As doctors were taking Todd Blackburn off and removing Pilla’s body, my platoon leader said, “There’s been a Black Hawk helicopter shot down. Get your men and go back into the city.”

I thought to myself, There is no way I can go back out there. I sent my men for more ammunition and fuel and began to clean Dominick Pilla’s blood off of my vehicle. I thought, God, I’m going to die tonight. I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt there was no way to survive this situation.