In my last column, I told you about Frank Wallman, a Marine who served in Afghanistan in 2009. His unit established an American presence deep in southern Helmand Province. First, it was sent to dig in outside the British Camp Bastion. From there, it built Camp Dwyer further south, which would supply and command three southern forward operating bases, or FOBs.
“It was literally a summer of nothing but loss,” Wallman said.
Wallman’s unit reached its empty desert FOB location, a place named Fiddler’s Green, after the name of a special heaven to which fallen artillery men are said to go. No dirt berm or wire. An officer assured them that engineers would arrive soon to build some fortifications. In the meantime, the Marines dug the shallow one-man fighting holes the military calls “hasty fighting positions,” graves for the living. Soon they took mortar and sniper fire. The Marines did what Marines do. They held their ground.
Eventually, a perimeter was established and artillery arrived. No latrines or electricity. For three months without tents, the men slept in hot vehicles to avoid snakes and scorpions.
Supply and administration Marines, having nothing to do on the primitive base, were dubbed provisional infantry and fought where needed. Wallman’s Mk 19 gunner was an admin clerk who wanted to fight. He got his chance. “A supply guy earned medals after taking a grenade to the face,” Wallman said. “He lived.”
During the summer of 2009, the Taliban coordinated a massive offensive, hitting every base with mortars, direct fire, and rocket-propelled grenades. Fighting was endless. Fiddler’s Green artillery constantly fired in support of the other two FOBs. After a third helicopter was shot down, an infantry company was dispatched to collect bodies. The Taliban hit the unit at the crash site as well as that company’s undermanned base.
All roads were mined with improvised explosive devices. Our military was trained to watch for suspicious objects by the road, but these IEDs were concealed by sand and placed every 50 feet. A 15-vehicle security force was dispatched from Fiddler’s Green to help an attacked FOB. It was hit within 300 feet. Wallman’s squad was sent to recover casualties. IEDs hit more vehicles. Six of 15 trucks were lost. Wallman’s squad was ordered to remain on the FOB. The convoy halted to make a stand overnight.
Medevac helicopters couldn’t be used since all flights in the area were halted. Wallman’s team was repeatedly sent to assist attacked convoys. On one such mission, Wallman’s unit was stopped by a disabled lead vehicle. The unit destroyed that truck and piled into the second one. Two vehicles crossed a field and stream, taking fire until they finally reached the trapped convoy. They gathered casualties, started heading back, and were lit up again. In the distance were bright lights.
“We were sure we were f***ed,” Wallman said. They were low on ammunition, and with so many wounded, they considered placing casualties on the hood. But the lights belonged to a 25-vehicle American convoy. Wallman’s team was helped back to base.
The hard fighting and miserable living conditions continued all summer. Wallman recalled a resupply mission to Camp Dwyer: “Seventy vehicles blown to s***. Blood splattered on the windows.”
Wallman survived the heat, filth, fear, and fighting only to face a final loss. Being a hardcore Marine, in the midst of that bloody summer, he signed up for reenlistment. However, since the combat zone was too hot, the papers could not be flown to headquarters for more required signatures. When Wallman returned to America shortly before Christmas, he had 30 days to vacate base housing, his enlistment over.
I was amazed by Wallman’s composure as he told his story. He clearly both laments and honors, as we all must, the incredible service and sacrifice of so many great Americans.
Trent Reedy, author of several books including Enduring Freedom, served as a combat engineer in the Iowa National Guard from 1999 to 2005, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
*Some names and call signs in this story may have been changed due to operational security or privacy concerns.
