Sgt. William Olas Bee, a U.S. Marine from the 24th Marine
Expeditionary Unit, has a close call after Taliban fighters opened
fire near Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan May in this 18,
2008 file photo. Goran Tomasevic: If I hadn't already been pointing
the camera at the Marine when the bullet hit the wall, there is no way
I would have been able to react quickly enough to take those pictures.
Moments earlier I had been lazing around in Afghanistan's blistering
desert heat, fending off waves of giant ants, wondering when I might
get to test my new 24 mm lens.
Gunshots rang out from beyond the perimeter of the compound the U.S.
Marines were guarding in the district of Garmser, a Taliban stronghold
in Helmand province, the biggest opium-producing region on the planet.
I grabbed my boots and cameras and ran to look. The Marines had
spotted some Taliban moving around the compound some 200 meters away.
I took a quick look over the wall but couldn't see any Taliban. Then
the gunfire began again. The Marines opened up with heavy machine
guns. The Taliban answered back with single shots.
I thought I'd better go back and put some trousers on. I also grabbed
my flak jacket, helmet and some water. As soon as I got outside the
firing erupted again.
Sergeant William Bee was there with his M-16 rifle. He stood up and
aimed his rifle over the wall. Suddenly it seemed to explode from an
incoming round and Bee was down.
I dropped my cameras and jumped towards him. I felt his head and neck
expecting to find blood, but there was none. He was breathing, but
unconscious.
I picked up my cameras and shot a few more pictures, then went back to
see how Bee was doing. When I found him, he was grinning from ear to
ear. It was his lucky day. He hadn't been hit or seriously hurt.
Autor: Goran Tomasevic, Reuters