In remembrance of those fell

An “aha” moment – a time when make that brilliant “I’m going to do it” decision.

I got mine after reading “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell and studying up on my favorite Purple Heart recipient, Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter.

It sounds crazy, but for some reason a moving film about Marines fighting to save our country and their ensuing brotherhood inspired me to start my search for a military career.

It wasn’t until after I read the story of a Spokane local, Ty Carter, and how he was willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for our country that I was convinced to join the U.S. Army.

Carter was deployed to Afghanistan with his unit, the Black Knight Troop of the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, as a cavalry scout in 2009.

The unit was sent to Combat Outpost Keating, one of the country’s most remote and vulnerable outposts. It was located deep in a valley surrounded by mountains.

Soldiers stationed there often referred to the outpost as “the fishbowl,” since the soldiers were easy targets there.

It was October 3, 2009, when the Battle of Kamdesh took place.

Roughly 300 Taliban fighters were hidden in the hills surrounding the outpost. They fired using rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars and other small arms.

Carter was tasked with resupply, and reports say he, “ran at least twice through a 100-meter gauntlet of enemy fire to resupply ammunition to the men in the vehicle.”

He voluntarily stayed with them to defend it as the tires on the Humvee were flattened by an array of bullets.

Carter and his battle buddies knew they needed to move swiftly and remain alert. So, he assisted a fellow soldier in providing cover for three others as they attempted to run to safety. Two of the men were hit and went down. Specialist Stephan Mace could not be found.

Carter returned fire with his rifle and stayed covered in the Humvee for hours. After the smoke cleared, he eventually spotted Mace, wounded, about 30 yards away.

He ran through rocket-propelled grenades and machine-gun fire to reach Mace and conduct triage. Carter then carried Mace back through the heavy gunfire to the Humvee.

He returned from the vehicle to recover the squad’s radio, which allowed them to coordinate an evacuation.

Reports say that much of the outpost had caught fire by that point. Several other soldiers lay wounded inside.

So, Carter left the safety of cover again, grabbed a chainsaw and cut down a burning tree, saving the aid station from flames.

It would take more than 12 hours longer for reinforcements to arrive.

Mace didn’t survive; he died in surgery hours later.

As a college student first, I view the military as the “last resort if college doesn’t work out” stigma.

Before I enlisted, didn’t understand what it would have meant to be someone willing to die in arms with comrades. Still, I admired the courage and confidence people gained from enlisting.

Carter was just one of many people I have come to admire greatly for their bravery.

But as I think back, stories such as Marcus Luttrell’s and the loss of his three best friends – whom he had known throughout his entire military career and adult life -- hit differently now.

As a soldier, I now realize that despite being total strangers, there are people whom I would be honored to serve with in combat. I met many at basic training at Fort Sill and advanced training at Fort Huachuca.

As the world changes and becomes an increasingly more intense battlefield, I am grateful to have known some of the best people I could ever call friends.

Luttrell once said, “In death as in life, we stand together, always a family, always a team. The brotherhood never dies.”

Carter didn’t let Mace die in the dirt alone. Luttrell lived, so as not to let his fallen friends die for nothing.

Memorial Day is a solemn day for all those who served as well as all Americans.

Every service member has a story to tell. And this weekend, we honor those who can no longer tell their own.

I am grateful and blessed to be born in a country where people find that brotherhood – and sisterhood – through military service.

A service that strives to protect not just its own, but those in need – at any cost.

We cannot forget those who gave their lives defending our freedoms and protecting those of others.

Olivia Harnack is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette and a member of the Army National Guard. Email her at [email protected].