48 Day in Iraq

It was Sept. 11, 2001, and Staff Sgt. Armando Mejia was out on a routine field problem with his platoon. As the men chatted and prepared for their next training exercise, a transmission came over the radio that stopped everyone in their tracks. The radio echoed words that Mejia would never forget: "We are being attacked by terrorists." Everyone stared at the radio and then looked at each other. Mejia didn't know what to expect. He looked up into the sky to see if any bombs were on their way, but there weren't. Later his platoon watched the news and saw the replays of the two planes hitting the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Mejia never thought this would happen, but neither did anyone else. Later, when the realization that the country had been attacked set in, just like in every soldier, there was a desire to find and destroy those who had anything to do with this. Mejia and his platoon would have the chance in short time.

Oct. 29, 2003; 12:15 - 45 days in Iraq
Mejia could hear the sound of return gunfire from Strykers and commands being yelled out. But this time Mejia couldn't follow them - let alone move. He was pinned beneath his Humvee with his helmet covering his face.

Moments before, he had been sitting in his Humvee with two other soldiers. He was the convoy noncommissioned officer in charge. His convoy would be heading out of the hostile town of Tall 'Afar. Before the convoy left, Mejia gathered everyone and went over the SOP of what to do if attacked. As he finished, he joked, "If anyone gets hit, hold on and pray." As the convoy rolled out, he counted all of the trucks. Just as he was about to get in the Humvee he got word that a truck that had been broken down was ready and they were to wait for it. After the truck got in order, they headed out. It was a beautiful day, but something was odd. Mejia noticed immediately the Iraqi people were scarce. "All the signs were there," Mejia said. A report came over the radio: "There is an Iraqi kid running with a cell phone, and he is pointing it at us.'" Mejia started to scan the area. "BOOM! Within seconds we were hit with an IED (improvised explosive device). ... Life would change forever."

As the Humvee rolled over, the other soldiers managed to jump out in time. Mejia attempted to get out but wasn't fast enough. He was trapped.
"I thought I was dead. The heat, the smoke, the noise - I was fully aware of what was going on. The loud ringing in my ears (tinnitus) - I can still hear (it) to this day," he said, pointing at his ear.
He went on to describe being trapped.
"The heat - I could feel it and see it; it was like red. I thought I was in hell or heaven.

"My right arm and right leg were pinned, and my left leg was to my right shoulder; my knee was right in front of my face," he said.
Mejia's helmet was over his head, and in the middle of it was a picture of his family. His heart was racing. Sweat was coming down his face, and his body was swollen, but all he could do was focus on the picture that was in front of him. It was as if a light had turned on. Just before he had left for the mission, he spoke to his wife assuring her that he would be fine, finishing off the conversation with "I love you." That conversation with his wife ran through his mind, and he hoped it wouldn't be the last. "I just tried to relax, so that I wouldn't lose it or get claustrophobic. I prayed like never before."

It took about 15 minutes to get out with the help of soldiers trying to flip the truck. After some time the Strykers assisted. "When I got out my hand was bad. The bone was completely crushed, making my hand wobble downward; I just put it in my vest."
Mejia was medically evacuated out of the area quickly. While on the helicopter lying on a bottom bench, he noticed someone above him. The hand was of his gunner. Mejia tried to get the attention of the helicopter gunner to ask him what the condition was of the guy above him. The gunner gave Mejia a cutthroat signal. Mejia thought he meant that his gunner was dead and started to cry. Later, he found out that he wasn't; the helicopter gunner was just telling him to be quiet and relax.

Mejia would survive the ordeal, but his injuries will be with him forever.
"Every surgery they would open me up to fix something whether it be knee, arm, stomach. It was like 20 some surgeries.
"At Madigan they treated me real good. Having other soldiers that were injured from Iraq there to talk to - that was good."
Mejia was challenged constantly by his physical therapist, Linda. She trained him to use his legs again. "Since I wanted to use the bathroom on my own I wanted to walk. It took me one hour to get to the toilet with my granny walker and one hour to get back. I was a proud man, and I was so used to doing things on my own, so it was depressing and sad at first."

Mejia overcame the odds of being in a wheelchair for eight months. He got out of the Army on May 4, 2008. But he still lives with the events that occurred on that day. He struggled with nightmares and anger issues for some time. Over the past few years, he has spent hours learning about PTSD, and doing that has made life easier. While healing, he graduated from University of Washington, Tacoma, and is now working on his master's degree.

Mejia is a popular role model and educational and career development counselor as well as military outreach director at the Lakewood Boys and Girls Club.
"At first it was hard. I was an infantryman. Being around guys was all I was used to. So I had to watch what I said. One day I came in my uniform, and kids saw me. They really respected the uniform and me. I love these kids, and I love this job," he said.
"I wouldn't be where I am without my family," he added, "Nehemiah (2), Alexavier (4), Annalisa, my newborn, and wonderful wife, Melinda."

Over the course of the last month I have been spending time with wounded warriors. During that time I have learned a lot about others' pain and suffering and achievements. I found this reporting to be like medicine, healing me from my own issues as well. So many soldiers come home wounded, and their stories are not shared. I have vowed to share as many wounded warriors' stories as possible as well as gather stories from the loved ones of those who have lost their lives serving their country. If you have a story to share, please send an e-mail to hardtfeltphoto@gmail.com. It is time to share these soldiers' stories with the country and start putting a face back on this war.