From Message Board: Below is excerpts of an email to a father of a soldier in Iraq. Sender gave his name but requested last name be withheld. Photos came with the email. Webmaster

Dad,

Got ambushed three or so days ago.  Were driving on a hwy inside of Baghdad and came up on a car that was suspiciously, driving slow in front of us and apparently was trying to keep us from passing.  The guys in the first truck of our 3 truck (F350) convoy shot warning shots at the truck for him to move.  He didn't.  They shot some holes in the car and eventually we passed him.  I was in the last truck in the back manning a .50 cal machine gun and hadn't heard what was happening due to our poor communication and dispersion.  As soon as we got past him, small arms fire raked around us.  I could see tracers flying by my head and I searched for muzzle flashes.  I found them, about 50 meters to our right rear flank.  I then opened up on them with APIT (armor piercing incendiary tracer) and got all of them I think.  They were hiding behind a berm off of the road.  I fired about 40 - 50 rounds point blank into their position. 

I had noticed 5 - 6 muzzle flashes and they were neutralized instantaneously.  Score one for the good ol' USA.  No one got hit and as it turned out, the ambushers became the ambushed.  

Anyway, I thought that I'd let you know that I was still alive and just signed a 6 month extension.

Pictures are of (the Soldier & patrol), the .50 cal machine gun, and the patrol vehicles near  the Tigris

Scot