Friends, keep in mind as you read this I have not heard from Nate since Aug 26th, 2007...
Emmett
---------Vol 12----------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 09:36:45 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Still Alive...Manifestations of God
Where to begin. I guess first and foremost, I hope this email finds you all well. It has been an interesting couple of days over her in Iraq for me. I believe that would be an understatement.
If news hasn't hit you by now, the truck I was driving was hit by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) on Sunday afternoon. We were initially just going to investigate some suspicious behavior, which didn't amount to much. We decided to stretch the patrol out and make a big loop back to our patrol base. About a quarter mile down the road we came across a bridge that crossed a canal. I remember vividly the trucks in front of us calling up saying that the bridge was narrow and to be careful. I was driving the trail truck and kind of laughing at comments because the bridge was plenty wide enough for our Humvee. It was in that very moment when we were half way across the bridge that the IED went off.
It all happened so fast. The blast removed the entire front end of my Humvee. I remember a giant brown cloud engulfing the truck and then time almost froze as we teetered on the edge of what was left of the bridge. Then we slid down into the 4-5 foot deep crater left from the blast.
I was definitely a bit disoriented at first, not completely realizing what happened. I remember grabbing the radio hand mic trying to call up that we had been hit, but it was dead because we didn't have any power. By that time everyone in my patrol already knew we had been hit. In fact they were firing the guns mounted on their trucks, at what I had no idea. The four of us that were in the vehicle gave an up letting the other know we were alright, as far as we could tell. I shuffled through the debris of metal and wires trying to find my gun in the center console. I stuck it out the side of the truck where my door used to be and started shooting down the canal.
After emptying half a magazine down the canal at anything that moved I made an attempt to exit the vehicle. The steering column had been broken off somewhere and was buried in my lap. What used to be the driver's compartment, where I was sitting, was now about a quarter to a third smaller. The medic that was sitting in the seat behind me had to take his gear off to climb out of the truck because his door would not open wide enough. I was fortunate in that my door had been conveniently removed by the blast. I'll remind you that those doors with all the armor on them weigh in close to 350 pounds. Not a light toss at all. We found it a good 15 feet from the truck.
After the four of us exited the remnants of the vehicle we collected on the back side of the truck opposite the direction of fire from our vehicles. Doc gave us a preliminary look over and made sure we didn't have any serious injuries. It would take about an hour for the adrenaline to wear off before we began to realize what was actually hurting. I knew right off that something was wrong with my mouth because I was spitting up blood. I had smashed the side of my jaw on the dash of my truck some time within the series of events before my truck came to a stop in a crater. I had something burning on my left shoulder which I found out was a piece of hot metal about the size of a nickle that got wedged between my body armor and my body.
Stone after IED.JPG
It was almost 4 hours before we got to pull off of that site. We did find a secondary IED farther down the road waiting for us. And then when we were pulling out we saw someone spooling out wire to get us with yet another IED as we pulled out.
The reality of what happened hit me when I saw the remains of my truck after it has been pulled out of the hole and was being towed by the wrecker. Psalm 3 is the theme verse that I have asked people to pray over me and my men while I am in the military, particularly verse 3, which reads: "But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high."
When it comes to living a relationship with God based on faith, one downfall that I see most often is not giving God enough credit and not recognizing the manifestations of God here on earth. People are easy to give credit to science for healing, or equipment for protection, or not seeing the justice in tragedy. I know that one thing the Army always tells you is to trust your equipment, but make sure that you have a backup just in case. Kind of contradictory if you ask me. I told my parents when I first talked to them that God manifested himself in the form of an up-armored Humvee today and saved my life. Saint Augustine said it perfectly when he spoke of faith. He said, "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." Saving my life and the lives of the other three soldiers in my Humvee was the first manifestation of God through this incident.
Just as a precautionary measure I was put on a litter when I was transported to the hospital on the main FOB. After the adrenaline from the blast wore off both of my ankles hurt incredibly bad and the range of motion in my right arm was limited, along with severe pain my jaw.
X-rays of my feet and arm were free of any breaks, more than likely just bruised from the floorboard of the truck being punched up from the blast. Initial examination thought that my jaw might have been broken because I was having such difficulty talking. I would have to fly out of that FOB to another one where they could do a CT scan to determine if my jaw was in fact broken. Within that time I was able to get in touch with my parents and inform them of my situation. They were able to talk to the doctor that examined me and I think his comments and assessment of the situation calmed them down a little bit.
I arrived early this morning, around 3 am, in Balad where the CT scan came back negative for a jaw fracture. I know that I have had many people praying for my safety and recovery and can't help but know that it is an answer to prayer that my injuries are not more severe than they are. And that brings me to my second point, faith and prayer are the ingredients for allowing God to do amazing things in our lives. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of faith by saying, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." And such is life with God through prayer. It may seem like just going through the motions, just as taking one step, but that one step will change your elevation and your relationship with God.
I will let you all know that my prayers the past couple days have been prayers of thanksgiving, for the protection and safety of me and my men, the prayers of people like you all that shower us every day, and for the manifestations of God in our lives. I will be honest with you when I say that if I never get hit by another IED I will be a happy person, but I know that God can be seen in the face of tragedy. If it is through this incident that you are able to see God's hand or even strengthen your own faith, than it has been a worth-while sacrifice. I am holding firm to Proverbs 24:16 which reads: "The godly my trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked." (thanks Amy) They may have knocked me down, but they didn't knock me out of the fight. I love you all and will continue to keep you in my prayers.
