marine patrol base

Alamo Part 2

This is the second part to my “Alamo” story. I have tried to recreate this event, locales and conversations from my memories of them. Writing this post has been a challenge. In order to maintain their anonymity, in some instances I have changed the names and home towns of individuals Read more…

afghan buildings

Alamo

    Rules of War: Young warriors die You cannot change Rule #1 Someone must walk point I’m writing this post about a day I lived and should have died, in August 2010. It was nearing the end of my seven month deployment. “Alamo” is the code-word used over the Read more…

afghan village

Afghanistan 2010

Musa Qala, Helmand Province “The British were chickens, but these men… the American Marines…They fight like animals, like they’re not even human.” -Intercepted radio transmission from a Taliban commander after losing Karamanda to 1st Battalion of the 2nd Marine Regiment. May 2010. Afghanistan is notoriously nicknamed “the graveyard of empires“. Empire Read more…