
Left Behind
Specialist Camillo Rodriguez had dreamed of serving in the Army since he was a boy. His childhood dream came true in 1999 when he officially completed his basic and advanced individual training. His fellow soldiers nicknamed him Roddie, and that became his official nickname. Roddie planned to be a lifer, serving for at least 20 years, if not more. He aspired to be like his uncle and dad, who had both bravely fought in Vietnam.
But before Roddie could celebrate his five year anniversary, his unit was attacked by insurgents in Iraq. While Roddie attempted to save his best friend, Sgt. Emily Sanders was shot through his calf. He was forced to choose between saving himself and the only other survivor- Simmons, and to leave behind Sanders and their medic, Grant.
While the bullet to his calf would be part of the reason he could not serve any longer, the larger reason was due to his survivors guilt and PTSD for not trying harder to save his best friend.
He left Sanders and Grant behind, and that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
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Left Behind in the Wild




Left Behind Prologue:
Since I was a little kid, I have always wanted to be a soldier. Everything I did, whether eating dinner, going to school, or doing chores around the house, I acted like a soldier. My dad was a Vietnam veteran, and even though he was tight-lipped about combat, he did share what it was like in boot camp and living on base. I dreamed of the day that I would be a United States soldier.
My uncle made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam, and I know my dad carried the guilt of his loss for the rest of his life. And even though I knew the dangers of joining the Army, I was not worried. Somalia was the last major conflict for the U.S., and I had no plans of being a Ranger or Special Forces. My plans involved driving trucks and being a mechanic. That was the only compromise my old man and me made. If I was to join the Army, I could not be in the infantry and fight on the front lines. He said he had seen enough death to last a thousand lifetimes. He didn't want the same life for me.