Soldier for God and Country,
N8
Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. - Elton Trueblood
-------------------vol 13------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:08:19 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Fallen, but not forgotten...
Subject: Fallen, but not forgotten...
Greetings. I hope that this email finds you all well. My last update revealed the details of the IED incident that I was involved in on the 28th of January. My initial status report was a bit more severe than what it turned out to be. My injuries did not warrant me to travel to Germany for recovery. I had a bruised jaw, a couple of traumaized teeth, and a second degree burn on my right shoulder blade from a piece of hot metal that wedged between me and my gear. I am going to have to get a root canal, possibly two, near the end of this coming week.
After four days of waiting and traveling I finally linked back up with my unit on Saturday. It was such a joy to finally be reunited with my guys. There was a look of surprise on thier faces as well because they had heard a number of rumors and stories about my physical condition, all of which were severely exaggerated. It was just good to finally see some familiar faces.
My return had not been anticipated so soon so I was placed on kind of a reserve status by my platoon sergeant. I wasn't exactly thrilled about this arrangement because I don't like sitting on the sidelines. I like being in the thick of things. It didn't take long for the restrictions to be lifted off me. We had a platoon take contact and I had just gotten off shift. I still had my gear on and was one of the first guys in the truck to roll out the gate to respond.
I still find myself reliving the accounts of the IED that hit my truck. It is as if it is stuck on replay in my mind. I know that the thoughts running through my mind only distract me from my job at hand. I am reminded though of the words that Paul wrote to his friend Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6-7. Paul is writing to Timothy words to encourage him even though Paul himself has taken up residence in a jail cell. The words of Paul read: "This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." I know that God has blessed me immensely since I arrived here in Iraq and I am confident that He will continue to do the same. I know that the continual reliving of my incident are only a distraction to stir up fear. I know that they are able to be overcome through God.
In the past week I have been woken up from either a nap or a movie to the distinct crack of AK-47 gunfire and the whiz of bullets flying over the courtyard near my room. There is a mad rush to throw on my gear and rush to the roof to get in on the action, but there usually is nothing happening by the time I get up there. Bummer.
All of a sudden though, my own situation seems so trivial and unimportant. On the 11th of February a truck from my platoon was hit by an IED while returning back from a mission that I was not a part of. The incident seriously injured Specialist Lowry and took the life of Sergeant Kurtz. I don't know that I could ever put into words the confusion, frustration, loss, or rage that is circulating around my platoon.
I know that the reality of my platoon's loss has not really sunk in yet. I was tasked out to help pack up Sergeant Kurtz' belongings and came across his Bible. Maybe I shouldn't have, but I opened the Bible up. Inside the cover of the Bible he had Psalm 27 and Psalm 35 written. There was also a tear-off sheet from a daily Bible verse calendar that had John 15:15 on it. It reads "Greater love hath no man that he lay down his life for his friend." I don't want Sergeant Kurtz to be mourned as just another statistic that you read about on the news or hear about on the television, because I know that he was more than that. He was a son, a brother, a friend, a brother in arms. There is more to the men that fall in battle than just what you hear about on the news. They are men and women that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
In this time of loss for my platoon and company, please keep the family of Specialist Lowry as he recovers, and the family of Sergeant Kurtz in their time of loss. And for my platoon, please pray that we are able to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts and try to drive on and continue our mission. I am speechless as far as what else to say. I can only think that I would be appropriate to close with the words from Psalm 27 in honor of Sergeant Kurtz. Though you have fallen, you are not forgotten. We love you and continue the fight for you, your brothers in arms.
Psalm 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Soldier for God and Country,
Sgt. N8 Stone
----------------end of Vol 13----------------
We can learn alot from this young hero...
God Bless our Soldiers.
Emmett
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Comments: 14
Thank-you, Emmett, and I hope you hear from him very soon.
the best! :-D
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IRAN IS KILLING YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN IRAQ.
MOQTADA AND HIS DOGS ARE DOING ALL THESE STUFF BY THE HELP OF OUR RESPECTABLE GOV!!! I FEEL VERY SAD TO SEE US SOLDIERS KILLED BY IRANIAN IED.
DOMN WITH IRAN
I cry every time I read these posts yet I believe that Nate writes them for the world to hear about reality as a service member. Every time I hear a Democrat not stand united with our military I think about the lives that are being sacrificed to protect their uncaring ways for other human beings (Iraqi people) while we sit in our 24 hour electricity and shop at market places without fear of being car bombed etc etc etc. I am hoping God has Nate safely tucked away. I know when my son was in the field there was no way to communicate for weeks so perhaps Nate is also in such a situation. I pray for him like a son and his platoon. I pray God will bring him home to his family and loved ones safely and in one piece. This is truely one of God's special children and may he be able to communicate to someone soon.
Thank you so from the depth of my heart for sharing Nate Stone with me and others on Gather. I am so touched by his letters I cannot even put into words. I wish to know him better one day. God bless you. Jeanne