On this date in 2003, the ground-war in Iraq began in the wee hours of the morning, around 0100 local time. I crossed the border as a team leader with 2nd Sqd, 1st Plt, B Co, 11th EN BN, TF 2-7INF, 1st BDE, 3ID on the initial invasion. I was the second Engineer from my company to cross the border (my driver crossed the border just before me). I was the TC in my M113 (call sign Bulldog 1-2 Alpha) and the .50cal gunner. I didn't know it at the time, but I would cross that border 3 more times before it was all said and done. It seems like ages ago and yet it seems like yesterday.

Jungle Cats Forward
Cottonbalers, By God
ROCK OF THE MARNE

I'm NOT posting this so I get told Thank you for your service, the vast majority of the time I was in the Army, it was my pleasure to serve. I'm posting this because this event set in motion the events that changed my life forever, and it is therapeutic to me to post about it. In many ways, the deployments were easier than the memories from those deployments

I'm cross-posting on the Politics, General, History and Military boards, as well as on Premium

20 years ago, at almost this exact local time, I should have died in Iraq. (about 1230 local time, maybe a little earlier)

We were traveling north and were told that there was a minefield from the first gulf war close to our route and to make sure we stayed in the tracks of the vehicle in front of you. Convoy stops and I turn around in the gunner's hatch just to take in the scope of this huge ass military convoy that I was a part of. There on the ground, in the space between my vehicle and the vehicle behind us, were 5 Anti-Tank mines with OUR tracks going right over them. Luckily, the sand underneath the AT mines was very loose and when we rolled over the top of them, all the mines did was tip over almost on to their sides. I said to my squad leader "hey Chuck, you feeling lucky to be alive, right now?" He asked what I was talking about and I Just pointed to the mines we had just driven over. I told the Soldier who was closest to the radio to switch us over to the Brigade Net and then I Made this Radio call "All stations this net, all stations this net, This is BULLDOG 1-2 Alpha, be advised, we have mines on the ground, I say again, we have mines on the ground." The 1st Brigade commander came over the radio and said "Bulldog 1-2A, this is Raider 6. Can you confirm last statement."
I asked if I needed to get out of my track and check or if seeing my vehicle's tracks going over the top of the AT mines was good enough?
If I said that was my ONLY close call with death in Iraq, I would be lying. At Least 3 times, maybe 4, I SHOULD have died on that deplyment plus another 4 or 5 times where I Could have died. Many times over the years, I have wished I would have