Swordsearcher

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Days/Weeks after SGT Moretti's Death (3rd Deployment Journal - 7/6/07)

Well, it's been almost 2 weeks since I've written in here and it's been a difficult 2 weeks. The last few days have been ok but memories of the death of SGT Moretti were brought up by her memorial service on the 30th of June. It was moving but I didn't have any tears until closer to the end of the ceremony. I think what broke me were older men crying and hugging each other. When you see 1SG's and SGM crying, it's like watching my Dad cry.

Anyway, I've been told I will possibly be going up to Baghdad later this month to relieve someone for a month. I am not really thrilled about it but someone has to do it and we really don't have many people. Either way, I still don't like that I have to leave my Marines, especially since I am in a SNCOIC billet. Most likely, I will bring this journal with me I can make entries while I am gone.

SGT Trista Moretti (3rd Deployment Journal - 6/26/07)

Yesterday wasn't a very good day and just goes to confirm my opinion that this deployment has been the worst. It started out okay and was pretty much a typical day. All the Marines left for lunch like we usually do and spent out normal 40-45 mins eating. On the way back we got to right where the living quarters begin and are about a dozen rows (ed: turns out it's about 18-20) deep. Off to the right we heard an explosion and lots of wood and metal explode in the air. It looked like it was so close but it ended up hitting one of the CAN's (trailer where we live) farther out. At first, we just headed towards the bunkers but Sims took a different path back that day so I said screw the bunker and ran to go find him. I searched in the bunkers I thought he might have been close to but never found him. It ended up he wasn't as far down as I thought he may be, we found him about 10 mins later. The choking, black smoke from the blast was so thick and when we got close, we were told to back away because the M16 rounds were "cooking off" and firing indiscriminantly in all directions. What we were told by SSG Nick Gleim was not good news, the rocket hit SGT Trista Moretti's CAN. No one knew the fate of her but we were all headed to the Company CP for accountability. Once accountability was finished, the only one missing was SGT Moretti. It took about 30-45 mins for them to confirm she died in the blast. So, at around 1250 local time on the 25th of June, SGT Moretti was KIA from a rocket attack as we were on our way back from chow. SGT Moretti was part of the SIGINT platoon and worked not more that 2 feet away from me every night. She had just turned 27 years old June 14th. She was not married and had no children but had told all of us that she wanted 5 children, she never got that chance. SGT Moretti was from New Jersey and came from and Italian family. I am not sure how, or if i even want to know, how they confirmed the body was hers since she was in pieces and I'm selfish to think I'm glad I didn't have to see it.

After we found out and were released, myself and Sims went down the area of the explosion and it was not pretty. We ended up helping Hoffman get some of his belongings out of his destroyed CAN (he was about 4 or 5 down from Moretti's) and bring it to Cotta's CAN.

The Capt decided to shut down ops for the night because a lot of people didn't get any sleep. A memorial service has been scheduled for the 29th and I'm sure it will be a difficult time for everyone. I tried to find something in the Bible to read but I was lost and just put it down. I wish I knew the Bible better so I could find a passage by a certain subject, but I can't. I hope and pray that her family stays strong, physically, mentally and their faith stays never ending.

I didn't know Moretti any more than a couple months but I will miss her at work. Rest in Peace SGT Trista Moretti.