thedrifter
02-05-07, 10:46 AM
Iraq war fresh in veterans' minds
Travis Minnear
Posted: 2/5/07
Lance Cpl. Aaron Cohen and the grunts of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment spent their days in Iraq kicking down doors and rounding up suspected terrorists and insurgents.
"You never know what's going to happen, what's going to be around the next corner. So you have to always be on the vigil," said the Akron native and senior in international studies.
Specialist Nick Barlow of Mansfield, traveled through Iraq delivering fuel as a member of the Army 706th Transportation Company. They followed routes that took them near hotspots, where they dealt with the threat of attack and IEDs.
"My unit, we drove tactical vehicles, which they weren't as luxurious, but they were designed to go basically anywhere except water, obviously," the junior international studies major said, "We would typically do convoys. We'd go between three to five days, but by the time our deployment was done, we'd do two weeks - like 10 to 14 days."
Long before President Bush announced drastic troop increases and more than 3,000 troops had died, Barlow and Cohen risked death in Iraq. Although responsibilities and experiences differed for the veterans, time spent in the line of fire brought them to many new places and changed their lives forever.
"The things I've gone through, I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I wouldn't trade them for the world," Cohen said.
The Buildup
Barlow and Cohen knew they wanted to serve their country from an early age. Both said they grew up playing with G.I. Joes and admiring members of their family who had previously served.
Cohen graduated from high school in 2003 and went to Marine Corps basic training days after receiving his diploma. He spent about one year in college before going to Iraq.
He received word in November 2004 that Columbus-based Lima Company was getting called up. In February 2005 the Marines completed desert training at 29 Palms, Calif. In March he bid his family and friends farewell and boarded a plane headed for a war zone.
"Stepping off into the unknown is very stressful," he said. "I was very anxious, but I was very afraid. I didn't really know what to expect."
Barlow finished high school in 2002 and attended boot camp after graduation.
Deployment to Iraq didn't catch him off guard. He had prepared to leave with the 660th Transportation Company, but its tour had been previously canceled.
After conducting training for a few weeks at Fort Campbell, Ky., the 706th departed.
On Feb. 4 2004, Barlow began a 50-week tour of duty in Iraq.
"Most people that didn't go the first time pretty much knew that if the war wasn't completed within a year, they may go," Barlow said. "It was kind of something you each put in the back of your mind for a couple months."
Welcome to Iraq
Although they served at different times, both flew into Kuwait before entering Iraq.
Once Barlow got to Iraq, the Army stationed the 706th at Camp Taji, about 40 miles north of Baghdad.
Cohen and Lima Company made Haditha, a city in Iraq's volatile al-Anbar Province, its home. The first base of operation for the Marines was the Haditha Dam, located on the Euphrates River.
Cohen found the furnishings uninviting.
"We actually lived inside the dam," he said. "I remember we initially first slept on cots in the underground parts of the dam, with no ventilation. The only things that were leading up were the stairwells and other passageways that were down there. It just reeked of sulfur and there was mold growing on the walls."
The grunts made do. After a few days they became accustomed to their surroundings. Eventually care packages with toothbrushes, soap and other hygiene products arrived and gave the Marines some semblance of home.
"You adapt to make your situation livable and enjoyable. The little things are amazing," Cohen said.
Lima Company didn't stay near the dam for long. Operations took the Marines across al-Anbar Province.
Life at Camp Taji was a little different. The base is one of the most sophisticated military stations in Iraq. Burger King, Subway and Pizza Hut restaurants and other amenities make it more comfortable, Barlow said, but life was no cakewalk for the 706th.
The troops of Lima Company and the 706th each participated in operations that sometimes lasted weeks. This meant they might not see a shower, let alone change clothe for 10 days or more. Factor in limited supplies and the daily temperatures of more than 100 degrees, and the situation got sticky.
"It's so dusty over there," Barlow said. "When you mix sweat and dust, it bleeds through the uniform. They get all thick and crispy just from all the dust and sweat that's in them."
Doing their duty
The 706th traveled through Iraq with little resistance for the most part, Barlow said. Although he was never ambushed, occasional small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades and IEDs along roadsides made life in the field more dangerous.
When there was suspicion of an IED nearby, Barlow said procedures were in place to safeguard civilians and military personnel. Sometimes this involved closing an entire section of highway.
