Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan
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After that, this unbelievable calmness came over me. It’s like God was sitting next to me saying, It’s going to be alright.
The previous ten jumps had always made me so nervous that I couldn’t eat beforehand, consequently I was quite weak. This time though, I was able to eat right before the jump, and I even slept on the plane. When it was almost time to jump, I saw in the faces of the men around me the fear that I once had. But now I had overwhelming confidence that God was going to be there no matter what. God laid his hand on me and I knew it. I didn’t see him, but he calmed my fears just like he calmed the Sea of Galilee with the disciples.
Prayer:
Lord, when I am afraid, calm my heart like you calmed the seas.
“He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” (Matthew 8:26)
Sgt. Taffoya in Kirkuk, Iraq
Sgt. Chrstopher Taffoya at Arlington National Cemetery
December 28
GRENADE ATTACK
Staff Sgt. Christopher Taffoya, U.S. Army, Iraq (2003–2004)
In an instant, everything seemed to stop. I couldn’t hear a thing. Dazed, I looked around and tried to make sense of the silent, bloody scene of confusion around me.
We had been on a foot patrol when an explosion from a grenade attack interrupted our progress. After walking another thirty yards, I looked down and saw that I was walking strangely. The blood on my leg was my own, after all.
Yep, I’ve been hit, was the thought that crossed my mind. For some reason I was about as concerned as I would have been if I had realized I was bleeding from a paper cut. I knew I would be okay, that God hadn’t left my side.
I was taken out of battle at that point and went through five surgeries to remove shrapnel in my calf, ankle, and feet. I couldn’t walk for at least a month since both feet were damaged, but I eventually healed up and talked the doctors into letting me go back into battle before they were planning to release me.
I returned to my guys and was back in the battle on Thanksgiving 2003. It was awesome. While nobody said it out loud, everyone was thankful on that day that I was back. That’s where I belonged. I’m thankful for each little thing that happened in my life in Iraq. As I look back over it, I see where God had his hand. The grenade landed a foot and half from my feet. I’m still here today if that’s not a miracle I don’t know what is.
Sometimes on our spiritual battlefield, we get wounded and end up not wanting to go back into battle, but we have to. We must allow our wounds to heal up with the help of others and get back where we belong wherever it is that God has placed us.
Prayer:
Lord, give me the strength and courage I need to honor you in all my circumstances.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
December 29
OUTNUMBERED
Staff Sgt. Christopher Taffoya, U.S. Army, Iraq (2003–2004)
Kirkuk, the city in Iraq we were to take control of, was not just any city. It stands on the site of the ancient Assyrian capital of Arrapha, and was the battle ground for three empires Assyria, Babylonia, and Media. The ruins of a five thousand-year old citadel are nearby. The history of this place reeked of war, bloodshed, victory, and defeat.
On the day we entered the city in April 2003, thirty thousand Iraqi army soldiers were there to defend it. There were less than one thousand of us.
Being out numbered thirty to one, we knew it would be tough and we’d suffer many casualties. But I was also confident we would win. As we approached the city, I claimed Psalm 91:7 again: “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” We continued to march forward though the odds were not in our favor.
Upon entering the city, however, we were alone. The Iraqi soldiers, all thirty thousand of them, had retreated by the time we arrived. Not one was left. We took the city without incident or injury, and I praised God for his protection once again.
“What are we fighting for, anyway?” I can imagine the Iraqi soldiers asking each other before retreating. They served a tyrant. From the 1991 Gulf War until 2003, the former Iraqi government systematically expelled an estimated 120,000 Kurds, Turkmens, and some Assyrians from Kirkuk and other towns and villages in this oil-rich region. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government resettled Arab families in their place in an attempt to reduce the political power and presence of ethnic minorities. The Iraqi authorities also seized minorities’ property and assets; those who were expelled to areas controlled by Kurdish forces were stripped of all possessions and their ration cards were withdrawn.
The reason why Americans have been as successful as we have in war is that we have something to fight for something worth coming back home to. That’s why I believe we would have held up in battle, even outnumbered as we were. But I’m still glad we didn’t have to.
Prayer:
Lord, give me the courage and strength to march forward into the unknown, knowing you are with me.
“If you make the Most High your dwelling even the LORD, who is my refuge then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.” (Psalm 91:9, 10)
December 30
EXPOSED
Staff Sgt. Christopher Taffoya, U.S. Army, Iraq (2003–2004)
It was one o’clock in the morning when a shot rang out above us. It was the night guard standing watch on the roof of our safe house in the middle of the city, warning us by firing his automatic weapon that our safety was being threatened either by the enemy trying to penetrate the property or attack us from any distance.
