Again, Where Do We Find These Guys...?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
"I was planning on re-enlisting that day for a while now. Why should I let something like this change my mind?” - PFC Daniel Weber, wounded on the way to his re-enlistment ceremony on June 13th.
PFC Bradley Clark reports on an interesting day for PFC Daniel Weber:
...Weber’s company commander, Capt. Bradley Nelson, was in a convoy heading to Forward Operating Base Marez for a meeting and Weber just hitched a ride so he could re-enlist.
“We were riding along just fine when we heard over the radio that Delta Troop was in some trouble, so we decided to turn around and help them out because we had a medic with us,” said Weber.
When the convoy had decided to turn around, Weber, along with his fellow Soldiers, was surprised at what happened next.
An improvised explosive device detonated right beside their vehicle.
The concussion of the blast rattled through the vehicle, blowing Weber out of the vehicle.
“I knew we got hit,” said Weber. “I thought I was dead. I slid on the concrete for at least 20 meters.”
As Weber lay on the ground his adrenaline began to take control of him.
“I couldn’t feel my legs, but I realized I had to stand up and get back to my truck for cover,” recalls Weber.
Weber ran over to his commander and helped him back into the vehicle and then recovered his driver’s weapon.
“The blast forced my door open all the way trapping the driver in the vehicle,” said Weber. “As I helped him fix the door I could feel my sleeve stick to my arm and that’s when I knew I was hurt.”
The convoy regrouped and rushed to an Iraqi military base nearby, where Weber was seen by U.S. Navy doctors.
“The docs thought my arm was broken but they weren’t sure, so they cleaned me up and rushed me over to the Iraqi troop medical center for an X-ray,” said Weber.
Weber’s X-ray came back negative.
Right after Weber received the results of his X-ray, Nelson told him that he could be on a flight to FOB Marez, if he still wanted to re-enlist.
“My sergeant asked me if it was something I still wanted to do,” said Weber. “I want to re-up to get the guys that did this.”
After a short helicopter ride, Weber landed and re-enlisted on the landing pad...
PFC Weber is married and has two brothers in the military.
Pfc. Daniel Weber, cavalry scout, 2nd Platoon, Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment re-enlists June 13 at the helicopter landing pad on Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq. Just hours prior to Weber re-enlisting, he was wounded in and improvised explosive device attack. (Photo by Ted Tae, Platoon Magazine)