| "One of the phrases most often used by US Military fighting in Iraq is, "Hey, check THIS shit out!". Never was that phrase more appropriate then when my Fire Team had to open up on an Iraqi vehicle refusing to stop at our checkpoint. After refusing to heed either the warning signs or the verbal orders the single male occupant gunned his engine and tried to force his way in to the checkpoint. The result of his action was instantaneous and devastating. Both gun towers opened up as did every Joe with a weapon and the car was immediately shredded and coasted slowly to a halt. As our team approached the car with weapons poised to check on the occupant we noticed he appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel. On closer examination we saw something that curled our toes: Not only was the driver's head peeled open at the top like one of those eggs in ALIENS but we noticed the skull cavity was empty. That's when we saw his nearly intact brain sitting in the rear passenger seat almost directly behind him. His brains had literally been blown out. If you portrayed something like this in a movie nobody would believe it, hence the origin of our oft used phrase, "Hey, check THIS shit out!" - Don Gaffney, Los Angeles
"The craziest brush with death I ever had was actually the first time I became aware of my own mortality. I had enlisted in the U.S. Navy to get a second degree in Broadcast Journalism right after 9/11. I figured I would get a nice desk job in San Diego or Norfolk, Virginia but, after graduation, I drew orders to be a combat videographer in Afghanistan. Luck of the Irish my ass! Less than 300 Sailors on the ground in Afghanistan and my jinxed ass had to be one of them. I didn't need a crystal ball to know what would happen to me if I were sent to a war zone but that's where I was headed. I became self-destructive which culminated into a two-day long drinking binge which put me in the emergency with a catheter shoved so far up my urethra they just hooked the bag up to my anus." - Kevin McQueen, Los Angeles
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