My story - part 1

Firstly, I will do my best to remember everything, I mean even bad things that I've done I'll say only the truth even if its against me or against other interpreters.

Secondly I'd like to talk a little bit about myself, my name is Sam,1987,Baghdad..i go to college and I study computers..

In 2005 while I was in high school my buddy F and I like to talk with Americans and bullshitting with them because we love English. One day we went to the International Zone ( I.Z.) just to talk with them and taking a test of interpretation, at that time we did not attend to work as Interpreters ..but we did the test and we passed.

We went home like we did nothing.In Nov-10-2006 the insurgents came to my house and they dropped off an envelop with a bullet inside saying we have to leave our house otherwise they'll kill us..before that date I used to have a pretty life, friends, 3 big houses in the same street, 2 land line phones and a good money in my welt....etc.pretty much I had a nice life till Nov-10-2006 and then everything had suddenly gone because a damn threaten from the bastards due to the sectarian war..As a result we moved from our houses to our another house in a Shiite area, we own that house as well.

By the time we moved we did not have the chance to take our stuff, furniture and even clothes..During that time I was so God damn mad and pissed off from the whole situation...because its like someone was on top and then somebody kick him down and he falls down on his face.. that's how I was looking at it..

My family and I were wondering about our houses and reminiscing beautiful things abut our house. I was looking at my mom, dad and my sisters eyes they were in pain and filled with tears. I was so mad..Few days later, my buddy F was encouraging me to be Interpreter and he was telling me "man we lost our houses we got to work as Interpreters, its good money and in the same time to revenge from the insurgents" I told him all right bro lets do this because I can't stay longer here and watching my family grieving..

One day dad and I were out and I was driving. I told him dad I'm going to be an Interpreter. I finished all the process and am just about to fly out in the next few days. my dad was shocked..He told me this and I'll never forget what he said in that time. he said "son you're going to work with the occupation forces?? they r occupiers you can't and I won't let u because its so dangerous.." my dad kind of patriot man, he loves Iraq so much..I told him "dad they ain't occupiers, the real occupiers are the insurgents, they took our god damn houses and they threaten us ,aint they the real occupiers??

But dad kept trying to convince me to not go there, he was saying we'll make our living better by your older brothers' help and god will help us also..I was like Dad am going to do this because I cant stand being here and see mom and my sisters grieving and sad. so I'm going there if u agree or not..So finally dad gave up and we made a deal that nobody will know only dad not even my mom..Assuming I'm going to work up north, so anybody asks abut me they will say I'm up north working and I told my family I'm going up north, I didn't tell the truth so they won't be scared and worry about me because at that time west of Iraq was so bad..The same thing my buddy F did with his family..

Nov-19-2006 was the date of our flight from the IZ to Al Asaad (AA) Air base..during night time my buddy F, I and other interpreters flew from IZ to AA by a Black Hawk and it was the first time in my life I get in a bird before I get on the helo I sent SMS to girl I know, I call her Amy, she was so close to me and we were true friends.

We believed in friendship and we were hating the idea of love because we were only 19 years and its too early for love thing, we were really a true damn friends, u can say "innocent relationship", we were calling ourselves Close Friends. anyway I've sent her the sms and I told her: hey I'll fly now and keep me in your prayers, I'll miss u..when we took off from Baghdad I took a look at Baghdad city and I said " Baghdad, do u think I'll see u again alive?" I was crying from inside..

Anyway on the way to AA the pilot start shooting at something and he scared the shit out of me. I was like god please its only the beginning ..but thanks god everything was good so far..We reached AA after about more then an hour flying. we went to the interpreters tent and we stayed for like a week and there F and I saw a lot of interpreters there were injured and hurt in attacks and I was like god please don't do this to me. its not even a good start..Titan guy (Titian L3 the interpreters company), came looking for me and F and he took us to the supply room and he gave us our gear( gear is a word for all the military stuff like vest, helmet and uniform..)..We thought we were going to the area that we suppose to go, I'll call the area that myself and F assigned to is K camp..

I'm sorry I can't say names of places or individuals..But we were wrong ..because a captain came and asked us to go to B area as they got operations over there and they need Interpreters over there for only 2 weeks no more no less as he promised us..I didn't mind to go there and my buddy F. said Sam I go wherever u go..On the next day myself and other American-Iraqi interpreter he goes by Alex, flew to B area ..supposedly 4 interpreters should have gone there but the forth interpreter refused to go to that area.We the only 3 interpreters went there and we flew for 10 minutes to B. area...

and here actually part 1 starts when we went to B...