Page 36 - BRAVO3_ISSUE1_MAY_JUN_2018

“What’sup,man?”IsaidbacktoWildeasmoreofagreetingthanaquestion.“Ijustwantedtotalkfora minute.”TwomembersofourEODFlighthadbeenkiledinasmanymonthsandwebegantoopenupto eachother.SomehowIhadbecometheunoficialChaplainandpeoplewantedtotelmethingsthatInever wantedtohear.“Let’sgooverhere,”Imotionedtowardthefirepit.Thepit’soficialpurposewastoburn classifieddocuments,buteverynighttheSeniorandCaptainwouldstartafireandsmokecigars.
Thiswasnotalowed–startingafireforenjoyment–andtheywerewarnedseveraltimestodiscontinue theirpractice,buttheirdisregardforauthoritypushedthem tocontinuetodosountilonenightafiretruck cameblazingintoourcompound,lightsflashing.Threefirefightersjumpedoutingreattheatrics,puledtheir hose,firedupthepump,andblastedthislitlecampfirewithabout10,000galonsofwater.Thestorygoes thattheSeniorandCaptainweresoastonishedatthewholethingthattheyjustsatthereandcontinuedto smoketheircigars,likenothinghadhappened.Thefirefightersgotbackintotheirtruckwithoutsayingaword anddroveaway.
WildeandIwalkedovertothefirepitandsatinacoupleofthechairsthatwerethere.Thepitsmeledlike theashesofburntpaper.Itwasunderoneofthefewtreesinthecompound–sometypeofevergreenthat IhavecometonoticealovertheMiddleEast.Thesetreesgrowtallikeapinetree,butthereneedlesare morelikeacedarorajuniperoracypress.Thebrancheslookedthickandsturdy,butwhenwecleanedup th e c o m p o u n d a n d c u t a fe w o f th e lo w e r h a n g in g lim b s w e fo u n d th e m to b e v e ry b rit tle . “I h a v e n e v e r to ld anyoneaboutthisbefore.Wel,that’snottrue.Ihavetoldpeoplethestory,youknow,whathappenedthat day.Ihavenevertoldanyoneaboutthedreams.”
ThisisthewayWildestartedouthisstory.ItwashotthatdayandIwasuncomfortableinmyuniform.I realizedthatwhatIwasabouttohearwasgoingtomakemeevenmoreuncomfortable,butIhadbecomea soundingboardasoflate,anditwassomethingIwaswilingtodo.ItseemedtobesomethingthatIwas goodat.“IkeepwakingupinthemiddleofthenightsweatingandclutchingmyarmstomychestlikeIheld thatlitleboy.IttakesmeforevertogetbacktosleepbecauseIjustkeepthinkingabouthim...hiseye missingontherightside... andyoucouldseehisbrains,hisbrains.Therewasverylitleblood.Hewasstil
.Hisrightarm wasbroken.AlIcoulddowasholdhim.Theyhadcaledamedevac,butIknewhe wasn’tgoingtolive.”“Whathappened?”Iasked.“Wherewasthis?”“Itwasonmylastdeployment.Wewere upnorth.Itwasjustanormalday.Weweregetingreadytocheckoutourtruckwhenweheardalarge explosion thatcam e from the localvil lage.W e w eren’tsure w here itw as at,butthe firebal land sm oke looked lik e it c a m e fro m th e s c h o o l. W e th re w o n o u r g e a r a n d ra n o u t in to th e v il la g e to w a rd th e s c h o o l. I d o n ’t k n o w whythegateguardletusout,buthedid.Whenweranintotheschool’scourtyarditwaslikehel.Therewas
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carnagethatIwilnevergetoutofmyhead.Therewerebodieseverywhere,andtheywereallitle children.IlookedaroundandwenttothefirstthingthatIsawmoving.Itwasalitleboy.Iroledhim overto s e e if I c o u ld h e lp h im a n d b a n d a g e h im u p , a n d w h e n I ro l le d h im o v e r I s a w th a t h is e y e w a s m is s in g a n d partofhisskul,too.AndIcouldseehisbrain.Hewasbreathingandtherewasn’tmuchbloodsoIjustheld him andeverythingelsedisappeared.”
SergeantWildewentontotelmethathelivesinthatmomentnow forever.Inthatinstant,everything aroundhim disappeared:theguystherewithhim,theinjuredchildrenstrewnabouttheschoolyard,even timeitself.Theonlythingthatmateredwasthisboywithoutanamethathewouldperpetualyholdinhis arms.ThisboycontinualyworkedhiswayintoWilde’sarms.EvenwhenWildedidn’twanthim theretheboy wasthere.Mostlytheboycameatnight,particularlyonthenightswhenWildeneededsleep.Theboywas Wilde’swakinginfantorthechildthatburstthroughthedooratthemostinopportunetimes.
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