Sunrise Over Fallujah

The troops are in Baghdad now, and though there is still fighting going on, they spend most of their time repairing things and doing odd jobs, such as repainting the outhouses. The Marines and other soldiers were being interviewed all over Baghdad, and the footage on the news shows happy Iraqis cheering the Americans on. One of the Iraqi civilians helping Birdy’s squad is Jamil Sidqi al-Tikrit, a supposed cousin of Saddam Hussein. When asked what he thinks about the invasion, Jamil says that “when you kill a camel it is better to cut off the body than the head” (92), suggesting that the Americans have only made matters worse for themselves in confusing the body (the Iraqi people) by removing the head (Saddam Hussein).

Birdy’s team learns that a school has been hit and civilians, including children, have been hurt and killed. The Civil Affairs unit is tasked to go to the site and offer the locals money as well as help with the wounded. The soldiers talk about how wrong it seems to kill innocent people and then just turn around and give them money and a smile. Birdy begins talking about how nothing about the war is as neat as it’s portrayed in films or on television. He feels the noise and violence of war becoming a part of him more and more, as if he’s bringing it inside of him.

The Shiites at the village where the school was bombed don’t trust the soldiers, and it takes some coaxing before the local chief accepts the money to give to the families of the injured children. Having finally completed the mission, the soldiers begin heading back when an ambulance in front of Birdy’s Humvee opens fire. Though the convoy of Humvees opens fire and kills the Iraqis, Birdy and the others are shaken up at being attacked and fired upon when the war is supposedly over. Additionally, the insurgents had fired upon them while in a Red Crescent van, which violated the rules of engagement as the van is a medical van.

Birdy has a dream where he’s getting out of an ambulance and being shot at by soldiers. He’s troubled because none of the attacks seem planned. It’s as if the Iraqis are just taking chances as they see them arise, meaning Birdy and his fellow soldiers are in constant danger and, as usual, don’t exactly know who the enemy is. Jonesy alludes to this when he likens the war to blues. He says sooner or later you have to return to the bad stuff. Though they had a moment of beauty with the taking of Baghdad, they have to return to the core, the blues, and the bad stuff.

The squad then gets an order to assist locals who need medicine for their animals in Ba’qubah. When the squads arrive, they find that the locals have lied to them. There are only wounded villagers, not animals. The locals didn’t say people were hurt because they were afraid the army wouldn’t help. As it turns out, guerilla fighters known as the Fedayeen had come to the town and forced the people to fight. When the Marines came through, many of the children were injured.