A U.S. veteran鈥檚 message for Memorial Day (audio)
In 2004, I was embedded in Fallujah, Iraq, with the scouts of the U.S. Marine Raider Platoon of Charlie Company, 1st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. The unit鈥檚 mission: to clear the city of insurgents who had turned it into a hub for kidnapping and bomb-making.
It was a costly monthlong offensive, with more than 70 Americans killed in the biggest fight for the U.S. Marine Corps since Hue City in Vietnam, in 1968.聽The Fallujah offensive was just one battle in the Iraq War, which claimed the lives of more than 4,400 American servicemen and several hundred thousand Iraqis, at least.
During house-to-house fighting in Fallujah I got to know some of the Marines, including Capt. Cameron Albin, who now lives near Fort Worth, Texas.
Captain Albin survived three tours in Iraq and earned a reputation for a quick tongue and a quiet intellectualism. Like many of his comrades, he鈥檚 struggled with the memory of fallen comrades. He鈥檚 experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse, and the suicide of friends.
After years of rehabilitation, Captain Albin has turned a corner. He is now a father. He鈥檚 teaching while working on a Ph.D. He finds solace in sailing.
We hadn鈥檛 spoken in five years 鈥� since the 10th anniversary of Fallujah. For Memorial Day, I gave him a call. I鈥檓 honored to share his remembrances, and part of our conversation.