In a flash, our entire company of about one hundred and fifty men jumped out of bed, grabbed their weapons, and rushed outside to reinforce whatever was necessary. None of us had any clue what was going on we had just awaken literally seconds ago. All of us were laying down and firing into the darkness. We were still in our pajamas, barefoot, and with no body armor on to protect ourselves. Nothing was between our feet and the rocky ground beneath them. Nothing was between our bare shoulders and the M-4s we steadied against them. And nothing was between our exposed flesh and the enemy fire that was aimed against us.
That night the enemy fired seven rockets at us, each a little bigger than a baseball bat in size. One hit the roof and bounced off and the others didn’t come near us. The Iraqis didn’t have the technology we do that perfects aim, so they shot the rockets off in our direction from unstable launcher pods, just hoping that it would hit something.
When dawn came the next morning, there was nothing left to indicate what sort of casualties we may have inflicted on them. They either ran away or pulled all their men out. I’m sure that with so many of us firing in their direction, they changed their minds and turned tail to dodge the bullets. And none of the pajama-clad warriors were harmed
Prayer:
Lord, give me the confidence to do the right thing, even if I feel vulnerable and exposed while doing it.
“You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” (Psalm 91:5)
December 31
REBUILDING KIRKUK
Staff Sgt. Christopher Taffoya, U.S. Army, Iraq (2003–2004)
This war wasn’t all about firing weapons. In fact, we spent 90 percent of our time not fighting the enemy, but doing reconstruction: fixing the hospitals and schools, reprinting school books, rebuilding streets, securing supplies, training their police force, getting the water and power turned back on. At Christmas time, our families sent toys for us to deliver to the children, and money for the adults so they could heat their homes and cook a little easier.
The children in general loved us, and we loved spending time with them, too. We spoiled the girls a little more than the boys and always gave our candy from our MREs to the girls. That, in itself, was hard for them to understand since females ar
e considered less valuable in that culture.
One day I gave a pack of Skittles® to a little girl, and a little boy snatched the Skittles® out of her hand.
“Give those back to her,” I told him as I grabbed his collar. I knew he didn’t understand English, but after a few tries he got the message.
He looked dumbfounded. What are you doing? I’m a guy, I’m one of you, his eyes seemed to say. But he handed them back to the little girl and looked at me again, this time with an expression of epiphany on his face. It’s like a light went on in his head, as though he were thinking, What if girls are important after all? Maybe we shouldn’t treat them like we do. He walked away very slowly, as if he had a lot of thinking to do after that. I bet that was the first time someone stuck up for females in his life.
I’m sure we affected the children of that country more than we affected people my age and older. Adults are set in their perceptions, but when children saw us caring and giving people dignity, it might have been life-altering. When they grow up, they’ll know Americans aren’t evil; we just want everyone to get along.
Prayer:
Lord, help me be a peacemaker and pursue true reconciliation wherever I go.
“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
Acknowledgments
I consider working on this book as a privilege and an honor. Our interviews with those who have sacrificed for this war have revealed new angles on history-in-the-making, and it’s been an exciting journey. So to those people who have shared your stories with me, I thank you for giving us your unique perspective: Jessica Alley, Joseph Bills, Brian and Melanie Birdwell, Bill Butler, Christopher and Leah Dubree, Oaken Ewens, Stephen Ewens, Carol Pinkerton-Ewens, Gene Fowler, Kevin and Kristin Hamilton, Steve Harrold, Kerri Hartwick, Starlett Henderson, Sara Horn, Daniel and Wendy Gade, John Gessner, Jay Johannigman, Deborah Johns, Tom Joyce, Shane Klein, Benita Koeman, Jason and Sonja Mannarino, Carrie McDonall, Mark Murphy, Joe and Stephanie Olsen, Dave and Vanessa Peters, Jim Powers, Nate Self, Patti Smith, Christopher Taffoya, Donna Tallman, Frank Vozenilek, Mark and Marshele Carter Waddell, Andrea Westfall, and Amanda and Stuart Zeigler.
Sincere thanks and appreciation also go to my family for their support during this project: to my husband Rob for cheerfully watching our young children and settling for frozen dinners many times, to my parents Peter and Pixie Falck, to my aunt Carmen Ingham, and my cousin Carrie Christensen for all their help with childcare so I could focus on meeting deadlines. Thanks also to my neighbors Teresa and Christie Carr for the free babysitting when the pressure was on. My role in this book would not have been possible without you all.
Thanks to my agent David Sanford and Rebekah Clark for suggesting that I participate in this book project, and to God and Country Press/AMG Publishers for giving me the opportunity. To the AMG staff Dan Penwell, Rick Steele, and John Fallahee thank you for having a vision for this book and for bringing it to fruition.