Downloading fuel on secured bases gave the 706th a chance to briefly relax, but most of the places they went had visible scars from war and Saddam Hussein's regime.
"A lot of the areas that the Army took over had either been bombed or shelled or both," Barlow said.
Cohen's job in Lima Company was to kick doors down. He also used his Arabic and Hebrew language skills as the unit's interpreter.
"As soon as someone points a weapon at me, it doesn't matter what their beliefs, morals and values are. They're public enemy No. 1," he said.
While on the move, the soldiers packed light. Other than weapons, equipment and a few small personal items, they carried nothing.
"Literally, our basic necessities were ammunition, food and bandages," Cohen said.
With the stress of war, Barlow and Cohen said unwinding was not easy. Cleaning weapons and equipment took precedence. E-mails from loved ones temporarily eased their minds, but snail mail made their day.
"You expect your family to do e-mail, but (when) you get a letter, you've just made the next three days of your life," Barlow said.
Back in America
After months of kicking doors down, Cohen suffered knee injuries that forced him from the front lines. In June 2005 he flew to Kuwait for surgery. He endured multiple knee operations and more than two months of physical therapy before returning to the United States.
Before leaving Kuwait, while he was in therapy, his brothers in Lima Company suffered severe casualties. Twenty-three Marines died.
"We started taking heavy losses and I had to read about it in the newspaper," Cohen said. "Furthermore, I wasn't able to get around very well and I had no one to talk to. It was a very depressing two-and-a-half months."
Cohen said he thinks about the war every day. It has changed him, he said, because it put life into perspective. He doesn't take petty things, like arguments with loved ones, seriously anymore. And he said he's more mellow.
Cohen often thinks about the members of Lima Company who lost their lives.
All Cohen has to do is walk to be reminded of his time in Iraq.
"It's in everything I do because with every step I take, my knees hurt," he said.
Barlow said readjusting to life in America was not easy, because it felt weird to be able to relax.
Big changes are ahead for him. He is getting married soon, and has a job lined up after graduation.
"The experience I had (in Iraq) made me know for a fact I want to stay in the Army for at least a career, if not longer," he said.
Travis Minnear can be reached at minnear.4@osu.edu.
Ellie
Travis Minnear
Posted: 2/5/07
Lance Cpl. Aaron Cohen and the grunts of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment spent their days in Iraq kicking down doors and rounding up suspected terrorists and insurgents.
"You never know what's going to happen, what's going to be around the next corner. So you have to always be on the vigil," said the Akron native and senior in international studies.
Specialist Nick Barlow of Mansfield, traveled through Iraq delivering fuel as a member of the Army 706th Transportation Company. They followed routes that took them near hotspots, where they dealt with the threat of attack and IEDs.
"My unit, we drove tactical vehicles, which they weren't as luxurious, but they were designed to go basically anywhere except water, obviously," the junior international studies major said, "We would typically do convoys. We'd go between three to five days, but by the time our deployment was done, we'd do two weeks - like 10 to 14 days."
Long before President Bush announced drastic troop increases and more than 3,000 troops had died, Barlow and Cohen risked death in Iraq. Although responsibilities and experiences differed for the veterans, time spent in the line of fire brought them to many new places and changed their lives forever.
"The things I've gone through, I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I wouldn't trade them for the world," Cohen said.
The Buildup
Barlow and Cohen knew they wanted to serve their country from an early age. Both said they grew up playing with G.I. Joes and admiring members of their family who had previously served.
Cohen graduated from high school in 2003 and went to Marine Corps basic training days after receiving his diploma. He spent about one year in college before going to Iraq.
He received word in November 2004 that Columbus-based Lima Company was getting called up. In February 2005 the Marines completed desert training at 29 Palms, Calif. In March he bid his family and friends farewell and boarded a plane headed for a war zone.
"Stepping off into the unknown is very stressful," he said. "I was very anxious, but I was very afraid. I didn't really know what to expect."
Barlow finished high school in 2002 and attended boot camp after graduation.
Deployment to Iraq didn't catch him off guard. He had prepared to leave with the 660th Transportation Company, but its tour had been previously canceled.
After conducting training for a few weeks at Fort Campbell, Ky., the 706th departed.
On Feb. 4 2004, Barlow began a 50-week tour of duty in Iraq.
