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My Men Are My Heroes:
The Brad Kasal Story

as told to Nathaniel R. Helms (Meredith Books: Des Moines, Iowa, 2007)

For more about this riveting war memoir by a Marine awarded the Navy Cross for valor during the battle of Fallujah, go to Amazon.com.

The quote below is from "Epilogue: Personal Reflections from Brad Kasal, USMC"

The day  I was wounded I certainly didn't start out thinking I should kick  in a door and engage practically hand-to-hand with the enemy  However as I was with my Marines going street by street and house by house, upon learning that wounded Marines were trapped inside a building with terrorists, I knew every second counted. So several other Marines and I charged forward rather than waiting for someone else. To this day many consider it a miracle that I lived after the severe blood loss and trauma caused by seven gunshot wounds and several dozen shrapnel wounds. I simply see it as just the love for a fellow Marine and a little bit of toughness and stubbornness   

Throughout this entire ordeal from the time of being wounded until I was medically evacuated close to an hour later, and despite the multiple wounds and loss of blood, I never lost consciousness or quit my post while guarding that doorway While some may call this heroic, I just call it loyalty It was because I loved the Marine next to me that I was determined to do anything it took to keep him alive, even at my own risk. He would have done the same for me. It's called being a Marine—we're all brothers and a family.  Many times since my injuries occurred people have labeled me a hero. I beg to differ—I believe the true heroes that day were Sergeant Robert Mitchell, Corporal Schaeffer and Corporal Marquez, Private Justin Boswood, and the men of Kilo 3/1 and Weapons Co., 1st CAAT section, who fought to get us all out of the building now called the "House of Hell." I will be forever indebted to these fine professionals.

The word "valor" is often used to describe the actions of many of these Marines. And it is commonly understood to mean "extreme courage." But valor is more than the extreme courage of a single individual. It does take courage to do a valorous act, but that courage is made possible by camaraderie and esprit de corps—of not wanting to leave their fellow man behind. I watched young men do amazing things in order to protect the man next to them. For example, Sergeant Mitchell voluntarily trapped himself inside the same room as myself and Lance Corporal Nicoll. Lance Corporal Marquez and Lance Corporal Schaeffer, the two young Marines who carried me out of the house, ran into the room without their weapons, leaving themselves defenseless so they could have their hands free to carry me out. That showed how much trust they had in the Marines who were covering them.

After seeing many news reports on what is currently happening overseas, I decided to have this book written and tell this story. I remember once while out on patrol we had an embedded reporter from the New York Times along with us. I asked the reporter why his newspaper didn't report the complete story and all the positive things going on over there. And he replied, "I see it, but my editor only wants to hear about deaths and disasters. Helping the Iraqi people doesn't sell papers."  

The biased media have made an impression on the American citizens and the terrorists themselves. Every time the media give airtime to a protestor, it gives another victory to the terrorists rather than to the protestors. And people believe what they read in the paper because it is all the information they have to go on. One time while I was at dinner with a few friends a lady approached me and asked what happened to my leg. At that point I looked like something out of a horror movie and was in a wheelchair. At first she was very concerned. But as soon as I told her I was in the military and injured overseas, she began to go into a long antimilitary tirade about how we don't need a military, and how there's never a reason for a war, and all the service members are dying unnecessarily. Biting back my anger for all the fine men who gave the ultimate sacrifice that she just dishonored, I simply replied with "Ma'am, you're very welcome; I'm sure what you meant to say was 'thank you' to myself and all the other service members who have made sacrifices to give you the freedom to openly make whatever statement you desire."  

I'll be the first to say, as I've seen it numerous times firsthand, that war is an ugly thing. But sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in. We are facing a worldwide enemy who has only one agenda: the complete annihilation of the American way of life. And that enemy will stop at nothing short of that goal.

Freedom has never come free. Whatever your beliefs or political stance, our young service members of all branches are performing remarkably and making a difference. In Iraq combat was only a small part of our overall role. Military service members performed countless humanitarian projects ranging from large-scale items—such as building new schools, hospitals, and community services—to everyday things as small as handing out candy and pencils to children or helping a farmer with a flat tire.   

These valiant young men are helping to bring freedom to a country that was previously without it. They are constantly facing the dangers of IEDs, suicide bombers, and ambushes while they capture or kill terrorists who have no regard for human life.   

Many people are amazed that I wish to return overseas as soon as I'm healthy again. But serving my country is where my heart is. It is my wish that the American media would show the true and complete story of what is really going on overseas and tell the story of how our service members are performing selfless acts of heroism and helping to bring freedom and a better way of life to a country.

A selection of photographic images from My Men Are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story. Photographs by Lucian Read.