Boy at War
By: Anthony F
One day in Iraq my mom and I were in Iraq on vacation to see my uncle. I am 19 years old and thinking about going into the army. When I got to see my uncle I got dressed in my pajama’s and went to sleep. I woke up the next morning in an army base some place in Iraq. A man walked in the tent. Who are you, I said. I am Commander Walter Reed. Your mother told us you want to be in the army, said Walter. Yes I dreamed of being in the army. Well son welcome to the US army. Go choose a place to stay here in the base. I walked over to the first tent I saw. Walter came in to my tent. Get your butt down to the training coarse on the double. Yes sir.
I ran as fast as I could to the training course. They had a bunch of targets and weapon’s to use. They told me to pick up the ak-47 and shoot the targets as fast as I can. I shot all the targets under 30 seconds. Then they told me to pick up the throwing knife and throw it at the target. I hit the target right in the head. They also told me to slice a watermelon with the knife. I slit the watermelon in half and left both half’s laying on the floor.
When I was done with training I went to the driving track. Walter told me to get in the humvee and drive around the cones and I hit a couple of them but I passed. Driving that humvee was fun because it had a bunch of guns in it and I got to drive it. I thought I would never get to drive one because I am not that good of driver. Then they told me to hook up a gunner trailer to the truck and go around the cones. It felt like the truck was being held back by a chain on a pole.
I love being in the army but it is some really hard work. Every day you are sweating so much until you are soaked. When people throw flash bangs or smoke bombs the smoke hurts your eyes and the flash bangs pop your ear drums. I would never want to retire from the army. When I get old I will just work in the base instead of at war.
That night while I was sleeping the chief calls everyone in. Wake up wake up there is a war, Chief says! I get up get changed as fast as I could and headed out side. We were fighting Iraq’s Army. One of the Iraq soldiers tried to shoot me on my way to the weapon station. He mist me big time. I jumped in the humvee and drove to the war. My best friend Mark was on top shooting the mini gun. There was an explosion on the back of our car that flipped it. I woke up in the car that is upside down. I was looking for my friend.
It took me a long time to find him but then I herd a scream for help. it was Mark. I asked him if he was all right. No, Mark said many times. I followed his voice then I found him by his mini gun. His body had a lot of third degree burns and his legs were crushed. I called for a helicopter to come and help us but our radios were crushed. There was no help for us.
I went to the back of the car to find a tool to lift the car to free Marks legs. I found a crank used to lift cars to change their wheels. I helped Mark get out and I busted open the back door. I walked most of the way with mark on my back then we found a dead soldier with a radio. I called to the station to send a helicopter to help us.
We sat there for hours waiting for the helicopter. Then I herd a sound in the distant. It was the helicopter. I took out my flare. They saw the flare and came down to pick us up. Mark was laying there on a hospital bed.
I went home to see my parents. My face was all tore up and my mom was so happy that I was ok and wanted to celebrate.