"Most people that didn't go the first time pretty much knew that if the war wasn't completed within a year, they may go," Barlow said. "It was kind of something you each put in the back of your mind for a couple months."
Welcome to Iraq
Although they served at different times, both flew into Kuwait before entering Iraq.
Once Barlow got to Iraq, the Army stationed the 706th at Camp Taji, about 40 miles north of Baghdad.
Cohen and Lima Company made Haditha, a city in Iraq's volatile al-Anbar Province, its home. The first base of operation for the Marines was the Haditha Dam, located on the Euphrates River.
Cohen found the furnishings uninviting.
"We actually lived inside the dam," he said. "I remember we initially first slept on cots in the underground parts of the dam, with no ventilation. The only things that were leading up were the stairwells and other passageways that were down there. It just reeked of sulfur and there was mold growing on the walls."
The grunts made do. After a few days they became accustomed to their surroundings. Eventually care packages with toothbrushes, soap and other hygiene products arrived and gave the Marines some semblance of home.
"You adapt to make your situation livable and enjoyable. The little things are amazing," Cohen said.
Lima Company didn't stay near the dam for long. Operations took the Marines across al-Anbar Province.
Life at Camp Taji was a little different. The base is one of the most sophisticated military stations in Iraq. Burger King, Subway and Pizza Hut restaurants and other amenities make it more comfortable, Barlow said, but life was no cakewalk for the 706th.
The troops of Lima Company and the 706th each participated in operations that sometimes lasted weeks. This meant they might not see a shower, let alone change clothe for 10 days or more. Factor in limited supplies and the daily temperatures of more than 100 degrees, and the situation got sticky.
"It's so dusty over there," Barlow said. "When you mix sweat and dust, it bleeds through the uniform. They get all thick and crispy just from all the dust and sweat that's in them."
Doing their duty
The 706th traveled through Iraq with little resistance for the most part, Barlow said. Although he was never ambushed, occasional small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades and IEDs along roadsides made life in the field more dangerous.
When there was suspicion of an IED nearby, Barlow said procedures were in place to safeguard civilians and military personnel. Sometimes this involved closing an entire section of highway.
Downloading fuel on secured bases gave the 706th a chance to briefly relax, but most of the places they went had visible scars from war and Saddam Hussein's regime.
"A lot of the areas that the Army took over had either been bombed or shelled or both," Barlow said.
Cohen's job in Lima Company was to kick doors down. He also used his Arabic and Hebrew language skills as the unit's interpreter.
"As soon as someone points a weapon at me, it doesn't matter what their beliefs, morals and values are. They're public enemy No. 1," he said.
While on the move, the soldiers packed light. Other than weapons, equipment and a few small personal items, they carried nothing.
"Literally, our basic necessities were ammunition, food and bandages," Cohen said.
With the stress of war, Barlow and Cohen said unwinding was not easy. Cleaning weapons and equipment took precedence. E-mails from loved ones temporarily eased their minds, but snail mail made their day.
"You expect your family to do e-mail, but (when) you get a letter, you've just made the next three days of your life," Barlow said.
Back in America
After months of kicking doors down, Cohen suffered knee injuries that forced him from the front lines. In June 2005 he flew to Kuwait for surgery. He endured multiple knee operations and more than two months of physical therapy before returning to the United States.
Before leaving Kuwait, while he was in therapy, his brothers in Lima Company suffered severe casualties. Twenty-three Marines died.
"We started taking heavy losses and I had to read about it in the newspaper," Cohen said. "Furthermore, I wasn't able to get around very well and I had no one to talk to. It was a very depressing two-and-a-half months."
Cohen said he thinks about the war every day. It has changed him, he said, because it put life into perspective. He doesn't take petty things, like arguments with loved ones, seriously anymore. And he said he's more mellow.
Cohen often thinks about the members of Lima Company who lost their lives.
All Cohen has to do is walk to be reminded of his time in Iraq.
"It's in everything I do because with every step I take, my knees hurt," he said.
Barlow said readjusting to life in America was not easy, because it felt weird to be able to relax.
Big changes are ahead for him. He is getting married soon, and has a job lined up after graduation.
"The experience I had (in Iraq) made me know for a fact I want to stay in the Army for at least a career, if not longer," he said.
Travis Minnear can be reached at minnear.4@osu.edu.
Ellie