thedrifter
11-13-06, 10:35 AM
Marines Sniper Team Dodges Bullet
Gut Feeling
It’s August 3rd, this year, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines sniper unit relieves another somewhere in Iraq. Scuttlebutt is the preceding team may have strayed from standard sniper protocols and Team Chief Ssgt. Michael Mendoza of Tinely Park, Illinois, has an uneasy feeling. He feels the position has been compromised. He radios his captain and requests immediate relocation. Denied- tomorrow maybe. Uneasy feeling now turns to uneasy and ****ed.
Two hours later the clank of steel bouncing into the sniper hide startles the team to action. Mendoza said prior to this, he’d never actually heard the sound of a grenade bouncing on the cement about 10 feet away from he and his men, but nevertheless, there was no question what it was, "Grenade!" he yelled as he thrust his body in a direction opposite that of the grenade.
Training takes over amidst the chaos, Mendoza explains. Despite the kill zone of such a device being 10 meters, his Marines are OK. He radios his position for medi-vac and has his men secure the area. Mendoza suffered the most severe injuries on the site, another Marine took some shrapnel to the hind flanks and SSgt. Mendoza’s pack took the brunt of the blast. Luck, training, preparation,destiny- call it what you want, they are alive and ready to fight another day. He said it was something his Marines would discuss from time to time when presenting scenarios. "What if this happens, what if that happens?" It’s what Marines do and it works. The only aspect that went south was the verbal brevity codes they’d developed in such an event. "Grenade" was the only word that came to mind.
From his hospital bed, sometime later he would hear that two enemy were taken out in the area. He’ll believe it when he sees the After Action Report (AAR), available once his unit returns early next year. He submitted his version of the incident, complete with the denial to relocate, while he was convalescing.
He said there was bitterness, that has since lost it’s edge, mainly about the denial. The original stewing inside him had to see the face of the officer that had issued the denial and the close proximity that decision might easily have led to his six month old son being raised by a single mother. A Marine widow. The what ifs and second guessing soon took a back seat when he was able to hold his wife and son again.
On this day, the birthday of the Marine Corps, Mendoza is at his home in Tinely Park awaiting results from a post-fever exam prior to returning to his unit. There were some irregularities detected in blood and liver tests. Waiting… something Marines do as well as, or better, than the rest of us. In this case, if things don’t improve within two weeks- the window closes; not financially feasible. On the other hand, if the results prove positive, it’s a commercial flight to Kuwait, a hop to Baghdad and a jump back to the 2-8. If it’s me I’m hoping for a negative result like a teenage girl at the free clinic. Not Mendoza. He’s looking forward to getting back to finish his assignment.
If you’re from the Chicago area you may have seen Michael Mendoza on the news recently. He received his Purple Heart during halftime of a Bears game. Quite a thrill for a lifetime resident. I thought that might have been his greatest sports thrill but being a bigger White Sox fan than a Bears fan, he was able to see not one, but two World Series games last year when the Sox won it all. It's beyond luck, he’s 19th on the USO’s calling list as they attempt to contact local servicemen and offer the tickets free of charge. Imagine that caller, "Would you like free tickets to the World Series? Oh, in Iraq- OK thanks, next..."
Mike and I first met two years ago in Memphis where he insulted my choice of eyewear before we’d spoken a word. "Who’s High Speed glasses are these?" he said as he sat in the back of the rental car. They were mine and they were Ray-Bans. Maybe twenty years out of style but functional. We were there to honor Capt. Morel as his family accepted his Navy Cross award posthumously. When hearing he was from Chicago I asked if he was a Cubs fan. We were now even for the High Speed remark. Mendoza, my brother and Capt. Morel were all in 1st Recon together. In fact, my brother wrote the Silver Star award that Mike received when attempting to save the Captain.
Being an experienced scenario builder Mendoza had to have asked himself, Would Capt. Morel have denied my request? What if the grenade bounced closer to me-would I have dove on it? Would my kid grow up to be a Cubs fan if I hadn’t made it? All hard questions that have to be asked.
Mike is on his second and last enlistment. April ’07 and out. He tested for a few law enforcement jobs and the results were in his favor but may look elsewhere when he crosses back into the civilian sector. Becoming an Ironworker is also a definite maybe, possibly back to school to become a teacher as his wife is.
Mike told me a story as we spoke by telephone about stopping by a local VFW for a Korean Veteran event and staying way longer than expected having no recollection of a bar tab the following morning. It tuned out he was wearing a sniper t-shirt that he designed and was marketing as a side gig sort of thing. Someone asked about the shirt and before the night was over everyone in the tavern purchased one. It’s a rare day when a serviceman spends the evening in such an establishment and wakes with more money than he left with.
