The second day was busier. Three patients arrived from a dismounted IED attack. Because of the mountainous terrain, many marines and soldiers are on foot and leave their vehicles. The IED’s leave them with severe injuries, different from Iraq. The Dustoff helicopter brought in 3 dismounted marines. Two had severe injuries. One had 2 amputations and the other an amputated arm. The third had mild wounds. After we resuscitated the other two I talked to him. He was a Marine Lance Corporal. During the explosion the other two marines were caught in the blast. He was blown back. When he awoke, he reached for his legs. They were intact. He screamed because he saw blood. Then he realized the blood was not his. He jumped to feet and found his Marines injured and nearly unconscious. He was their medic and quickly placed tourniquets on them. I told him that he saved their lives. He did his job well. I thanked him for his service.
Later that evening we were discussing a book titled “War”. It details life in an army outpost in the deadliest valley for Americans in Afghanistan, the Korengal Valley. The Korengal Valley is part of the Kunar Province in NE Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. The recent Medal of Honor recipient’s service was described in “War” and he earned his decoration in this valley, a location where the US mortality is higher than any other section of the country, including the Helmond Province.
I had just read the book and sharing the story in the emergency department with another surgeon and nurse when the patient behind spoke up, “Hey doc, that book. That book is about my company, C Co. [Charlie Company], that’s my platoon.” He went on to tell us that the book was written about the guys deployed there in 2007. Today, he said, it is much worse. He was deployed then, assigned to the Korengal Valley. After his enlistment he returned home to seek a new life and left the Army. However, when he went home he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about friends who he had fought with for 2 years. He volunteered to come back and rejoined the same unit. “Now I can sleep”.
His injuries required him to go to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany for an additional brief operation and a short course of rehabilitation. He pleaded me not to send him Germany. “My guys are back there. I don’t want to leave them”. I reassured him they would get him back to war in a few weeks and could rejoin the fight. He had already extended his stay with his unit 4 more months. He discussed the movie Restrepo (a National Geographic documentary about the book “War”). He said it was well done and covered their daily lives living behind a brickwall for 40-90 days at a time while receiving enemy fire mortars. He said, “maybe the guys back home can see what the soldiers are doing and how good we are. Maybe they’ll care”.
He told me about two other books that describe the valley and its lethality in previous wars (The Bear Goes Over the Mountain). “I’ll have it in my bags at my FOB. I redeploy in April. I’ll bring it for you to have when I come back through here.” Yes, I said. Bring them back as you head home. “I’ll see you in April” (god willing). I thanked him and wished him well as he left for his flight to Germany.
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