Warriors Voice Blog Eyewitness to Gunny Burghardt's One Finger Salute

The Free Republic has the embedded reporters story w/photo and Warriors Voice has his eyewitness (twenty five feet away) of Gunny Burghardt still standing tall after the IED went off at his feet. Check it out.

"My team and the escort vehicle decide to get out of the QRF’s and EOD’s way and establish a blocking position. We let the QRF Lieutenant know. At this point me and one of my Marines were out of the vehicle. I look over to my left and see an EOD Marine standing in a crater. He is looking down by his feet at something. Then he starts to tell everyone to move back and away. The QRF Lieutenant tells his soldiers to push back as well. Quickly, my Marine who was out of the vehicle gets back in and I follow. Before getting back in I look over my left shoulder and over the back of my Up-Armor gun truck at this Marine standing in a crater up to his knees. I shut the door and tell my team chief to move down the road some. It was around this instant that the IED detonated. It felt like I got hit in the chest. Dirt and debris had been kicked up all around us making it impossible to see more then 3 feet in front of you. My first thought was to make sure my gunner was good-to-go, which he was. The rest of my team was inside the vehicle so they were ok as well. My relief was short lived as my mind focused on the thought of that EOD Marine who was standing in that crater only about 25 feet away from the left rear of my truck. I just shook my head in disbelief. My whole team saw that Marine standing in that crater and we all knew he could not have survived the blast. I got out, ensuring they were giving him medical attention. What I saw surprised me.

This EOD Marine was still alive. I could see him move as the Army medics were giving him aid. I can remember being surprised that he was even in one piece. Once we reached our blocking position the QRF had thrown a smoke grenade to signal to the aircraft over head. The Huey gunship then landed right there. I look back to were the EOD GySgt was receiving aid only to find the tough bastard on his feet, with no freakin pants, leaning on the shoulder of a Navy Corpsman being helped to the Huey. I just shook my head again as I watch a warrior, who should not be walking, raise his head high and one of his middle fingers even higher in defiance of a cowardly enemy. I would have given anything to see the look on that Muj bastards face as he watched this United States Marine GySgt stand up and flip him the bird after taking an almost direct hit by an IED. God had that Marine's six that day." Warriors Voice