Iran: What “Death to America” Meant to Me

In 2006, I was deployed to Iraq. If I did not have mission, I use to volunteer at the Main Theater Hospital at Balad Air Base. I typically would be assigned to one of the ICUs. One day, in late 2006, I was unable to sleep after a mortar attack. So I decided to do something productive and go to the hospital. Once I arrived, I was assigned to an ICU & the head nurse there began briefing me on the patients. Everything was normal, except one patient she did not mention.

In the first bed in the ICU, a horribly wounded soldier was unconscious, sitting next to him was his 1st Sergeant and a Captain whom I assumed was his commanding officer. The wounded soldier had a basketball sized hole in his abdomen. He was on a ventilator, heart monitor, etc. The nurse noticed I was looking at the soldier. “His vehicle was hit by one of those new IEDs”. She was referring to the Iranian made EFP Improvised Explosive Device. This was the latest attempt to defeat the armor we used on our vehicles. Unfortunately, these Iranian bombs were a nightmare for us. They would blow a hole right through the best armor we had. This soldier took a direct hit that went not just through the vehicle armor, but through him as well. “He is terminal” the nurse said. “There is nothing we can do for him.”

As I went through my rounds emptying urine bags & talking to the wounded, my attention kept being drawn to the dying soldier. Every few minutes the two soldiers sitting with him would hold his hand and pray. Aside from muffled prayers, I did not hear them speak. I stared at the soldier, as did all the other wounded soldiers who were awake. He looked to be in his late 30s. I noticed a wedding band on the hand the two soldiers would hold. I wondered if he had kids. What if the wife could see what I am seeing right now. Her husband’s eyes were shut-never to open again. He had a large, blood soaked bandage on the massive wound to his abdomen. A machine was breathing for him.

Suddenly, I felt totally hopeless. He was going to pass over the dark river, to a place I couldn’t help him. I suppose, I always believed no situation was impossible. A solution can always be found. But, not in this situation. He was leaving & nothing could be done to stop it. For five hours this continued. The two soldiers never left his side. Finally, the heart monitor’s alarm went off. Doctors and nurses rushed over. After all the checks were done, one doctor said, “Time of death, 0105 hours.” Just like in the movies, a blanket was pulled over his head. The two soldier’s vigil was over. They stood up, fighting back tears, muffled something. Then they both simultaneously saluted their fallen comrade. Then they turned around, & walked out, to rejoin the war.

When I hear about Deals with Iran, it brings me back to this hopeless night. When I hear Iranian leaders say, “Death to America”, this is what it means for me. In a lot of ways, I am still trapped in that hopeless night.