Murph
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Post by Murph on Jul 19, 2022 7:28:50 GMT -6
Heard from Mike this morning and this is what he said...
"I am ok. Yesterday we were running to fight the russians because they broke through the line of the 79th Brigade outside of seversk, and we took bombs (artillery and mortars) to our position and we had nowhere to go. 4 of my friends, Brian, Luke, Beaver, and Edward were killed. It was the worst i had seen. I just laid there on the ground crying and begging God not to let me die. Last night we finally got to fight the russians and my team killed 4 of them. We are now in seversk taking a break and rest after 7 days of fighting."
Please keep him and his unit in your prayers...
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Murph
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Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
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Post by Murph on Jul 25, 2022 7:29:41 GMT -6
The two Americans killed in the Ukraine mentioned on National News were Mike's friends...
Please keep their families in your prayers.
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Murph
Moderator
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Post by Murph on Aug 19, 2022 7:32:05 GMT -6
Mike has now recovered from his wounds and is back on active duty and headed for the front again...
please remember him in your prayers.
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Post by Keith on Aug 19, 2022 7:38:45 GMT -6
Mike has now recovered from his wounds and is back on active duty and headed for the front again... please remember him in your prayers. Wasn't aware he was wounded. Praying it wasn't serious. Glad he's able to continue.
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Murph
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Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
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Post by Murph on Aug 19, 2022 10:39:44 GMT -6
Mike has now recovered from his wounds and is back on active duty and headed for the front again... please remember him in your prayers. Wasn't aware he was wounded. Praying it wasn't serious. Glad he's able to continue. Sorry I didn't tell everyone. He had a pretty bad concussion from artillery fire that hit very close to him several weeks back. He has been cleared to go back to his unit.
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,888
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Post by Murph on Sept 12, 2022 11:50:34 GMT -6
Hear from Mike just about every week. He is back on the front lines and the head of his unit. Last time I heard from him was a video of him cooking fried chicken for his unit for supper...a little soul food...
Please continue to remember him in your prayers...
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,888
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Post by Murph on Sept 26, 2022 7:36:44 GMT -6
Mike has had a very bad few days...he has been in several fire fights and they have lost so many men. Weighing very heavey on him.
Today is is 21st birthday...please keep him in your prayers.
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
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Post by Murph on Sept 30, 2022 7:36:40 GMT -6
Mike again has a bad concussion from bombs...haven't heard any more than that...he is again hospitalized.
Please keep him in your prayers.
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,888
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Post by Murph on Oct 13, 2022 8:25:47 GMT -6
Got this from Mike today. Thought you might like to read it...please keep him in your prayers.
The story of Zaitseve (Зайцеве) the worst place on the line I have been in
We were ordered into Зайцева in September. Russians controlled 3 hills surrounding the village, and were trying to gain control of the road into Bahkmut. The frontline there was Wagner Group. We were working with the 14th and 30th Brigade. I was a squad leader at the time, with some of the best guys I could have as far as being fearless and dedication goes, and some new ones as well. We unloaded in the village under arty, per usual, and I led the boys to a grape arbor next to a house so that they could hide from the drones while I went to find a bunker. I sent "A" up the road one direction, and I went the other. I located the bunker and then moved the boys into it 2 by 2, then begin trying to locate a second bunker so that we could spread out a bit. I met with our company commander, and he ordered me and the team into a tree line several hundred meters away. We had to proceed down one street in the village, cross a small bridgelike structure, and proceed down another street, cross an open field, and take up positions as ordered.
I divided the teams into two. "M" our best Ukrainian led the first team and I led the second. As soon as we entered the road to move, a helicopter strafed the houses to the left of us. We entered a third bunker and an argument started between the new guys and those of us who have been around a while in Ukraine. The new guys refused to go onward, not understanding that on the Ukrainian front line, it never gets "better" as far as conditions to move under. We made sure they knew how to get back to command, and mission being first, myself, "M", "A" and "D" proceeded down the road under indirect arty. We took the position as ordered, and instructed the Ukrainians in the positions to leave (as ordered). It was their first deployment since February 24th, and they were on a one day rotation.
They smiled and laughed, briefed us, and headed out. A tank caught them on the road we had just been on. 6 dead. 4 wounded. I helped provide secondary medical care to the wounded after a few hours, and we arranged an evac for them. Under sporadic artillery and a stupid tank we could not see, myself, "D", and "A" moved all 6 bodies of the dead off of the road, and gathered the IDs and phones we could find to give to their commander.
There were 4 Ukrainians left that were whole physically, but were almost utterly destroyed mentally. I was placed in command of the Ukrainian team, and some new english speaking guys had joined us as well. We were almost surrounded at this point and had taken friendly and enemy fire to two of our positions. We consolidated our forces and set up security and prepared for the night. Everyone was begging me for an exfil, and I also was demanding an exfil as our rotation was supposed to be up, and we had no more water or food.
Out of the nowhere we received marching orders. At dusk we headed out, my team, my ukrainian team, and the other English speaking team led by "Y". We headed up one hill and took direct fire from a tank to the rear of our column. We heard the boom. The ZHHHHHHHH sound. Saw it coming. Yelled. Everyone began running. No casualties. Crested the hill and went down the other side. Laid there for a minute then got up and began the climb up the next hill. Same thing. Boom. ZHHHHHHHHH. Orange flame incoming. Explosion. Dirt thrown on the last two. We began running again. We proceeded like this for maybe 4 clicks. Exhausted. Wet. Cold. Hungry. Thirsty. I was puking from a concussion from earlier where a house had been blown off of me by a tank. We took up positions inside of a house pretty far away to sleep. A jet saw the concentration of body heat and dropped several bombs onto us but released too late, blowing windows out of the house but hitting the house 2 down from us. We were exfilled the following morning.
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,888
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Post by Murph on Oct 21, 2022 7:39:36 GMT -6
Mike came home yesterday. He says he is sometimes confused because of the concussions...but is glad to be home. I think he will go back.
Please keep him in your prayers.
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,888
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Post by Murph on Oct 28, 2022 7:39:27 GMT -6
Mike is having a hard time...PTSD is kicking in. We are going to have lunch and will talk about it.
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,888
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Post by Murph on Nov 4, 2022 7:55:07 GMT -6
Lunch with Mike Wednesday was very interesting. Will be interesting to see what the Lord has in store for him. Please keep him in your prayers.
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