Paid In Full

(Note: This was originally published to my Facebook wall on 26 JUN 14 for Throwback Thursday, #tbt.)

What were you doing six years ago? (26 JUN 08) I will give you a hint. This date in 2008 also happened on a Thursday. Yeah, I cannot think of anything important I was doing either. However, there were a couple of important events associated with that day in History.

• The Supreme Court ruled in the District of Columbia v. Heller case, that the ban on handguns in the District was unconstitutional.
• A young, relatively unknown Senator from Illinois was still celebrating his nominee as the Democratic Party Candidate for President.

On the other side of the world, US service men and women were serving in harm’s way and seven men gave their lives.

Operation ENDURING FREEDOM XII (Afghanistan)
Staff Sergeant Edgar A. Heredia, USMC, 28 – Houston, TX
Sergeant First Class Matthew L. Hilton, USARNG, 37 – Livonia, MI
Sergeant First Class Joseph A. McKay, USARNG, 51 – Brooklyn, NY
Specialist Mark C. Palmateer, USARNG, 38 – Poughkeepsie, NY

Operation IRAQI FREEDOM
Lieutenant Colonel Max A. Galeai, USMC, 42 – Pago Pago, American Samoa
Captain Philip J. Dykeman, USMC, 38 – Brockport, NY
Corporal Marcus W. Preudhomme, USMC, 23 – North Miami Beach, FL

This is about one of those men.

A young, first generation Mexican (both he and parents are/were legal residents of USA) US Marine while serving in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), gave his life. Staff Sergeant Edgar A. Heredia a Team Leader with 2nd MSOB (Marine Special Operations Battalion—MARSOC) was leading a team; their mission was to search and locate a suspected insurgent location between Farah and Herat provinces.

The Team made their pre-dawn search through a canyon on Humvees when they traveled around a near hairpin switchback to find their trail was blocked by a disabled Toyota Land Cruiser and a flatbed truck. The Team dismounted and set up security. The make-up of the Team included other MARSOC Marines, a US Navy SARC (Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman), a Special Forces Medic (Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Clouse), and some Afghan National Army soldiers. To the West and East were high, near vertical cliffs; to the North a boxed canyon with only a few foot trails the insurgents were suspected of using; to the South the entrance to the canyon they had just traveled.

I can imagine everyone’s Spidey sense start tingling on overdrive. It was a perfect place for an ambush, but they pushed on. This was their mission and you don’t get to call in sick. The Team started seeing signs of recent activity: fresh tracks, litter, spent casings. In that moment between realizing you were about to be hit but before you could issue orders to fall back, all hell broke loose and descended upon them from above. Sniper fire, automatic weapons (machine guns), small arms fire, RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and hand thrown grenades.

In the initial volley, several ANA soldiers, and Team Leader SSgt Heredia were hit. The Assistant Team Leader assumes command and starts directing fire and maneuver. The SF medic, SFC Clouse left his position guarding the Humvees, running towards the gunfire to help suppress the enemy and treat the wounded. He pulled them back to the Humvees and began assessing and treating. The SARC pulled another WIA to this position and was struck by sniper fire in his center left back, existing lower right front. SFC Clouse treated the SARC and could see other Marines and ANA soldiers wounded, but still fighting. He also saw SSgt “Eddie” Heredia lying motionless in the open.

By now, air support was overhead but due to terrain, suppressing and offensive fire was ineffective. Marines were able to drag Heredia to a more covered position where Clouse then moved him to the Humvees and treated him for a few moments before he died. Clouse continued moving “forward” bringing back more wounded. He took a lot of fragmentary and shrapnel injuries from RPG and grenades, one round hit his weapon, several in his “plate” (ceramic insert into Kevlar vest), and a round through his leg.

Because the air strikes were not suppressing the enemy fire, the medevac helicopters could not land and they were nearly “Bingo Fuel” (just enough fuel to return to base under current battle conditions) and the Team knew they could not hold out much longer. They decided during the bombing runs, they would pop smoke when air support was “inbound” and fire both SAWs. This allowed them to get the SARC loaded on a helo with other seriously wounded, then “drove like hell getting off the ‘X’ to safety”.

It only took a few moments to read this condensed essay on the firefight, but in real time it was four hours of constant, sustained fire. Of the seven men SFC Clouse treated, six lived. For his actions, SFC Clouse received a Purple Heart and Silver Star. He does not believe his actions heroic, “I only did what I was trained and paid to do”. He regrets he could not have saved SSgt Heredia. “If I only could have gotten to him sooner”.

Staff Sergeant Edgar A. Heredia joined USMC after graduating from Taylor High School in Houston, TX on 20 JUL 98. When asked why he wanted to enlist in military he said America had been so good to his family and just wanted to give back. His brother Sam commented, “We have a loyalty to this country, and we feel as though we have to repay it. He (Eddie) chose the Marines, and I went into Border Patrol”.

Serving in the Marines gave Heredia purpose and he loved it. He excelled at it and loved being a “grunt”. He volunteered, went through assessment and selection for Force Recon and later for MARSOC. Both Recon and MARSOC are special operations like USN SEALs and USA Special Forces. MARSOC reports to SOCOM (Special Operations Command)—outside of USMC Chain-of-Command, while Force Recon supports a MEF or Marine Expeditionary Force which is commanded by either one (Brigadier General) or two star general (Major General). He earned both MOSs Reconnaissance Marine (0326) and Critical Skills Operator—CSO (0372)

Heredia was born on 20 NOV 1979. He died 10,446 days later half way around the world. We have had many “Thursdays” in our lifetimes. On Facebook, we have the hashtag of “TBT” for Throwback Thursday to share with others something funny or special in their past. I guess the seven families of the men that died on this date on another Thursday, are not posting a fun, carefree picture from their past. Nor are their posts today about politics, soccer or other current events. I wanted to—in some small way—acknowledge their loss by posting about Eddie Heredia.

In a few days we will celebrate our 238th birthday of our Independence. Through the years, many men and women have died defending and protecting our way of life. Take a moment and say thanks for the men and women that willingly serve and their families. SSgt Heredia, you and your family no longer owe this country anything; your "debt" is Paid in Full. In fact, it is we that owe you.

Semper Fi, Marine.

Silver Star Citation for Sergeant First Class J.G. Clouse