Got another snail-mail letter from Suphi (Female Thai Army Col. in charge of the Thai Army contingent's security) last night. It was posted January 1st. These are the bits she asked me to pass through.
Hi Guys,
You have heard now that things got exciting around here. We got word that terrorists were moving into area around us. So we start to swing patrols through villages. On one of these we took first casualty. One of my platoon leaders Captain Chakphol Somboon stepped on an old landmine while patrolling a village about three kilometres from the Lima base camp. He is not badly hurt yet but then we have not discussed why he step on mine.
Big attack came next day. We have warning that attack may come so we have quiet alert. My people are brought in and we set up covering positions. Everything go well until 1300 local then there is intense fire on checkpoint five part of our perimeter. Mortars, much machinegun fire shots from RPG7s. Two of our people were killed instantly and one injured. Dead were Sergeant-Major First Class Amporn Chukerd and Sergeant-Major First Class Mit Klaharn, both of the Army Engineering Corps, and were stationed at the camp's entrance. Please to note great bravery of these men. Even though they know attack is coming they stay on guard at weakest point of camp defenses. Sergeant-Major Amporn had wife and two sons, and Sergeant-Major Mitr had wife and son.
Fire is intended to pin down defenses so that four suicide car bombs can get inside camp to create many casualties there. More fire is directed at number four guard tower. This is crewed by our people and Bulgarians. Major firefight going on between troops on perimeter and attackers. Then car bombs start to try and run through gates. Bad problem. We have only light weapons. My people have M4s. Army engineers have HK33s. Both are 5.56 millimeter Our cook is firing with 9 millimeter Beretta. This is not enough firepower to stop cars when driver is determined to die. Most cars are hit many times. One heading for Bulgarian checkpoint is stopped far out they are lucky have 14.5 millimeter machinegun. We stop one coming at checkpoint five with M19 mounted on my Humvee. That is 2002 Nissan explode on ramp leading to checkpoint five. We think was carrying 500 kilos of explosive and old aircraft rockets. We find one of driver hand on roof of city hall other near to cookhouse. Move that one fast in case cook get bad ideas.
Other two vehicles are truck and taxi. They also make run at checkpoint five. Taxi is hit by 40 millimeter grenades and fire from MG3 machine gun. Grenades do not do much but MG3 rips up taxi very well. It spin stop across road. Truck plow into it both vehicles explode. These hurt none of ours but five Iraqi civilian are killed almost one hundred wounded. So then we do counter-attack. Troops in Lima hold perimeter while mine sweep forward. There is rat-hunt and firefight in houses opposite. In fight like this bad guys have no chance. We kill eleven take five prisoner. For ourselves have two minor wounded. For self have few cuts bruises nothing more. One Iraqi woman point to me ask one of mine who is she. He tell her "the bad thing that happens to bad people."
That is almost end of excitement. Medical unit is overload with work for there are many casualties. Ours Polish Bulgarian Iraqi. Mostly Iraqi. We must return bodies of dead to Thailand for burial by family. But before we do this Colonel Boonchu gets telephone call from President Bush to tell us sorrow for our loss. The our Prime Minister call. See in ours family of dead soldiers get 2 million baht for loss this is about $55,000 dollars. But Prime Minister add another $12,000 from own money. And tell us Army CoS announce both men will be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. This very very important thing for it mean that Army will pick up all cost of sending kids to school and university. One of kids son of Sergeant-Major Mitr want to join Army like his father so by end of day he have appointment at Chulachomklao military academy.
Those we take are interrogated. You know why one join attack? Because he bring his uncle to be treated by our doctors. Only are others there before him so he must wait for his turn to come. He think to wait turn like others this is insult to his honor so he join attack to try get back at doctors nurses who make him wait. How you deal with people like this na?
We make some changes now. We get a heavy weapon section here with 106 millimeter rifles mounted on Humvees. And .50 machine guns. Polish commander is very nice man he loan us 14.5s until our .50s come. Like Polish men are very manly men. Now my people have much more freedom now in doing sweeps and how we treat those who get in our way. You know strange thing. We are more popular now we kick butts harder than were when went out of way to be polite. But bad news is some of my people are diverted to providing combat guards on camp. My unit here is small already this cut back on raid interdiction we can do.
Other than this is not so bad now. Is too cold for us we get heavy sweaters to wear. Tell Khun Phil we have English Army Wooly Pully. Food is better now also we begin to have own food again. Went to site of Babylon is strange to see something so old.
