Monday, August 30, 2010

Remembering An Iraqi Hero

A teenage Iraqi interpreter, code name "Roy," served with a
reconnaisance platoon in Iraq in 2007. (Blake Hall)


As U.S. Troops Leave Iraq, An Officer Honors The Memory Of A Young Interpreter -- Washington Post

I met Roy in early 2007. I was the leader of a reconnaissance platoon of scouts and snipers in Iraq and was just back from a two-week leave in the United States. Roy was our new interpreter.

That night, my platoon was sent out on a raid. Our target was an al-Qaeda suicide-attack coordinator. Scanning the intelligence report, I learned that previous attempts to capture him had ended with his bodyguards detonating suicide vests and killing 16 Iraqi police officers. An image of my lead scout team entering a house in southern Baghdad and vanishing in a ball of fire flashed through my mind.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is my 'must-read story' for today.

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