Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Patty Justice

Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) | 7303rd Medical Training Support Battalion, 1st Medical Training Brigade

Justice describes dealing with the locals and their injuries. Most were mild mannered civilians, but occasionally someone would show up on the HIDE test as either Taliban or former Taliban. Justice describes the HIDE test as well as an incident in which she and the other members of the FST were reminded that they could not always trust everyone that came through the doors of the F.O.B. (4:03)
Justice details a too-close-for-comfort interaction with a vehicle-borne IED. The IED came as a complete surprise and the entire F.O.B. fell into what Justice could only describe as “chaos” immediately following the explosion. She suffered several injuries and had to work with the nurses back in Bagram and depend on the friendship of comrade Colonel Ellison to come back from the injuries. (17:18)
Paul Berry

Operation Desert Storm | Multiple Units

Paul Berry worked hard to get into college. He made it but, once he was there, it wasn't working out for him. He didn't want to go home so he joined the Army. At basic training he learned responsibility and camaraderie and he was the fastest runner in the group. (5:41)
The 514th Ambulance Company got orders for Desert Storm. Medic and driver Paul Berry was ready to go. His experience there would be very different from his experiences in his Army career after he returned. (4:35)
Everybody had been through EMT training, thanks to the foresight of the commander of the 36th Medical Battalion. Paul Berry was a medic and ambulance driver who made a little investment before the Desert Storm deployment. He stocked up on something that he could sell for a tidy profit. (5:55)
The C-130 had a bad engine so there was a long delay waiting to take off for Saudi Arabia. This made Paul Berry very uneasy. It was going to be a long flight and you tell me there's engine trouble? The 36th Medical Battalion made it just fine, though, and got right down to business with immunizations and pills. (4:24)
Paul Berry was looking for the French Foreign Legion. It was pitch dark and his destination was a post on the Saudi side of the border with Iraq. He was leading a convoy of ambulances when, suddenly, they were confronted by a lot of men waving AK-47's. (Caution: strong language) (5:52)
Paul Berry's squad from the 514th Ambulance Company was attached to a POW camp for Iraqis. It was just across the border in Saudi Arabia and they were there to provide medical care and triage the incoming prisoners. He always asked anyone he examined if they spoke English. One soldier said in perfect English, "No, I don't speak English." This started quite a scene. (7:11)
While treating Iraqi prisoners during Desert Storm, medic Paul Berry had a couple of experiences that really disturbed him. One was having to peel the skin from a badly burned soldier. The other was when a group of children were brought in. They had been hit by a cluster bomb. (Caution: strong language) (5:42)
They were supposed to be getting eight bodies but twelve body bags came in. Paul Berry was in the Saudi desert next to the Iraqi border and he was fortunate he didn't have to deal with those extra four bags. (3:08)