Stories

Name: Eric Strike

Age: 25

Hometown: New London, Wis..

Military Rank/Unit: Sergeant, 82nd Airborne, U.S. Army

Tours: December 2003 – February 2004, Ramadi, Iraq

ERIC STRIKE

By Chris Schattl

Ambushed

Ever since he was a kid, Eric Strike of New London, Wis. wanted to be a police officer. When he graduated high school, he didn’t want to go to a four-year college right away, but going to a two-year technical school would leave him shy of 21, and unable to carry a handgun. The military seemed an attractive option. He would gain experience as a military police officer and make money for college. For Strike, the road to his dream was not easy and nearly cost him his life.

I had two ambushes. One time I had an RPG (rocket propelled grenade) sail over my head, and small arms fire bounce off the truck where I ended up firing back with my machine gun…

The rest of the story can be found in the book War: Through Their Eyes, which is sold at the University Books & More.

Podcasts

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Audio Files