My Men are My Heroes

by Nathaniel R. Helms

  As combat is inherently dangerous to everyone involved, I believe in leading from the front and placing myself in the same danger and hardship as even the most junior troops when the situation allows. This enables me to keep things in perspective and never forget what they’re experiencing and to learn more about my Marines and provide them with reassurance. Having your Marines see you endure the same conditions as they are will lift their spirits in even the hardest of times. I enjoyed time with any Marines, and I figured I could lead by a radio farther back or I could lead by a radio with my Marines.

  As a senior Marine leader I was also cautious not to get too involved. I wasn’t there to run the squad, platoon, or section. I was there to be with my Marines. So I would become just another rifleman and let the team leader do his job. Afterward when we returned from a mission, I would then pull the young leader aside—separate from his Marines—and give him any input I had. It was also important to be consistent in going out even during the late night or on seemingly boring missions, not just the high-profile ones. In doing so the Marines welcomed my presence and the subordinate leaders never felt threatened or as if they were being overly supervised. Although I was involved in countless large-scale combat operations at the company and battalion level, it was the opportunity to go out on these smaller missions, led by a young staff sergeant or other NCO, that I enjoyed the most. I will never forget the young Marines I served with in Weapons Co. I was blessed with SNCOs such as Staff Sergeants Mortimer, Fox, Lopez, and Viklund and Gunnery Sergeants Wade and Christiansen who made my job as a first sergeant easy.

  Leading from the front does have its risks, however. The day I was wounded I certainly didn’t start out thinking I should kick in a door and engage practically hand-to-hand with the enemy. However as I was with my Marines going street by street and house by house, upon learning that wounded Marines were trapped inside a building with terrorists, I knew every second counted. So several other Marines and I charged forward rather than waiting for someone else. To this day many consider it a miracle that I lived after the severe blood loss and trauma caused by seven gunshot wounds and several dozen shrapnel wounds. I simply see it as just the love for a fellow Marine and a little bit of toughness and stubbornness

  Throughout this entire ordeal from the time of being wounded until I was medically evacuated close to an hour later, and despite the multiple wounds and loss of blood, I never lost consciousness or quit my post while guarding that doorway. While some may call this heroic, I just call it loyalty. It was because I loved the Marine next to me that I was determined to do anything it took to keep him alive, even at my own risk. He would have done the same for me. It’s called being a Marine—we’re all brothers and a family.

  Many times since my injuries occurred people have labeled me a hero. I beg to differ—I believe the true heroes that day were Sergeant Robert Mitchell, Corporal Schaeffer and Corporal Marquez, Private Justin Boswood, and the men of Kilo 3/1 and Weapons Co., 1st CAAT section, who fought to get us all out of the building now called the “House of Hell.” I will be forever indebted to these fine professionals.

  The word “valor” is often used to describe the actions of many of these Marines. And it is commonly understood to mean “extreme courage.” But valor is more than the extreme courage of a single individual. It does take courage to do a valorous act, but that courage is made possible by camaraderie and esprit de corps—of not wanting to leave their fellow man behind. I watched young men do amazing things in order to protect the man next to them. For example, Sergeant Mitchell voluntarily trapped himself inside the same room as myself and Lance Corporal Nicoll. Lance Corporal Marquez and Lance Corporal Schaeffer, the two young Marines who carried me out of the house, ran into the room without their weapons, leaving themselves defenseless so they could have their hands free to carry me out. That showed how much trust they had in the Marines who were covering them.

  After seeing many news reports on what is currently happening overseas, I decided to have this book written and tell this story I remember once while out on patrol we had an embedded reporter from the New York Times along with us. I asked the reporter why his newspaper didn’t report the complete story and all the positive things going on over there. And he replied, “I see it, but my editor only wants to hear about deaths and disasters. Helping the Iraqi people doesn’t sell papers.”

  The biased media have made an impression on the American citizens and the terrorists themselves. Every time the media give airtime to a protestor, it gives another victory to the terrorists rather than to the protestors. And people believe what they read in the paper because it is all the information they have to go on. One time while I was at dinner with a few friends a lady approached me and asked what happened to my leg. At that point I looked like something out of a horror movie and was in a wheelchair. At first she was very concerned. But as soon as I told her I was in the military and injured overseas, she began to go into a long antimilitary tirade about how we don’t need a military, and how there’s never a reason for a war, and all the service members are dying unnecessarily. Biting back my anger for all the fine men who gave the ultimate sacrifice that she just dishonored, I simply replied with “Ma’am, you’re very welcome; I’m sure what you meant to say was ‘thank you’ to myself and all the other service members who have made sacrifices to give you the freedom to openly make whatever statement you desire.”

  I’ll be the first to say, as I’ve seen it numerous times firsthand, that war is an ugly thing. But sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in. We are facing a worldwide enemy who has only one agenda: the complete annihilation of the American way of life. And that enemy will stop at nothing short of that goal.

