Page 119 - 100 Hours to Destiny

Hero will be coming to your POS momentarily as I am currently working
through some comms with Battalion.”
“Negative Six. This situation is under control no further assistance
necessary.”

Listen: Battle. TOW
rocket firing & hits

One hour and 45 minutes of missile throwing from the TOWs and it
was time to move. Rock, LCpl Mitchell, Comm Spec Christopher Gilmore, and
Sgt Terry Davis, the crew of American Hero, had already been in the area of
the TOWs firing for the last forty minutes. The hasty FARP was complete.
Delta 10 had done their job standing in place of Delta 7, and I was grateful
for the “always faithful Marines of Delta 10” …. SSgt Steven Metcalf, Sgt
Cote, LCpl Tennison had done their part and would continue to perform
brilliantly throughout the rest of the campaign.
I had carried with me, during the firefight of the TOWs, a pair of
binoculars from the LOG. The radios were blasting off. Delta 6 was calling the
TOW Platoon back. I took one last glance at the carnage the TOWs had
created within their fields of fire, and it was gut-wrenching. Through my
binos I could see vehicles and tanks exploding with secondary ignition as the
fires raged amongst their ammunition magazines, trucks and tanks were on
fire…it was a ghastly scene. And the remnants of this tattered enemy
element disappeared north into the smoke. I took the binos from my eyes
and shook my head in disbelief, and yet for some reason smiled for the
victory. Yes, this hasty engagement – a lop-sided devastating victory – had
just occurred, right before my very eyes. We were nipping at the heels of an
army now in full-blown retreat. We were the hounds of war – the Teufel
Hunden – wolves in a pack, slowly…. methodically…. relentlessly chasing
down our adversary. It was classic pursuance of an overwhelmed enemy, yet
an enemy that still had tricks up its sleeve.
Rock gave the command, “Mount up Marines. Return to Delta’s
lines. Let’s move.” And 30 some odd Marines cased their weapons and
within one minute, hammerheads were dropped, Gunny and I were back on
the LOG, racing 1000m south into Delta’s lines.