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TO THE
GATES OF HELL FOR “IRAQI FREEDOM” -- A Journey of an American Soldier in
To the reader: This is not a historical account but a narrative
reflection of what an American soldier could have experienced in the
battlefield and of what he could have gone through physically, emotionally,
and spiritually at the onset of the war in Dedication: I dedicate this writing to the soldiers who
have gone into battle and to their families who have anxiously waited for
their return; to the first, for their selfless service and sacrifice, and to
the second, for their steadfast support for our troops. With my deepest
gratitude. © By Joel Balam de Escalante I am an American soldier under orders. I am proudly serving my country. I was sent to war to fight against terror… to fight for Iraqi freedom. I came with the first ground troops that crossed into I’ve been very anxious and afraid since the war started. Yes, I’m afraid of not making it through this war. Our troops have been moving…advancing in hostile territory, For several days I’ve been riding in a Humvee behind armored vehicles Without engaging the enemy, without firing a single round. Our unit is carrying heavy equipment…guns, ammunition, supplies… Several days have passed, and we continue moving forward. It’s been an extremely hot day, and we are now moving at a slower pace. It was already night when our commanding officer ordered us to stop the march. Everything was rather quiet around us…and no enemy insight. But suddenly, about And bullets whistling, and rocket-propelled grenades flying through the air… I saw a bomb falling on one of our vehicles and how it was blown up to pieces. Oh God…please help us…! Oh God, please come to our rescue...! We ran for cover or hit the ground...There was fear and terror in our camp… We, then, took our positions as best we could…we countered attack… By daybreak, we began to gather our wounded… twelve in all, And two dead…two of our soldiers killed by the damned enemy fire. It doesn’t matter how much our commanders know about war strategies, It doesn’t matter how well they lay out the battle plans... There’s always the element of surprise…the element of death… When we least expect it, the enemy comes, as it came last night, And disrupts any well-trained army and destroys any combat-ready unit. Fear! Fear! I must overcome this fear… Oh Lord, give strength, Oh Lord, give me courage…and help me to fear no evil. War! War! Damned war! What is war? Who invented it? Whoever invented war invented Hell! Yes, Hell! Why do we have to fight? Why do we have to kill or be killed? Oh God of Mercy, please don’t let me lose my mind. Sometimes I think I’m not going to be able to get out of here… But then I think of my family and of their prayer support for me and our troops, I also think about my own prayers, and that gives me encouragement and hope. Last night, I thought about the question my friends asked me before I left home… My answer… no regrets for having made the decision to join the Army. I enlisted because I wanted to serve my country, I enlisted because I wanted to fight against terrorism, I enlisted because I wanted to help the people of To help them be free from the sword of tyranny
and the dagger of terror. So here I am in harm’s way… deep into the war zone. Since our troops started out on this dangerous mission, We have encountered many difficulties, including a surprise attack. We are now in the midst of this hostile desert land. And we must depend on our supply line for survival. Every step must be taken with caution…There’s no turning back. Each step brings us closer to the enemy and closer to the
“Gates of Hell”. We are now standing under the sweltering sun. The weather is changing… it’s threatening…it’s getting worse. A strong sandstorm is heading our way, and we must be prepared to face it. I’ve heard that desert storms come suddenly and without warning. I’ve never been through a desert sandstorm before. But I guess there’s always a first-time for everything… The much dreaded sandstorm is here now! I see it rising as a “gigantic yellowish curtain”. The wind is blowing very hard. It’s bearing down on us, And the drifting sand is going to bury us alive! The swirling desert sand is surrounding us. It’s stalling our vehicles, It’s cramming our weapons, it’s making us stumble, it’s making us fall. We are struggling to stay the course, to keep the pace. We are tired and hungry, but we must keep moving, We are getting blinded by the terrible sand… We are losing strength, we are growing weak… We can’t see the road…we can only hear the sandstorm. We’ve been ordered to halt the march…we must rest… It’s getting dark…the night has fallen on our camp… We are now at the expense of the elements…and the enemy. I hear the wind, it sounds like a thousand thunders, I hear its echo, it sounds like a thousand roaring lions. We’ve been working hard throughout the night… The sandstorm has become our enemy, and we must fight it… We must keep our weapons clean and ready. If the real enemy comes tonight, they might overrun our forces. We’ve been encamped here for three days and three nights, But it seems that we’ve been here for a thousand and one night. It’s daytime but we can’t see the sun, we only feel the desert heat, It’s nighttime but we can’t see the moon, we only hear the blustering wind. Our army has been paralyzed by the storm…we’ve had no relief. I wonder what’s awaiting us out there…at the end of this road. Why should we continue fighting the storm? Is there a reason for being here on this path of destruction? Is there a reason for risking our lives? The storm has died down, and we’ve been ordered to march onward. We’re getting anxious…but we keep advancing on this dusty road, Why should we continue pressing forward? Why should we continue going without sleep or rest? I wonder what side God is on…Would He hear our prayers? Would He be able to see us through the thick clouds of sand? Would He help us reach our destination? Will He give us the victory over our enemy? Will He be with us as He was with Hagar in the moment of despair? Will He help us as He helped Joshua in the battle against the Amorites? I came to this distant land to fight for freedom I came to this foreign country to save innocent civilian lives, And rescue them from the sword of tyranny and the dagger
of terror. I came willingly to fight for the cause of freedom. If I perish in the midst of this desolate place without having saved a single life, Of what value would my death be? If I die in the midst of this miserable desert without having completed my mission, Of what value would my efforts be? I believe in freedom. I believe in the
glorious light of freedom. I will protect it, I will defend it, I will preserve it, I know what I have come here to do… I am determined to fight hard…to go the distance…to sacrifice… I will do whatever is necessary to defend the cause of freedom, I will not falter, I will not fail, I will prevail. But if I don’t make it out of this miserable desert alive, I want the world to know that I have done my part, I want my country to know that I have kept the Sacred Pledge, I want my fellow soldiers to know that I have tried my best, I want my God to know that I have kept the Faith, I hope they all will find me worthy of my service… And worthy of having made the ultimate sacrifice For the everlasting light of freedom. |
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