I wasn't on the containers at this moment in time, I was stood pretty much where I took that photo, alongside a few of the lads from my platoon and a load of US marines.
It was at this point, I turned on my head cam and made sure to record this in the case of something.
And thank fuck I did.
Some of the US Marines then collectively decided to get people of that path, where he was walking, to ensure safety, whilst myself and the lads in my platoon were going to stay by the containers to try and maintain the crowds from getting past.
The Marines had probably taken no more than ten steps from where I was stood when he walked over, and it went off.
Instantly, I was blown back, hitting the container behind me. And I was out for a good few seconds. Everything was black. My ears ringing, eyes burning, head hurting and spinning, my back in agony.
After about two or three minutes, my sight began to clear, and one of my lads pulled me up, like literally grabbed me by my collar and got me on my feet, checking I was alive.
That's when the muffled voices of the lads in my platoon became a bit more clearer, but that's when the agonising screams and cries became loud and clear.
I rubbed the back of my head, and it felt wet. I looked at my hand, and I had blood on my hands, my own blood. I was bleeding from the head.
I then looked around and there was blood and bodies, body parts, everywhere. The smell was, it- it was, well, the smell of death. Everywhere.
I cannot describe it any more than that, or i'll make myself sick again.
Quickly it became a mission to evacuate ourselves away from this, and so I got pulled up the container, getting onto the other side before we had to literally just run, run and run. For our lives.
I felt like my legs were going to cave in at any given moment, but I somehow managed to keep running. I managed to run with the lads and eventually get to the bunker where the rest of our platoon had re-grouped.
Photo, the morning of the August 26th attack.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Day 13, August 27th.
I keep replying yesterday over and over constantly.
I've been put on bed rest for now. My head hurts, but it just needed a few stitches, other than that, I was fine. Physically anyway.
How the fuck do I comprehend the events of yesterday.
I've re-watched the video on my head cam god knows how many times. It captures it all. Every single bit of it.
