Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze

Damien, what you see on the tv is NOT as horrific as seeing it first hand mate. Trust me on this one. Even though the picture's on tv can show some of the trauma of combat. Actually being on a two way range is much more disturbing. I was out in the Gulf for part one of the Iraq War, in 91, 92. Then in Northern Iraq protecting the Kurds in late 92/ 93, and the Bosnia in 92/ 93.

In Gulf 1 I was assigned to help the Yanks to help open the main Kuaite City - Basra Highway. Which you will possibly remember as the 'Highway Of Death', now there was a charnell house. To stop the Iraq's retreating the US Airforce dropped 500lb snakes (dumb iron bombs) on the front of the traffic heading north to Iraq. After that they followed up with air strikes using CBU's (Cluster Bomb Units). I'll tell you straight mate, I've seen enough boddies, and parts of boddies to last me a lifetime. But no matter how horrible a shot on tv, or film, it cannot compare to the real deal. It's not just the sight, but also the stench of rotting, burned bodies, fecies (sp) but also the smell of burnt clothes, burnt tyres and plastic. Bloody horiffic mate.

Edit - although there was something disturbingly beautiful about the burning oilwells.