Ellie
Gut Feeling
It’s August 3rd, this year, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines sniper unit relieves another somewhere in Iraq. Scuttlebutt is the preceding team may have strayed from standard sniper protocols and Team Chief Ssgt. Michael Mendoza of Tinely Park, Illinois, has an uneasy feeling. He feels the position has been compromised. He radios his captain and requests immediate relocation. Denied- tomorrow maybe. Uneasy feeling now turns to uneasy and ****ed.
Two hours later the clank of steel bouncing into the sniper hide startles the team to action. Mendoza said prior to this, he’d never actually heard the sound of a grenade bouncing on the cement about 10 feet away from he and his men, but nevertheless, there was no question what it was, "Grenade!" he yelled as he thrust his body in a direction opposite that of the grenade.
Training takes over amidst the chaos, Mendoza explains. Despite the kill zone of such a device being 10 meters, his Marines are OK. He radios his position for medi-vac and has his men secure the area. Mendoza suffered the most severe injuries on the site, another Marine took some shrapnel to the hind flanks and SSgt. Mendoza’s pack took the brunt of the blast. Luck, training, preparation,destiny- call it what you want, they are alive and ready to fight another day. He said it was something his Marines would discuss from time to time when presenting scenarios. "What if this happens, what if that happens?" It’s what Marines do and it works. The only aspect that went south was the verbal brevity codes they’d developed in such an event. "Grenade" was the only word that came to mind.
From his hospital bed, sometime later he would hear that two enemy were taken out in the area. He’ll believe it when he sees the After Action Report (AAR), available once his unit returns early next year. He submitted his version of the incident, complete with the denial to relocate, while he was convalescing.
He said there was bitterness, that has since lost it’s edge, mainly about the denial. The original stewing inside him had to see the face of the officer that had issued the denial and the close proximity that decision might easily have led to his six month old son being raised by a single mother. A Marine widow. The what ifs and second guessing soon took a back seat when he was able to hold his wife and son again.
On this day, the birthday of the Marine Corps, Mendoza is at his home in Tinely Park awaiting results from a post-fever exam prior to returning to his unit. There were some irregularities detected in blood and liver tests. Waiting… something Marines do as well as, or better, than the rest of us. In this case, if things don’t improve within two weeks- the window closes; not financially feasible. On the other hand, if the results prove positive, it’s a commercial flight to Kuwait, a hop to Baghdad and a jump back to the 2-8. If it’s me I’m hoping for a negative result like a teenage girl at the free clinic. Not Mendoza. He’s looking forward to getting back to finish his assignment.
If you’re from the Chicago area you may have seen Michael Mendoza on the news recently. He received his Purple Heart during halftime of a Bears game. Quite a thrill for a lifetime resident. I thought that might have been his greatest sports thrill but being a bigger White Sox fan than a Bears fan, he was able to see not one, but two World Series games last year when the Sox won it all. It's beyond luck, he’s 19th on the USO’s calling list as they attempt to contact local servicemen and offer the tickets free of charge. Imagine that caller, "Would you like free tickets to the World Series? Oh, in Iraq- OK thanks, next..."
Mike and I first met two years ago in Memphis where he insulted my choice of eyewear before we’d spoken a word. "Who’s High Speed glasses are these?" he said as he sat in the back of the rental car. They were mine and they were Ray-Bans. Maybe twenty years out of style but functional. We were there to honor Capt. Morel as his family accepted his Navy Cross award posthumously. When hearing he was from Chicago I asked if he was a Cubs fan. We were now even for the High Speed remark. Mendoza, my brother and Capt. Morel were all in 1st Recon together. In fact, my brother wrote the Silver Star award that Mike received when attempting to save the Captain.
Being an experienced scenario builder Mendoza had to have asked himself, Would Capt. Morel have denied my request? What if the grenade bounced closer to me-would I have dove on it? Would my kid grow up to be a Cubs fan if I hadn’t made it? All hard questions that have to be asked.
Mike is on his second and last enlistment. April ’07 and out. He tested for a few law enforcement jobs and the results were in his favor but may look elsewhere when he crosses back into the civilian sector. Becoming an Ironworker is also a definite maybe, possibly back to school to become a teacher as his wife is.
Mike told me a story as we spoke by telephone about stopping by a local VFW for a Korean Veteran event and staying way longer than expected having no recollection of a bar tab the following morning. It tuned out he was wearing a sniper t-shirt that he designed and was marketing as a side gig sort of thing. Someone asked about the shirt and before the night was over everyone in the tavern purchased one. It’s a rare day when a serviceman spends the evening in such an establishment and wakes with more money than he left with.
Ellie