The Healers

The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.

  - Charles Kuralt

     As we made our way to the home through one of the narrow alleys in shantytown a middle aged man flagged us down. We walked over to his shack, and after the traditional greetings he politely asked if we could provide medical care for his son. I grabbed our two medics, SPC Hart and SPC Night, and we followed the father into the dim hovel. As we stepped inside we passed through a closet sized kitchen thick with the sickly sweet scent of burned meat before passing into a small room adorned with thick sleeping mats. Inside the room doubled over on the floor, was a little boy whose face was creased with pain. Looking at the crumpled form in front of us I suddenly realized that I hadn’t smelled the burnt remains of breakfast… the source of the bitter stench was lying right in front of me. The back of the boys leg was a softly glistening ruin, raw muscle stripped of skin.

     Without saying a word SPC Hart and SPC Night dropped their medical bags and started sifting through their contents. As they carefully arranged the tools they would need to clean the boys burns, I marveled at their cool detachment. Although these men were barely out of their teens they suddenly seemed far older, as if they were wizened doppelgangers of the soldiers I had worked besides all these long months. It was the first time I caught a glimmer of just how much combat has aged all of us.

     As the medics set to work the father tried to soothe the little boy, but the sight of the two medics had him yelping in fright. While the medics were cleaning and dressing the wound my driver, SGT Bard, reached into his pocket and pulled out a stuffed animal. SGT Bard handed the little boy the stuffed tiger, and his crying stopped as quickly as if somebody had turned an invisible valve. A few minutes later the medics finished their work and they gave the boy’s parents extra dressings and antibiotics along with instructions on how to care for their son.

     As they started to pack up their gear one of the soldiers providing security outside the house walked in and asked if we could see another sick child. I told him to send in the boy, and a moment later a ten year old boy sheepishly walked in. His right arm was wrapped in dirty white gauze. In the middle of the gauze bloomed an ugly brown splotch… the telltale sign of physical corruption. As the medics peeled back the filthy dressings the air filled with the fetid stench of infection. As the dressings finally peeled away they revealed a wretched volcano wreathed in skin stretched taut with pus. I had to fight to keep the wave of nausea rumbling in my stomach at bay, but our medics didn’t even flinch. Instead they deftly started treating the infected wound. As they treated the boy I stepped out to get a breath of fresh air, and by time I returned they had filled a small plastic bag with pus filled dressings. I stepped out once again, and when I returned the swollen limb had regained its normal proportions.  With the wound clean our medics started putting on fresh dressings and in a few short minutes they were done.  Once the terp explained how and when to take the antibiotics we set off to finish the rest of the patrol.  There was still a lot of ground to cover.

Comments

[belladonna]

I was an Army Nurse for nine years so medics have always held a special place in my heart. Sounds like you've got some good ones there. I'm glad.

[Kat in GA]

i've said it before and I'll say it again... thank you for all you do, all of y'all. {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}

[devildog6771]

This is a great post T6. Those children quite possibably could have died from infection and certainly were at risk of losing a limb. Your medics are the greatest. Thank you for another great post. People also need to know that in this day and age there are also still people the many basic services such as good medical care that we and others take for granted. Not only are you making friends and helping Iraqi build a free country, you are helping them raise the standard of living of some of the most impoverished people and giving them hope. Not a little thing by any means to the Iraqi people. Again, thank you all. You make me feel even more proud to be from America. Like I said before, we love you guys! Thank you! [ps-- to a couiple earlier commentors, not all "boomers" are spinless slime balls. But sadly, do have our share]

[themaj]

I have just book marked you for weekly reading.......I get very pissed at the MSM for not writing about this kind of stuff.....The closest any one comes if the FNC

[David Macke]

Thank you for your courage, humanity, and honor. Hopefully, the truth about the good that is being done will be the US legacy in Iraq and here at home.

[Some Soldier's Mom]

It was the first time I caught a glimmer of just how much combat has aged all of us. Yes, these young men are aging... but aging beautifully, I'd say. Do you wonder if these people then spread the word about how good the American soldiers are? Lord, I hope so. T6 -- you and your soldiers are proof to the world that we are winning...

