The Will to Live

There's a saying that was drilled into me early in my gun-toting life - STAY IN THE FIGHT. When the odds seem stacked against you, STAY IN THE FIGHT. When the life of your loved ones are riding on you surviving a situation on the street, STAY IN THE FIGHT. Stories abound on the will to survive. It's the topic of discussion on Oprah today (01/31/2007) and is demonstrated in the strength displayed by this Mother. But for me, with my background, the following post on a discussion forum I frequent truly captures what it means to want to live and is indicative of the sort of determination that we parents must always have if we are to be there for our kids at the end of the day. Italicized text is my attempt to explain some of the terminology to you non-military moms out there and where appropriate I've added a few links for background info. Hooah Ranger!

COHIBA (screen name of poster)

Posted 27 January 2007 01:04 PM

Yesterday I was informed that a very good friend of mine got hit (by an improvised explosive device) on 24 Jan. "Ranger" a former 1/75 Ranger, was with me in Bosnia 93; on my team in Angola 96; we deployed here in Iraq in 03; Blackwater with me in Louisiana 05 during our "leave"; and we worked in Anbar for the same contractor (both poster and "Ranger" are security contractors) this summer.

He was running PSD (personal security detail) with SOC-SMG (a job I turned him onto for which he quit his "safe" ITT supply gig in Balad a couple months ago to go back to gunslinging).

He survived the IED blast which destroyed his vehicle and broke his back (fracture at L-1), broke both feet, and sent shrapnel through his legs, narrowly missing his femoral and his package ... when his team mates reached him he was, not only miraculously alive, but on the ground, crawling toward the insurgents despite his injuries, with his 9mm pistol in his hand (his Bushmaster M-forgery (rifle) was inop from the blast). He was stabilized and medevacked. He made mov't to Landstuhl, Germany, is in good spirits and already talkin' shit about his vacation homes and dusky maidens and coming back to Iraq for some more.

During a previous contact (gunfight) this month he drove his truck after insurgents who had fired on him, then dismounted when they attempted to evade, pursued on foot and successfully engaged. I just sent him greetings last week on his 40th b-day. If you were to compliment him on his actions above I know he would say "RLTW, Sir!"

FYI: have approval from "Ranger" to post this info.

UPDATE: 28 JAN 07 -- He's running true to form, making comms, and working a personnel issue for another wounded contractor.

STAY IN THE FIGHT!