"These are just moments. I struggle with the in-betweens."On my way out of Honolulu for the 2004 holidays, I grabbed a Marine Corps Times to read on the flight home. It was Thanksgiving Day, 2004.
HNL to PDX.
I hadn't been able to speak to my love in quite sometime. In the meantime, this incident had happened.
Sadly, it was our own that caused the scare. A US Army artillery unit responded to illumination rounds being fired from the 81mm POS with a battery of howitzers. I have been informed that a battery of howitzers is typically three, and that in a counter-battery response, it is a three round fire for effect of each gun. An estimated ten rounds were fired. Casey told of grabbing his flak and throwing it over his head and crawling into a pit.
One of our dearest friends told me that for the longest time afterward, he would have a panic attack when he would go off to pee. A break to relieve himself is what saved his life. He was sleeping just before the fire. Where he was sleeping was torn to shreds by the rounds; where his head laid was just scraps of fabric left over. Where Casey and other Marines were, pieces of howitzer shells were scattered. Huge scraps of metal resembling a crudely crafted steak knife...
Many Marines in the platoon were injured from the incident, some severely. One of the injured was the platoon commander, Lt. Hollopeter.
It could have been infinitely worse. And it was sad that it was some of our own that dealt the blow. I just have to wonder why no one checked for friendlies in the area before sending counter-battery. That question remains unanswered all these years later. There a many other questions that still remain unanswered, this one is unfortunately low on the list.
