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This moving observational piece by correspondent Christopher Chivers in the New York Times this morning.
…“It was 7.62 millimeter,” he continued. “Armor piercing.”
He reached into his pocket and retrieved the bullet, which he had found. “The impact with the Kevlar stopped most of it,” he said. “But it tore through, hit his head, went through and came out.”…
…“His name was Lance Cpl. Colin Smith,” he said. “He said a prayer today right before we came out, too.”
“Every time before we go out, we say a prayer,” he said. “It is a prayer for serenity. It says a lot about things that do pertain to us in this kind of environment.”
The only sounds were Doc’s voice and the vehicle’s engine thrumming…
Here’s an interview with the writer from the Mediabistro.