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An enduring friendship

Jan-30-2005 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT , Scott Thorne , Travis Majors

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Soldiers relied on each other in deadly ambush in Mosul and face more struggles in its aftermath

BY SAMUEL BRUCHEY

As he watched his blood drip through the floor panels of the Army Stryker vehicle racing him to a hospital in Mosul, Spc. William Duran thought about his buddies.

That morning, he and six other soldiers - his closest friends - had decided to stop for a smoke along a narrow street. Their routine foot patrol was nearly over.
Then a car rolled up and blocked the entrance to the street behind them. Several gunmen opened fire.

One of the seven Americans was killed. Two others were paralyzed. A bullet shattered Duran's arm "like a potato chip." Only one avoided injury.

"Your brain doesn't let you think," said Duran, 25, of New Mexico. "It's all training, instinct, reaction. Then you snap to and realize what you've been through ... how important your friends are."[...]


So, Barbara and Mark Vogl - whose son, Sgt. James Wingate, was among the seven ambushed - reached out to some friends and politicians on Long Island. They began raising money for the survivors and for the wife and three children of Sgt. Jake Demand, the soldier who died. They will hold a fund-raiser Wednesday at the AMVETS Post 18 in East Islip.

"We want to let them know how important their sacrifice is," said Mark Vogl, who used to live in Bay Shore but now lives in Big Sandy, Texas.

Nothing about that morning had seemed dangerous. Children approached the soldiers with gum and candy. The only shots fired echoed from a party a long way away. No one saw the car cut off the alley.

Demand, 29, a Washington state native, was shot in the legs and killed. A bullet ricocheted off Staff Sgt. Scott Thorne's radio and embedded itself in his head, paralyzing the right side of his body. Pfc. Travis Majors, 24, was paralyzed too, by a bullet to the neck. In fact, of the seven, only Spc. Chris McCracken, 21, of Michigan, escaped injury.

But they dropped belly-down and started firing, then dragged themselves and each other to where the bullets could not reach them. "We couldn't have gotten out of there without each other," said Wingate. "We relied on each other. We were like brothers."[...]


Comments For "An enduring friendship":

I saw the articles about the soldiers mentioned here and wondered what had happened to them. My son came home with the 3/2 in late October, and I am grateful he was spared this type of action. But what a testimony to these men: their bravery, their comraderie, their sacrifice. I am humbled, and I will look at the pictures of Travis and Scott from now on with even more respect for them. God bless all of those who gave their best, and God bless those of the 1/25, who continue the legacy and confront the enemy and danger with such purpose.

Posted by: Sherrie | January 30, 2005 4:46 PM

I would like to sy thankyou to all of you out there that have supported Scott and my family. I am one of Scott's little cousins. It's been tough on me and my family, but it's amazing how many people suported us. Thankyou all. And I'm sorry to those of you that had similar or worse things happen to your loved ones. Support our troops overseas and hope that they come home safe soon.
-Arielle

Posted by: Arielle Estremo | February 3, 2005 7:41 PM

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