The village of Wanat is located near the confluence of two streams in a valley of the north-central area of the Pech District of the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. It is 60 miles north of the Khyber Pass. It is 50 miles northeast of Jalalabad. It is 25 miles northwest of the border with Pakistan. It is an area that the insurgents still contest, so we sent a platoon there on an extended reconnaissance mission.

On July 11, 2008 the 45 soldiers of the 2^nd Platoon of C Company of 2^nd Battalion of the 503^rd Infantry Regiment of the 173^rd Airborne Brigade arrived to set up a temporary Vehicle Patrol Base. Over the last 15 months, the soldiers of the 2^nd Battalion have conducted 9,000 such patrols, so this was a routine defensive measure. They defined an area the size and shape of a football field with two rings of concertina wire and deployed their vehicles in the center.

200 feet beyond the wire, outside of the VPB, they established an Observation Post on a high point. It consisted of a few shallow holes surrounded by sandbags. On July 13, 2008 at 0430, the 9 soldiers in the OP were attacked by 200 insurgents. For 20 minutes the machine gun fire and the rocket propelled grenade fire was continuous and withering. Corporal Pruitt A. Rainey radioed the VPB to report 3 dead and 3 wounded. He requested more ammunition.

The platoon commander and another soldier ran the 200 feet carrying more ammo. A minute later, the enemy breached the perimeter of the OP. Referring to an insurgent, Rainey shouted to the lieutenant, “He’s right behind the sandbag!”

7 American paratroopers died at that OP, including the officer and Pruitt Rainey. 2 more died at the VPB. There were 15 other casualties – more than half the platoon was either dead or wounded. About 0500, Apache helicopters, A-10s and F-15s arrived and the tide of battle shifted. By 0700, the wounded had been evacuated. A week later, on July 20^th, the brigade commander Colonel Charles Preysler said:

These guys have fought for 15 months, and they have fought harder, and I mean this literally, they have fought harder and (had) more engagements, more direct-fire engagements, than any brigade in the United States Army in probably the toughest terrain. These guys are absolutely veterans and they know what they’re doing and they have that airborne spirit and they fought a very, very tough battle and held the ground and did everything they were supposed to do.

On July 23^rd, Pruitt will be buried in North Carolina. I will be there.

~~~

“John’s Burgers” is a restaurant in Johnsburg. Johnsburg is a town of 5400 people 25 miles from my home. Becky is from Johnsburg.

I traveled the 790 miles to Burlington, NC (part of a larger trip) to attend the funeral for Pruitt. Becky traveled likewise to take a job as a TV reporter, in which capacity she covered Pruitt’s funeral.

I met the State Captain briefly but long enough to know that I like him a lot. There is no talking allowed in his flaglines.

I also met this belle of North Carolina waiting for Pruitt in the cemetery. Her name is Fran.

And I met Carole, mother of Emily. When Emily was 14, Pruitt wanted to marry her.

Fortunately, good sense prevailed. Pruitt went into our army where he was very successful.

Emily gained some maturity and met someone else. They will be married on September 21^st.

Pruitt was going to attend the wedding as Emily’s guest. Instead, Carole attended Pruitt’s funeral as a PGRider.

I take comfort from the knowledge that Pruitt’s short life was so full.

photos, visitation

photos, funeral, first half

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