Finally, thanks to my co-authors Jane Hampton Cook and John Croushorn. Together we have been able to produce what no one of us could have accomplished alone. Thanks for your partnership in bringing these stories to the rest of the world. Jocelyn Green
* * *
Not everyone who serves on the battlefield believes they have a book’s worth of insight to share. But many recognize that their experiences changed them or their loved ones so much that they must tell their story, even if what they have to say only fills a few pages. By telling of their experiences, they not only gain a deeper perspective on their own lives but they also encourage others as well.
What I love about this book is that it has given many people who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan or their loved ones the opportunity to share their unique perspective. These men and women have lived loudly for liberty on battlefields marked by extreme challenges while their families made quiet sacrifices back home. Former Washington Post editor Phil Graham once quipped that journalism is the “first draft of history.” These eyewitness accounts are a final draft of journalism and the first pages of history documenting these never-before-told stories.
I want to thank each of you who shared your story with me: Todd Akin, Charles Baldwin, Will Brandon, Mark E. Braswell, Janis Dashner, Mary Ebersole, Mary Bass Gray, Matt Hamrick, Brad Head, Mike Hoyt, Michael Huntley, Gina Elliott Kim, Paul Brian Kim, Debbie Lee, Jim Lively, Amy Malugani, Sean McDougal, Daniel Nichols, Brandon Reid, Greg Rosenmerkel, Rob Thomson, Mark and Sandy Troutman, Robert L. Van Antwerp, and Mary Walker. You have inspired me by your service, courage, and strength.
I also want to express my heartfelt and sincere appreciation to my husband for your never-ending support as I pursue my passion for writing. I’m also grateful to Jonathan Clements and the Nashville Agency for continuing to believe in me as a writer and public speaker. Thanks also to producers of the FOX News Channel for giving me so many opportunities to provide historical insight into current events the past year.
Thanks to the God and Country/AMG staff: to Dan Penwell for acquiring this book, serving as managing editor, and for editing and proofing the book, to Rick Steele for editing and coordinating the publication, and John Fallahee for marketing.
Thanks especially to my co-authors Jocelyn Green and John Croushorn for your hard work and perseverance to make this book what it is a kaleidoscope of faith and courage from those who have served their nation with dignity, respect, and honor. —Jane Hampton Cook
* * *
I have served with heroes, men and women that are larger than life. One would think from portrayals in movies and popular fiction that courage is anchored in bravado. It is not. In my experience it is usually anchored in simple, practical faith that emphasizes others more than self. This project has allowed much of this servant-leadership to be portrayed.
In interviewing those who have served and their families, I found a renewed respect for the cost of our freedom. The dreams and aspirations of great men and women were not merely put on hold but rather sacrificed for a greater cause. Their actions are directly related to their faith. Faith calls men and women to action when freedom is threatened, sometimes in dramatic ways.
Universally those that serve look to their families and friends for the support to withstand the hardship of deployment. It is however those that remain on U.S. soil that have the heavier burden. Sustaining life and home while a part of your family is away is difficult at best. The stress of not knowing what is happening to your loved one, seeing reports of conflict in areas they are known to be in, and at times dealing with the frustrations of a family pulled apart by deployment these are common if not everyday trials these families go through. It is a trial my wife and children know very well. They are true heroes.
I would like to thank each of those who shared stories with me: Brandt Smith, Debbie Lee, Mike Meoli, Jim Phillips, James Maloney, Skip Mahaffee, Rich Carmona, Linda Croushorn, Bradley Macnealy, Joe Wood, Don Richards, David Graves, Rob Garretson, Gary Hensley, Paul Casinelli, and Ted. You and your families have given to this country in ways some will never be able to fully understand. Thank you.
Special thanks go to David Sanford and Rebekah Clark for introducing me to authorship. Their always-encouraging emails sustained me through many long days and nights. Thanks to Dan Penwell, Rick Steele, John Fallahee, and all those on the God and Country/AMG staff for their undying commitment to quality.
My co-authors Jocelyn Green and Jane Hampton Cook deserve special recognition. I am not a natural author, and their encouragement and motivation enabled me to complete this project. Their professionalism and passion appear on every page.
I must also recognize the true hero in my life. She went through the hardship and frustration of deployment, cared for our children and ran our household for what seemed an endless time. Her love and faith have preserved our marriage and enabled me to be the man I am today. Julie is the love of my life, and a true believer in all that is right with this world.
—John Croushorn
Copyright
Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan
Copyright © 2009 by Jane Cook, Jocelyn Green, and John Croushorn
Published by God and Country Press, an imprint of AMG Publishers
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Published in association with the literary agency of Credo Communications, LLC, (www.credocommunications.net)
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Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.