Fob Echo, Diwaniya Iraq February 2006

FOB Echo Iraq was a forward operation base near the Babylon site in the city of Diwaniya, in fact the US military put security hesco and fencing around the ruins for protection from all of the goons in the region. This was a hot base and the hajis would lob at least 3 salvos of mortar on us each day. February 06 i was walking from my CHU to the DFAC for lunch and i heard a rocket scream over head at low altitude, sounded like a high performance jet, about the most startling sound I've ever heard.. a hot second later the KBR laundry facility went up in an incredibly loud boom, a huge ball of fire, smoke, dust and debris ...... was the first to the entrance, the place was in flames and lying about 20 feet in the inside the door was the body of this cute girl wearing a blue KBR t shirt, she was folded in half.. i don't believe or at least i tell myself she didn't suffer or felt stress. i still see her face, just a cute girl, kind of mulatto, pretty, just trying to make a living and support her family back in the islands. Shortly after the US brought in Strikers and they raged havoc on the area for several weeks. That was and remained a hot base. Never so glad when i was on Cat Fish Air out of that hole... occasionally like last night, she comes to visit me in my dreams