of baghdad............

"Mom, I'll call you when the mortars stop."

ASK ANY VETERAN HOW LIFE IS AFTER war. Most likely in their own words (and ways) they will tell you, how it imprinted lasting marks on their minds and souls. Some may let you know all the different ways their war never ends. Many will not even to talk about it because they / we feel that nobody would ever understand unless they had been there too. For the people back home... they need to understand that it is most difficult to fathom how things have changed for their returning troops. After all, how can anyone see inside a duffel bag that still goes unpacked? Some troops may never unpack it completely, and we cannot expect them to. The returnees, on the other hand, cannot expect civilians to understand either. Readjustment is a two way street for both civilians and service members alike.

In someways the war in Iraq is much like the war in Vietnam. one of the primary similarities is that there are no fron lines, and you can be attacked at any time-----anywhere. "Mortaritaville"is a classic example of that. Let us give you a brief flavor of what it is like:

The DOD has designated it as a (LSA) Anaconda, but the troops calle it "Mortaritaville". They call it that because it averages more than 50 incomming rocket or mortar attacks monthly, and Americans are routinely wounded or killed by these attacks. Camp Anaconda is a near Balad AB, which is one of the most secure bases that the US has in Iraq and it is big. As of May 2004 Anaconda had 17,000 troops and was 12.5 mioles ina circumference. Similar to the large base camps in vietnam, it is still a war zone- and it is still "downrange".

The 4,000 troops in the 3rd BCT, 4ID, had nine operating bases spread across 1500 sq. miles across Iraq northof baghdad, from samarra to taji.

( The following is a first hand account by an individual soldier at LSA Anaconda.)

"on the night of July 3rd 2003, American Forces were attacked in two seperate incidents at Balad AB. The well coordinated ambushes injured 18 soldiers and left 11 Iraqi fighters dead. the attacks involved typical guerilla weapons such as machine guns and RPG's, as well as a new element- highly accurate mortars that can be fired from as far as 6.5km. In one attack on a highway near Balad, US soldiers were ambushed three times over a spam of 8hours. the guerillas were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, rpg'sand heavy machine guns. Less than 2 hours before the first ambush, four mortars rounds were fired into the grounds of Camp Anaconda.

thunder_sti

iTrader: (5)

^^^^^ continuation^^^^^


A total of 16 US soldiers were wounded in that attack. 2 of them, members of the 4Id, were eveacuated from the area and stabalized. The rest were treated on the spot and released. This was the first instance of a mortar attack against the US troops since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May1, 2003.

And the beat goes on.
This may sound like braking news, but its more than that; Is is a harsh reality lived out by thousands of young americans serving in the war zone today. "Mortaritaville" is not just a big base; it is a perception. Much like bunkers, hootches, and muddy monsoon downpours that became perceptions and icons for us in Vietnam, "Mortaritaville" has a lifelong memory for the troops who served and survive together.

America's involvement in the Iraqi war is not merely a matter of political rightness or wrongness; its also a matter of the price we must once again pay in human lives. For thousands of young people who are fighting, Iraq will live on as a vividly tomorrowas it does today. While trying to stay alive at places like "Mortaritaville" troops think and dream of home and it becomes a revered memory. Thinking of home, and antisipating a safe place to return to, creates a type of solace that is critical in mental well being for those far way...

Several months into a combat tour. It becomes a process of counting days, hours,minutes and seconds until one throws down the tools of war and climbs on a Freedom Bird to return home, where it is safe, clean, and conforting. Knowing that the war will end upon returning home...or so we think....give us peace, however, it doesnt always happen that way.

thunder_sti

iTrader: (5)

^^^cont.^^^

Those who have been "down range" struggled hard to survive just to come back to the world they knew and loved. We expected to start all over again at sq. one, but that is a no longer an option. The first thing returning warriors must realize is that our reintergration back home will never begin at sq. one again. Square one no longer exists for those who have gone to war. Home-the place many of us think is the safe haven to find relief from the stress of war may initially be a let down. When a loved ones asks, "What was it like?", and when you look into their eyes that have not seen what yours have, you suddenly realize home is farther away than you ever imagined.....to be continue...


Written by chuck a Vietnam veteran who also jumped into Lsa anaconda in 2003...

gdogg

iTrader: (38)

Good write up man... My friend who came back from "that area" in 10-05... An IED took out 2 knees and 2 ankles.... Today he is in therapy and crutches, and thank God his legs look promising.... He is in the army btw.




aloha from the summit of *-^-Mauna Kea-^-*

thunder_sti

iTrader: (5)

^^^I'm glad he is recovering.^^^

gpatmac

iTrader: (3)

I lost a friend there. An Infantry HHC company commander. He was sitting at his desk working on his laptop when they took incoming.

thunder_sti

iTrader: (5)

Wow...that sucks....