Injured U.S. troops recall blast

12/08/2001

By DAVID McHUGH
Associated Press Writer

LANDSTUHL, Germany — Four U.S. servicemen injured by a stray American bomb in Afghanistan said Saturday that the death of three comrades in the accident had left them ``pretty numb'' but expressed pride in their mission.

The men, being treated at a U.S. military hospital here, were among 20 U.S. troops injured in the blast. They were brought to Germany for treatment after the one-ton bomb, intended to hit Taliban forces making their last stand near Kandahar, landed Wednesday less than 100 yards from their position.

Capt. Jason Amerine of the U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., said his team had been on a hilltop directing airstrikes against a Taliban position about two miles away when the bomb hit, and had not been under attack. Amerine was leading an 11-member Special Forces team, which was accompanied by 16 other U.S. soldiers and a group of Afghan fighters.

``Out of the blue, our position exploded,'' the 30-year-old Honolulu native told a news conference at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. ``The explosion came and I was thrown over the side of the hill.'' 

Amerine was wounded in the thigh by shrapnel, while he, along with three colleagues who attended the news conference, had damaged eardrums.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Craig Musselman, 31, of San Antonio, Texas, had a large gash over his left eye; Army Sgt. 1st Class Chris Pickett, 35, from Logansport, Indiana, had a wound on the back of his neck.

``There was a lot of people yelling and screaming,'' said Army Capt. Jeff Leopold, 28, of Ottawa, Ohio. ``We weren't sure if we were under attack from the Taliban or whether it was friendly fire or what.'' The soldiers were evacuated by helicopter.

Fourteen wounded servicemen were brought to Landstuhl on Thursday and Friday. Of three who were in intensive care, one had improved enough Saturday to be moved to a general ward and another was airlifted to the United States, said Lt. Col. Juan Jose DeRojas, a surgeon at Landstuhl.

One soldier remained in guarded condition in intensive care at Landstuhl on Saturday.

``He's got some orthopedic injuries, he's got some vascular injuries as well,'' DeRojas said.

The remains of the three Americans killed in the accident also were flown to the nearby Ramstein Air Base and brought to the hospital's mortuary.

The coffin of the last of the three — Master Sgt. Jefferson Donald Davis, 39, of Tennessee — arrived at Ramstein on Saturday morning. Covered by an American flag, it was saluted by an honor detail as it was brought off a C-5 cargo plane.

The remains of the two other victims — Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory, 32, of Massachusetts and Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, 28, of California — were brought to Ramstein late Thursday and taken to the morgue at the military's nearby Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

It was unclear when the remains of those killed would be flown home.

``We're all pretty numb,'' Amerine said. ``Our prayers are with our wounded and with the families of the men who didn't survive.''

He stressed that ``all these men are heroes and they should be remembered for what they accomplished in Afghanistan — not as victims of an accident.''

Amerine said his team had been in Afghanistan for about a month, directing airstrikes and helping coordinate the efforts of Afghan anti-Taliban fighters.

He said they had coordinated one operation that wiped out a force of 500 Taliban fighters intent on destroying a village that had declared allegiance to the opposition.

Six Afghan anti-Taliban fighters also died in Wednesday's accident, and nine injured Afghans were evacuated for treatment aboard the USS Bataan in the Arabian Sea.

``There are a lot of different ways it could have happened,'' Amerine said of the accident's possible cause. ``I don't think blame is so important here.''