Page 122 - 100 Hours to Destiny

emotions for those men. I felt that it was unfair that their lives had ended
this way…. but such is war. Again, what I had seen so far hardened me as to
where I could accept this and continue forward. Truly at this moment, it was
every man for himself, and due to a great command and by the grace of God,
we were in control of the battlefield at this particular junction. I knew what
had been seen could never be unseen.

Listen: Passing Hulks
of Destroyed Tanks

Up ahead the scouts of the 25s were searching through disabled
vehicles, looking at enemy casualties on the ground. 1stLt Scott Williams of
Delta 5 was walking around with Fred Battley intermingling with the scouts.
Scott had his pistol drawn and Fred Battley was wielding a squad automatic
weapon (SAW). Fires were burning and smoke from the oil wells was shifting
and starting to completely block my vision of Delta. Suddenly the smoke
would be gone and then reappear. I observed an enemy troop leap from
behind a disabled enemy truck and dart off into the smoke. I turned to
Gunny who was looking through binos in the opposite direction.
I yelled to Gunny, “Hey! There are enemy troops moving when the
smoke comes! There are hostiles close by!”
Immediately Gunny got on the net, “Delta 6, Delta 6 this is Delta 7.
We are observing enemy troops on foot making a run for it when the smoke
lays in.”
“Roger that Delta 7. Stand by to stand by. We are nearly wrapped up
with the BDA. All Delta Elements stand by to move in 3 mikes. This area is
still hot. I repeat this area is still hot with enemy activity. Vehicle
Commanders pan your area with the thermals. Let’s start putting eyes north
and prepare to move.”