“Guhengerwa kujya ku rugamba.”
Nubwo ryavuzwe mu ijwi rya se, iryo jambo ryakubise Johnathan Duncan nk'urukuta rw'amatafari ku munsi urimo imbeho wo mu Ukwakira mu 2005.
Ishami rya 161st Field Artillery ryo muri Kansas National Guard, ari ryo shami rya Duncan, ryari ryahamagawe kujya gukora akazi ka gisirikare muri Iraq.
“Igitekerezo cyanjye cya mbere cyari, ‘Ngiye gupfa,'” ni ko yavuze.
Yagombaga kubahiriza isezerano yari yaratanze afite imyaka 17 ubwo yashakaga amafaranga yo kwishyura kaminuza, igihe intambara ya kabiri ya Iraq yari yitezwe ko izaba igice gikurikiraho kandi cyihuse cya Operation Desert Storm.
“Abantu benshi baravuze bati, ‘Washoboraga kujya muri Canada,'” ni ko yavuze. “Ariko navuze ko nzakora ikintu, kandi kuba ntabyemera, ntibivuze ko ntazagikora.”
Akazi ka gisirikare muri Iraq
Nyuma y'umwaka n'igice, Spc. Duncan yagendaga inyuma mu modoka ya Humvee, acunga imbunda nini ya M240. Akazi ke kari uguhiga umutekano hafi y'ikigo cya Convoy Support Center Scania, nko muri mayilo 45 mu majyepfo ya Baghdad.
“Twagendaga tujya imbere n'inyuma ku muhanda wa MSR (Major Supply Route, ari wo muhanda mukuru w'ibikoresho), ukaba ari umuhanda mugari ufite ibisate bine, dushakisha za IEDs (ibisasu bikorano),” ni ko yavuze. “Byari ukumurika n'amatara maremare kandi nkanywa ibinyobwa bya Monster (ikinyobwa cyongera imbaraga) byose nashoboraga kubona kugira ngo ntapfa.”
Duncan yavuze ko urupfu rutigeze rumuva mu mutwe, ariko icyo gihe yari yaramaze kwakira ukuri ko azapfa. “Nari ntuje ku bw'ibyo.”
Byari kure cyane y'ubuzima bwo kwiga amasomo y'ubucuruzi muri Kansas University cyangwa gukurira i Newton aho yiyitaga “umunyarwenya wo mu ishuri.”
Abarwanyi barashe za roketi za Katyusha kuri Convoy Support Center. Uruhererekane rw'imodoka eshatu za Humvee rwa Duncan rwihutiye gutabara, binjira mu mutego wari watezwe “nk'uko byigishwa mu bitabo.”
Uruhererekane rw'ibisasu bitatu bya IEDs rwaraturitse. Umuringa washongeshejwe n'umuriro wahinguranije ibyuma birinda imodoka “nk'ukata amavuta.”
Icyo gitero cyatumye abasirikare barindwi bava ku rugamba bagasubizwa imuhira, umwe yarabuze urwasaya, undi yarabuze ikirenge.
Kandi cyishe inshuti ya Duncan, Staff Sgt. David Berry, wari utwaye imodoka ya Humvee yari imbere ya Duncan.
“Nyuma y'uko birangiye, nagiye mvuga amazina yabo bose, ibyababayeho, maze ndibaza nti, ‘Kuki? Kuki ibi byagombaga kubaho? Kuki turi hano?'”
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Nyuma y'imyaka itandatu, Duncan yicaye ahantu hatandukanye cyane n'aho, mu iduka ricuruza ikawa i Lawrence. Yambaye ingofero ya baseball ya Kansas City Monarchs, umupira w'ubwoya n'inkweto za siporo za Adidas.
Nta nkovu ziboneka afite ku mubiri, ariko inseko ye ituje irayoyoka iyo yibutse ibyabaye. Arahagarara, agahanagura amadarubindi ye, hanyuma agakomeza.
Ni inkovu; izahora ihari,” ni ko avuga. “Iriya yagombaga kuba ari imodoka yanjye.”
Gukanda buto yo gukina
Duncan yavuze ko yagarutse muri Kansas avuye mu butumwa bwe bwa gisirikare, atagifite intego mu buzima cyangwa ngo yumve ko afite aho abarizwa. Ntiyigeze yemeranya n'iyo ntambara, kandi yahise atakaza icyizere.
Yagize ati: “Abantu baranshimiraga ko narinze ubwisanzure bwabo. Nta muntu n'umwe narindiye ubwisanzure. Icyo nari mpangayikiye gusa ni umuntu wari iburyo bwanjye n'umuntu wari ibumoso bwanjye kugira ngo ntapfa.”
Yafatwaga n'ubwoba bukabije mu ruhame. Mu tubari yakundaga gusanga agiye kurwana. Yozwaga n'ibihe byo kwikanga buri kintu no guhangayika. Yavuze ko yagowe no kongera kumenyera ubuzima bwa gisivili atari acyibonamo.
Yagize ati: “Byari bitangaje kongera gusubukura ubuzima bwawe kandi waribwiraga ko bwarangiye.”
Amaherezo Duncan yashatse ubuvuzi bwo mu mutwe ndetse no kubana n'abandi bahoze mu gisirikare binyuze mu muryango wa College Veterans Association no muri Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Abandi bahoze ku rugamba barabyumvaga. Bangaga intambara nka we, ububi bwayo, n'ukuntu nta mpamvu ifatika yari ifite, nk'uko yabisobanuye.
Basangiraga inzoga, bakaganira kandi bagasangira agahinda kabo. Yibutse ijoro yambuye imbunda nto ya kalibure .45 yari irimo amasasu undi wahoze mu gisirikare wari ufatwe n'ihungabana ryamugaruriraga ibyo yabonye ku rugamba.
“Yambwiye ati: ‘Simba nkiriho uyu munsi iyo hataba wowe na CVA.’ Ibyo byankozeho cyane, maze kuva icyo gihe ndibwira nti: ‘Ngomba gukora ibi. Ni nde wundi uzabikora?'”
Ubu Duncan agerageza gufasha abandi bahoze mu gisirikare yitabira ibikorwa birebana n'ibibazo byabo cyangwa ibikorwa byo gufasha abandi. Yavuze ko niba ashobora gufasha abandi, azaba akoresheje neza ubuzima atigeze atekereza ko azagira.
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Uyu munsi Duncan, ufite imyaka 27, akora nk'umuyobozi ushinzwe ubucuruzi muri Lawrence Sign Up. Yarangiye kwiga muri KU aho yakuye impamyabumenyi mu Cyongereza. muri Nyakanga azatangira inshingano nka junior vice commander muri Lawrence VFW Post 852.
Azizihiza Umunsi wo Kwibuka Abaguye ku Rugamba (Memorial Day) mu ituze ku cyicaro cya VFW. Ntawe aveba ugiye ku kiyaga cyangwa uwishimira uyu munsi w'ikiruhuko. Yavuze ko atiteze gushimirwa ku murimo yakoze mu gisirikare. Ariko afite icyifuzo kimwe yashakaga kugeza ku bandi.
“Icyo abantu badatekerezaho ni ikiguzi cy'intambara,” ni ko yavuze. “Hari aba bose bahoze mu ngabo bagiye mu ntambara babonye ibintu biteye ubwoba cyane kurusha ibyo ushobora gutekereza. Ufashe akanya gato ugatekereza ku mutwaro abakoze uwo murimo bikoreye kandi bakomeje kwikorera, ibyo byaba bihagije kuri njye. Bawikorera mu ituze. Kandi bawikorera mu cyubahiro.”