  Freedom has never come free. Whatever your beliefs or political stance, our young service members of all branches are performing remarkably and making a difference. In Iraq combat was only a small part of our overall role. Military service members performed countless humanitarian projects ranging from large-scale items—such as building new schools, hospitals, and community services—to everyday things as small as handing out candy and pencils to children or helping a farmer with a flat tire.

  These valiant young men are helping to bring freedom to a country that was previously without it. They are constantly facing the dangers of IEDs, suicide bombers, and ambushes while they capture or kill terrorists who have no regard for human life.

  Many people are amazed that I wish to return overseas as soon as I’m healthy again. But serving my country is where my heart is. It is my wish that the American media would show the true and complete story of what is really going on overseas and tell the story of how our service members are performing selfless acts of heroism and helping to bring freedom and a better way of life to a country.

  During OIF 1 General Mattis wrote, “A U.S. Marine—no better friend, no worse enemy.” I strongly believe in those words and would tell my young Marines to be the most fearsome warriors the enemy has ever faced, but when given the chance and without compromising security, to show compassion for the Iraqi people and their children. The future of Iraq was in those children. I would tell my Marines to kill an enemy and make a friend every day.

  So as this book is written, I pray the words can be found to do proper honor to describe the many men with whom I’ve served. I think we all can learn from these young men who wear the uniform of a Marine. We label a basketball player who sinks a last-second shot or a football player who scores the game-winning touchdown a hero. But the true heroes are serving overseas. We watch politicians argue for political gain and our streets escalate in violence. Meanwhile service members have learned to put aside differences such as race, religion, ethnic backgrounds, and social status to serve together in defense of this great country.

  To all Marines and sailors, past and present, and especially to the men of the Thundering Third, continue to kick ass, and you will forever be a part of this old warrior’s spirit and heart.

  Brad Kasalr />
  GLOSSARY

  AAV—Amphibious assault vehicle

  ACR—Armored Cavalry Regiment (U.S.A.)

  AC-130H—U.S. Air Force “Spectre”

  gunship used at night over Iraq to interdict insurgent forces

  AEV—Armored engineer vehicle

  AFV—Armored fighting vehicle

  AH—Attack helicopter

  AH-1J “Cobra” Attack Helicopter—The initial Marine AH-Is were Army G models modified only with Navy-compatible radios, Marine green paint, and a rotor brake for shipboard operations. Later Marine models such as the twin-engined AH-1J were specifically designed for Marine aviation requirements.

  AK-47—7.62mm Russian-designed assault rifle used by insurgents

  Amph—Amphibious

  ANGLICO—Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company

  AO—Area of operations

  Armorer—Someone who works on weapons and in the armory

  Arty—Artillery

  ARV—Armored reconnaissance vehicle

  ASAP—As soon as possible

  “Aye, aye”—Acknowledgment of an order

  Barracks—Building where single Marines live or a duty station where they serve

  BAS—Battalion Aid Station

  BDA—Bomb damage assessment; given to fixed-wing pilot by airborne AO at end of air-to ground-support mission

  BDE—Abbreviation for a U.S. Army brigade

  BLT—Battalion Landing Team; main body of infantrymen that make up an MEU

  Blues—Dress blue formal uniform

  BN—Battalion

  Booby trap—Military slang for any of a huge variety of explosive devices, often homemade, hidden and designed to kill or wound unsuspecting Marine upon hitting a tripwire or other triggering device

  Boondocks—Swamps, small towns, middle of nowhere; also called boonies

  Boot—A brand-new Marine

  Boot camp—Marine Corps basic training

  Boot mistake—Rookie mistake

  Brass—Senior officers

  Butterbar—A second lieutenant; refers to the gold rank insignia

  CAAT—Combined Anti-Armor Team Platoon

  CASEVACs—Casualty evacuations via helicopter for Marines in need of urgent medical care

  Casualty—Any person who is lost to the organization by reasons of having been declared dead, missing, captured, interned, wounded, injured, or seriously ill

  CG—Commanding General

  CH-46 “Sea Knight”—A twin gas turbine-powered medium helicopter that replaced the CH-53A

  CH-53D “Sea Stallion”—A twin gas turbine-powered heavy helicopter for the retrieval of downed aircraft, as well as the movement of heavy and large equipment such as trucks and artillery. The CH-53D was the improved version with more powerful engines.

  Civilian—Anyone not in the military

  CMC—Commandant of the Marine Corps

  CO—Commanding Officer

  COC—Command Operations Center

  Colors—American flag; also the ceremonies of raising and lowering the flag

  Combat stack—A closed-up formation used by assaulting infantrymen to enter buildings and other dangerous areas

  Comm(s)—Communications

  Corpsman—Navy medic who serves with Marines; also called “doc”

  CP—Command Post in the field

  CPO—Chief Petty Officer in U.S. Navy

  CWO—Chief Warrant Officer; also called Warrant Officers in all branches of service

  Deck—Floor

  Dependent—Legal term used for a person receiving all or a portion of necessary financial support from a service member; alternative term is family member

  Deployment—Date/time when a Marine’s unit departs home base for an extended period of time, which can be weeks or months depending on the mission

