Hello all.

I'm a novelist and one of the characters in my current book is a veteran of the current Iraq war.

I've interviewed all the vets I know (and a few of their friends), but I believe that there is no such thing as too much research, so I'm reaching out to your community for some help.

Specifically, I'd like to know the following. Please be as visceral as possible.

1) What did it feel like to be over there both physically (sight, smell, noise, temp, humidity, etc.) and emotionally?

2) What does it feel like to close to an exploding bomb (sight, smell, noise, etc.)?

3) Were you injured? If so, how and what did it feel like?

4) What's the most scary thing that happened over ther?

5) What was the saddest thing?

Thanks so much in advance for sharing your stories. I assure you that I'm not looking to "rip off" anyone's personal tale, just trying to make my book as authentic as possible.

- Adam

1) What did it feel like to be over there both physically (sight, smell, noise, temp, humidity, etc.) and emotionally?
Nothing but ragheads everywhere you look
like sand
really quiet, until the rounds stand coming in
really frigging hot
does humitity get above 100%??
drained and wondering when I'm gonna get a nice cold beer


2) What does it feel like to close to an exploding bomb (sight, smell, noise, etc.)?
bright flash
stink of cordite
still deaf in one ear so its really, really loud

3) Were you injured? If so, how and what did it feel like?
the doc's put my right eye back in my head

4) What's the most scary thing that happened over ther?
couldn't find a cold beer

5) What was the saddest thing
couldn't find a cold beer

IF YOU WANT A GREAT STORY ABOUT THE MILITARY, I HAVE ONE, IT IS ABOUT A MARINE AND BEING HOMELESS WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY.

GRUN331,

That would be hell, being homeless while on active duty, I know, during my time in Desert Storm, I was without any home, and without a home upon my return. I finally found a job, worked awhile until saving enough money to get my own place, then one day Miss Right came along and changed my whole world. Yes, its tough, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel .. one just has to open their eyes and be thankful for being alive to see it.

Bumb. I want to get tom fart's crappy "poetry" as far down as possible.