[Just Thinkin']

Don't get down over comments made by Kerry. Leiberman visited and knows whats up. Even though the MSM isn't tellin it straight, there are enough of "us" sitting below the radar, reading blogs, and learning the truth from other sources. "They" get all the coverage, but we speak when we need to, with our vote. I'm a cop in the Los Angeles area, I was not in the service but many of my friends at work were. You guys/gals are worth more than you know, and appreciated more than you know. History will tell the real story. Thank you

[Kat in GA]

Wonderful...GOD BLESS THE MEDICS! And, God bless you, too. We appreciate you and all you do for us.

[Maggie45]

God bless you all, and THANK YOU!

[Tim]

Another fantastic story. I only wish more people here in the United States were able to read your stories and many others like them. We do have the greatest military. Remember to stay safe.

[Donna, Los Osos, CA]

They ask you guys for help.. and they get it. That says volumes. God bless you. We love you guys!

[Lenny]

Medics truely are the soldiers savior, courage under fire and swift in response. A very high calling, you are great ambassadors of care. You help heal, what more could someone do for another. This is the perfect example of what makes the US soldier different from the rest. Above and beyond. Good work, Stay safe.

[DamnWalker]

As a member of the boomer generation, I have to agree with an earlier writer. I long for the day when this generation takes the helm and delivers to this nation what the wwII generation did. We went from greatest generation to worst generation with 1 interim generation in between. My own opinion is this country and world will be in better when my g-g-generation dies off.

[billypadre]

Stories like this are the reason I KNOW WE HAVE THE GREATEST MILITARY IN THE WORLD....EVER! God bless you guys. Merry Christmas

[Cro]

Reading your post and thinking about those men, I cannot but feel relief for America. In 10-20 you and these men will be the ones running America and with anyluck we willfinally have an end to the Boomer generation that knows neither honor nor gratefullness. Thank you for your service, T6.

[Acad Ronin]

When I served in VN I was in awe of our medics for their courage and compassion. I am proud and not surprised to see the tradition continue. Please thank your guys from me.

[Arnold]

My daughter is 14 and is in JROTC in high school. She recently told me she wants to enlist in the Marines and be a medic. I told her I didn't think the Marines had medics, but that Navy Corpsmen filled that roll, so she decided she wants to be a Corpsman. After the holidays I plan to take her to talk to a recruiter. Obviously it'll be a few years before she can enlist but I thought they might have some ideas for coursework or volunteer work she can do in the meantime to increase her chances of getting the position she wants. I can't think of a more noble calling for her to pursue.

[David]

I have to agree with Beth A, if there is ever a doubt or moment of question if what you and your men and more importantly what the US is doing in Iraq is good, all one ever need do is look at this incident and the millions of like incidents to realize that YES! Yes, we are doing the right thing. Keep up the good work and thank you for all you do!

[Beth* A.]

If you, Cpt. Bout, or any of your troops should EVER worry the question "But did I make a difference while I was in Iraq?",(like a couple of Marine friends of mine have wondered since coming home) Hmm, I can think of at least two children who will ALWAYS be glad you were there, and that's just from this post alone! Then there's the ripple effect... Most emphatically the answer is "YES." You guys make ALL the difference in the world!

[Miguel]

The BEST way to gain allies for the USA. God bless you all abundantly.

[ken anthony]

It's a wonderful story that brings tears to my eyes and pisses me off at the same time. The media should be reporting this or talking about it on the Sunday shows. The public needs to understand, but the media have their own agenda.

[CJ]

T6--Thank you for this post! I'm a nurse as well and stories like these go right to where my heart is. Tell your medics Thank You. They have my highest respect and admiration. Wish I could do it!

[scrapiron]

I truly admire the guts shown by the military medics. I've been a volunteer EMT for eight years and see a lot of bad things, but nothing like the wounds and infections that come from war and from a the lack of medical care the Iraqi people have suffered for 30 years. And we have people like Hanoi John Kerry serving in the United States Senate. He should be serving in a federal prison, or against the wall in front of a firing squad, for which I will once again volunteer..22 year military vet, volunteer fire/med.

[Edward]

T6, You could have turned your back, citing "not my job" or "can't risk my men". Instead, as every soldier has done who has had the resources required to address the problem, you put yourselves at risk to render humanitarian aid. You are just another wonderful American soldier---different from any other army in the entire world. God, you make me proud to be an American.

[Drew]

Fourty years ago, a group of Special Forces guys told a similar story of one of their ventures into Laos. On the way back to their evac point, they stopped off at the same village for some follow-up care. All of the people they had treated had been killed by Pathet Lao - Can't leave any visible signs of humanity now, can we? Every person the medics treat is another vote for freedom.