Armistice Day: War veterans recall what it's like to kill someone for the first time in poignant video

'Silhouettes. They’re not real people… they’re just... targets'

Carl Anka
Wednesday 11 November 2015 11:10 GMT
Comments
Lonnie, who served in the infantry in Vietnam
Lonnie, who served in the infantry in Vietnam

'Once you realise they’re gone… they’re dead, then what death looks like… is nothing. There’s nothing there. There’s a body there, but there is nothing at all there'

A powerful new video has been collecting testimonies from veterans about the first time they took a life in war. In the footage, five different veterans are interviewed about their combat experiences, which reveal the grim and often futile reality of war, along with its effect on individuals who served.

“When someone died, it was something that was detrimental… someone felt it… someone else needed that person in their lives,” said Josh, the youngest of the interviewees.

Describing his experience during Operation Enduring Freedom in Pakistan, the former sniper continued: "Every small little detail of that exact moment – I could tell you what the dust felt like.. how the air tasted on my breath. Every little detail, you know? Because that’s the first time you've done something so… big."

Lonnie, a Vietnam veteran, told his story with particular poignancy:

"I was down… and all I could see was his head and shoulders… he had a hard hat on… and then I saw the red emblem… it was definitely, it was…

"And when I could see his silhouette… I blasted him…."

"Silhouettes. They’re not real people… they’re just... targets."

“I look to his face with the flashlight… he tells me ‘Just finish me'", veteran Qassim says in an especially personally recollection. "Just finish… ‘I don’t want to live’ … so I kill him. I know it’s not right, but I have to."

The Iran-Iraq veteran then added how he tries his best to not dwell on his war experiences: "If I focus about all the stuff, I lose my mind."

A closing note on the eight minute video was left by Don, who served as an infantry machine gunner in the Vietnam War: "I’ll say war is mostly never just a fight… but in war neither side deserves to die."

Coming from Seattle video company Cut Video,

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in