Hi Guys,
You have heard now that things got exciting around here. We got word that terrorists were moving into area around us. So we start to swing patrols through villages. On one of these we took first casualty. One of my platoon leaders Captain Chakphol Somboon stepped on an old landmine while patrolling a village about three kilometres from the Lima base camp. He is not badly hurt yet but then we have not discussed why he step on mine.
Big attack came next day. We have warning that attack may come so we have quiet alert. My people are brought in and we set up covering positions. Everything go well until 1300 local then there is intense fire on checkpoint five part of our perimeter. Mortars, much machinegun fire shots from RPG7s. Two of our people were killed instantly and one injured. Dead were Sergeant-Major First Class Amporn Chukerd and Sergeant-Major First Class Mit Klaharn, both of the Army Engineering Corps, and were stationed at the camp's entrance. Please to note great bravery of these men. Even though they know attack is coming they stay on guard at weakest point of camp defenses. Sergeant-Major Amporn had wife and two sons, and Sergeant-Major Mitr had wife and son.
Fire is intended to pin down defenses so that four suicide car bombs can get inside camp to create many casualties there. More fire is directed at number four guard tower. This is crewed by our people and Bulgarians. Major firefight going on between troops on perimeter and attackers. Then car bombs start to try and run through gates. Bad problem. We have only light weapons. My people have M4s. Army engineers have HK33s. Both are 5.56 millimeter Our cook is firing with 9 millimeter Beretta. This is not enough firepower to stop cars when driver is determined to die. Most cars are hit many times. One heading for Bulgarian checkpoint is stopped far out they are lucky have 14.5 millimeter machinegun. We stop one coming at checkpoint five with M19 mounted on my Humvee. That is 2002 Nissan explode on ramp leading to checkpoint five. We think was carrying 500 kilos of explosive and old aircraft rockets. We find one of driver hand on roof of city hall other near to cookhouse. Move that one fast in case cook get bad ideas.
Other two vehicles are truck and taxi. They also make run at checkpoint five. Taxi is hit by 40 millimeter grenades and fire from MG3 machine gun. Grenades do not do much but MG3 rips up taxi very well. It spin stop across road. Truck plow into it both vehicles explode. These hurt none of ours but five Iraqi civilian are killed almost one hundred wounded. So then we do counter-attack. Troops in Lima hold perimeter while mine sweep forward. There is rat-hunt and firefight in houses opposite. In fight like this bad guys have no chance. We kill eleven take five prisoner. For ourselves have two minor wounded. For self have few cuts bruises nothing more. One Iraqi woman point to me ask one of mine who is she. He tell her "the bad thing that happens to bad people."
That is almost end of excitement. Medical unit is overload with work for there are many casualties. Ours Polish Bulgarian Iraqi. Mostly Iraqi. We must return bodies of dead to Thailand for burial by family. But before we do this Colonel Boonchu gets telephone call from President Bush to tell us sorrow for our loss. The our Prime Minister call. See in ours family of dead soldiers get 2 million baht for loss this is about $55,000 dollars. But Prime Minister add another $12,000 from own money. And tell us Army CoS announce both men will be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. This very very important thing for it mean that Army will pick up all cost of sending kids to school and university. One of kids son of Sergeant-Major Mitr want to join Army like his father so by end of day he have appointment at Chulachomklao military academy.
Those we take are interrogated. You know why one join attack? Because he bring his uncle to be treated by our doctors. Only are others there before him so he must wait for his turn to come. He think to wait turn like others this is insult to his honor so he join attack to try get back at doctors nurses who make him wait. How you deal with people like this na?
We make some changes now. We get a heavy weapon section here with 106 millimeter rifles mounted on Humvees. And .50 machine guns. Polish commander is very nice man he loan us 14.5s until our .50s come. Like Polish men are very manly men. Now my people have much more freedom now in doing sweeps and how we treat those who get in our way. You know strange thing. We are more popular now we kick butts harder than were when went out of way to be polite. But bad news is some of my people are diverted to providing combat guards on camp. My unit here is small already this cut back on raid interdiction we can do.
Other than this is not so bad now. Is too cold for us we get heavy sweaters to wear. Tell Khun Phil we have English Army Wooly Pully. Food is better now also we begin to have own food again. Went to site of Babylon is strange to see something so old.
