Daily Happenings in Iraq

"On February 20, 2004, at approximately 0955 hours, while on vehicle patrol as a gunner of MSR Tampa (North) between Balad, AFB and Taji, FOB I observed a large military truck (Hemmit) that was broken down on the right side of the roadway. As we approached, I noticed a Hemmit wrecker backing up to hook the broken truck up for towing purposes. I also observed a soldier behind the wrecker attempting to ground-guide the wrecker into place. It was apparent that the driver did not see the ground-guide and backed over him. The soldier, who was acting as ground-guide, later identified as SFC Bacon, was taken into the wheel-well of the vehicle and crushed by the weight of the wrecker. At this time bystanders were yelling at the driver to stop and the driver put the vehicle in “drive” and pulled forward, running over SFC Bacon’s body, again.

My squad leader, SSG Morris, had previously given me a Med-Evac request card and I began to fill it out with the information I could obtain. I called for a medical support helicopter as our medic, SGT Samantha Baskette disembarked the vehicle and began to render first aid. SFC Bacon was pronounced dead on scene and after the helicopter retrieved SFC Bacon’s body, we returned to routine patrol operations."

The events of that day still haunt me. I can see his body being pulled into the wheelwell like a cartoon character under a steamroller...