  Detachment—Group of Marines from one unit assigned to another unit

  DI—Drill instructor

  DIV—Division

  DOD—Department of Defense

  Doggie—Slang for U.S. Army soldier

  Dragon Eye—A $10,000 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying camera that feeds live pictures back to the COC in real time

  FAC—Forward air controller

  FAST—Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team

  First Sergeant—Term used for the senior enlisted member of some units; also a rank (see Officer Ranks chart)

  Float—Deployment at sea (as in “a six-month float”) usually on an MEU

  FMF—Fleet Marine Force

  FMFPAC—Fleet Marine Force Pacific

  FOB—Forward Operating Base

  FOC—Forward Operations Center

  FTX—Field Training Exercise that provides an opportunity for a unit to practice away from the home station

  GBU-43/B—Massive ordnance air blast bomb (MOAB); a 21,000-pound GPS-guided bomb nicknamed the “Mother of All Bombs”

  GPS—Global positioning satellite

  Gung ho—Ready, fired up, enthusiastic

  Hatch—Door

  Head—Bathroom

  HESCO—Name of the manufacturer that was adopted as the generic name for a prefabricated, multicellular defense system made of galvanized steel mesh and lined with nonwoven polypropylene bags filled with sand

  HML—Marine Light Helicopter Squadron; the H means helicopter, the M means Marine, the L means light

  HMM—Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron; the first H means helicopter, the first M means Marine, the second M means medium. Three numbers following these letters usually identify the original parent Marine Aircraft Group and the sequence in which the squadron was first commissioned

  HMMWV—High mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle that replaced the Jeep; pronounced and often spelled “Humvee”

  Hump—Field march

  IED—Improvised explosive device

  Ilazarov frame—An external medical stabilizing device made from eight series of circular rings and pins that go around and into the leg

  ITBn—Infantry Training Battalion

  Javelin—A man-portable, fire-and-forget antitank missile employed by dismounted Marine infantry to defeat current- and future-threat armored combat vehicles

  KIA—Killed in action

  Ladder well—Stairway

  LAV—Light armored vehicle

  Leave—Vacation time

  LPD—Landing platform dock; a Navy amphibious ship capable of supporting and operating a small number of helicopters for an extended period of time

  LPH—Landing platform helicopter; a Navy amphibious ship capable of supporting and operating a squadron of helicopters for an extended period of time, as well as transporting and off-loading a battalion of Marines

  LST—Landing ship, tank

  LZ—Landing zone; an unimproved site where helicopters land in the performance of their assigned missions

  M1A1 Abrams—60-ton U.S. main battle tank

  M2A1 and M3A1—Bradley fighting vehicle systems (BFVS); tracked armored personnel carriers that replaced the M-113

  M2—Browning .50 caliber beltfed heavy machine gun

  M9—Beretta 9mm pistol; designated sidearm of U.S. military that replaced the M1911 .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol

  M16A2—5.56mm basic Marine weapon

  M40A1—7.62mm Remington sniper rifle used by USMC snipers in Iraq

  M60—Belt-fed automatic weapon

  M-113—Vietnam-era tracked armored personnel carrier

  M203—40mm grenade launcher that mounts on an M-16 assault rifle

  M240G—Medium machine gun; a belt-fed automatic weapon that replaced the M60

  MAG—Marine Air Group

  MARDIV—Marine Division

  Mark-19—U.S.-made 40mm automatic grenade launcher

  MAW—Marine Air Wing

  MCRD—Marine Corps Recruit Depot

  MEB—Marine Expeditionary Brigade

  MEF—Marine Expeditionary Force

  MEU—Marine Expeditionary Unit; group of Marines organized for a float that is de
signated a Special Operations Capable Marine Expeditionary Unit

  MIA—Missing in action

  MOPP—Mission-oriented protective posture suits designed to protect against gas, biological, and chemical agents

  MOS—Military Occupational Specialty; a combination of numbers and letters that identifies a Marine Corps member’s specific military skill. Infantry MOS designators include:

  0311 Rifleman

  0331 Machinegunner

  0341 Mortarman

  0351 Assaultman

  0352 Antitank Guided Missileman

  MOUT—Military Operations on Urban Terrain warfare training

  MP—Military Police

  NCO—Noncommissioned Officer

  NCOIC—Noncommissioned Officer in Charge

  NH—Naval Hospital

  NHCP—Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton

  NRMC—Naval Regional Medical Center

  OEF—Operation Enduring Freedom combat operation in Afghanistan

  OIC—Officer in Charge

  OIF—Operation Iraqi Freedom combat operations in Iraq

  OJT—On-the-job training

  OOD—Officer of the day

  Op Tempo—Operational Tempo; how frequently a unit deploys or goes to the field

  Ops—Short for operations

  PCS—Permanent change of station; moving to another base

  PFT—Physical fitness test

  PKC—7.62mm belt-fed, Russian-designed light machine gun favored by insurgents

  PL—Phase Line; an imaginary line on a map used to designate a geographical place

  Psyops—Psychological operations

  PT—Physical training

  PX—Post exchange (same as MCX)