European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 stars and stripes heroes june 2007 Wall of tracer fire coming at you7 by Jeff Schogol stars and stripes i Allen Grinalds and his Divi Sion of four cobra helicopters were flying from Iraq Back to Kuwait when they got the Call that coalition troops were in it was March and Grinalds helicopters from Marine Light attack helicopter Squadron 267 had been flying for 10 hours support ing marines making their Way to Bagh the Call for help came from British troops near with his helicopters Low on fuel and his pilots Grinalds said he was initially reluctant to accept the but it became Clear that his group was the Only help the embattled British were going to he then took his helicopters into an intense Battle that ultimately left numerous iraqi tanks and artillery pieces destroyed and 30 iraqis according to the citation for Grinalds distinguished flying Cross with v As the helicopters got close to Grinalds could see the iraqi artillery name capt Allen Grinalds unit Marine Light at tack helicopter squad Ron 267 medal distinguished trying Cross with a combat v earned March near Iraq shells Landing near the British it was Clear the iraqis had artillery with a much greater Range than the they were basically stacking these Guys with Imp uni he at Grinalds tried to see if any fighter aircraft could provide air support to the Brit ish he since cobra helicopters have about As much Armor As a can of Grinalds this was not a Mission that cobra Grinalds pilots typically the tension is obviously rising because Manila the Forward air is kind of waiting to see what were going to the artillery is coming there still taking casualties and i cant get any fixed Wing when Grinalds heard that fighters were 30 minutes he made the Call to go flying far behind enemy the helicopters initially saw Only a mass of iraqis trying to flee he but when the helicopters searched near a they found the iraqi when the cobras got within about meters of the artillery everything broke Grinalds its difficult to but it was just essentially a Wall of tracer fire coming at Grinalds said he broke off the changed and then came at the artillery pieces from out of the this his helicopters started to pick off the enemy flying lower than the iraqis could depress their Grinalds but As the helicopters flew Over a they found a new threat a company of iraqi tanks that were preparing to move against the he those folks the British didst have any Armor with they were Light they had land he the concern was that if the Armor got Down it would not be Good at even though the iraqi tanks had mis Siles and other weapons that could hit the Grinalds turned his helicopters to fight he his helicopters fired several its basically kind of one of those moments where the balance of the Battle hangs in the he but when the iraqi soldiers saw the tanks begin to they broke and started to allowing the helicopters to basically kind of one of those moments where the balance of the Battle hangs in the Allen Grinalds mow them Grinalds Grinalds said he estimates he destroyed two tanks himself along with one artillery two or three antiaircraft artillery pieces and about 10 by the time the Battle was All four Heli copters had fired every single missile and 20 my round and had expended All their he they still had to Fly about 8 Miles Back to Friendly Grinalds on the Way the helicopters took Small arms that was probably the longest three minute flight of my he in the his helicopters did make it Back and he Learned that they had allowed the British to evacuate their Grinalds now a major with Headquarters Marine aviation Grinalds said that it was a hard decision to take his helicopters into the but he remembers the advice of his commanding officer at the time use your Best judgment and do every thing you can to support the Guys on the because that the Only reason we exist As Marine email Jeff Schogol at ,Mil the next shots rang out by Seth Robson stars and stripes the Only things that made staff Clifford neigh Bors stand out from the other 84 National police training team members who returned to Hohen in february were the medals plastered across the front of his the medals gave an indication of the horrific injuries he suffered last August when a snipers Bullet pierced his heart and both lungs in name staff Clifford neighbors unit 1st 4th infantry regiment medal army commen Dation medal with Bronze Star earned August 2006 in Baghdad an attack in his iraqi interpreter died during the the 1st 4th infantry regiment Soldier received his wounds while checking on iraqi National police Accord ing to Todd Deputy team chief of 1st 3rd National police transition which neighbors was assigned to As operations noncommissioned officer in the team was involved in a Complex attack from an insurgent cell in Northeast Baghdad on one of the High we secured the area and waited on Eod explosive ordnance Jones while neighbors was providing he and one of the teams interpreters were shot by a he the interpreter suffered a fatal wound to the also shot in the made it Back into the vehicle and managed to get his Vest off so the vehicle gunner could apply first he once the interpreter was moved into the neigh Bors helped apply pressure to the interpreters Chest wound while the team rushed them to a combat surgical he on the Way neighbors continued to assist with first Aid despite the pain of we found neighbors was shot in the lung and a Small portion of his Jones Seth and stripes staff Clifford is presented with a purple army commendation medal with v and a Bronze Star during a ceremony in neighbors remembers three or improvised explosive going off shortly before he was i was in the rear and me and the interpreter got the next shots rang he a Bullet pierced his triceps and then went through his heart and the other lung before exiting through his he neighbors is Back with his unit and gradually recover ing from his Jones describes him As a huge Guy always with a smile on his face and a Coffee in his the native lives and breathes football and makes friends wherever he Jones he Learned German quickly and has Many German local National he is Well known in Many circles in and you pretty much cant go anywhere out in town without finding someone that knows he email Seth Robson at