NY Times: A medic's day - bandages & prayers for platoon

NY Times: A medic's day - bandages & prayers for platoon
RAW STORYPublished: Wednesday November 1, 2006

Reporter C.J. Chivers writes a stark, no holds barred account of a day in the life of a Marine medic, in an article set to appear in the Thursday edition of the New York Times.

Chivers tells of his experience being alongside Petty Officer 3rd Class Dustin E. Kirby, a trauma medic assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. "Everyone calls him Doc," writes Chivers.

"He had just finished treating a Marine who had been shot by an Iraqi sniper."

After a dramatic telling of how Kirby tried to save the life of his fellow Marine, Chivers writes in chilling detail how the medic manages in his own way to stave off the emotional pain of what he encounters on a regular basis in Iraq.

It is a powerful report about the struggles and the fortitude of American soldiers in the heart of combat. The full story can be read here (registration restricted).

Excerpts from the article follow...
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He reached into his pocket and retrieved the bullet, which he had found. "The impact with the Kevlar stopped most of it," he said. "But it tore through, hit his head, went through and came out."

He put the bullet in his breast pocket, to give to an intelligence team later. Sweat kept rolling off his face, mixed with tears. His voice was almost cracking, but he managed to control it and keep it deep. "When I got there, there wasn't much I could do," he said.

Then he nodded. He seemed to be talking to himself. "I kept him breathing," he said.

He looked at Lance Cpl. Matias Tafoya, his driver, and raised his voice. It was almost a shout.

"When I told you that I do not let people die on me, I meant it," he said. "I meant it."

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