If you have chance to meet upon me, if by chance we meet, then I can't begin to explain. It's all rusty now trying to explain...I crashed down into the festival tent.

Ramadan Feast 2006

Somber hardly describes our Ramadan Feast. This sacred time demanded by Mohammed of fasting and prayer was interrupted by al Qaeda attacks. On October 16th, as we broke into prayer and fast, al Qaeda declared Baqubah its new caliphate. They descended upon the town with multiple assualts.

"Shadow Six, this is Lion Six."

"Lion Six, Shadow Six."

"Shadow Six, we're engaging multiple attacks in Baqubah. The city is under siege. I am out of forces. Can you reinforce?"

"Roger sir. What do you need?"

"Shadow Six, Lion 6. Send one patrol south to reinforce the Baqubah ERF."

"Lion Six, Shadow Six, Wilco."

I was down to thirty men. White was on EOD alert, and Blue was supporting the MiTT, military transition teams. I called Red.

"Red Four, Shadow Six. Move to REDCON One and head to my position."

"Shadow Six, Red Four. Moving."

Mike Anderson, Red One, was down with the flu. I would get to play platoon leader again.

SFC Gonzales arrived at our headquarters. We ventured south.

Working our way along the road attacking south, signs of battle scared the road in destroyed buildings, potholes schoured from explosives, and overpasses undone. As we crept into the fight, we began to receive incoming fire, the rounds skirting and skippin over our the hoods of our HMWWs.

"Shadow Six, Red Four, receiving rounds from the west, over."

"Red Four, Shadow Six. Understand all. Have gunners duck down into position, acquire targets, and engage, out."

I looked to my right. Mountains of urban terrain engulfed the view. To my immediate front, I observed a bus stop and a squad of Iraqi infantrymen in the prone position firing on enemy positions..

"Rocky, follow me." I yelled at my interpreter as I exited my HMMWV assuming the prone next to the squad.

"Who's in charge?" I demanded as the rounds passed us.

"I am," the squad leader answered.

"What do you need my boys to do?" I asked.

"Sir, this is an Iraqi fight. We got this," he replied.

As the rounds passed by us, I paused and made my terp retranslate.

"Roger, good work." we got back in our vehicles and headed south.

We drove around Baqubah for several hours. We watched the Iraqi Army repel al Qaeda. We watched the casevacs and the retreats of damaged vehicles. We stood by ready to help, but they wanted to fight on their own. I was damn proud of them. They repelled al Qaeda without our help.

Several days later, I sat for dinner with Sheik Adnon al-Tamimi for the Ramadon feast.