Today is @timnelson101’s and my 14th “Alive Day” which is the anniversary of 12/02/2006, the day we were badly wounded and nearly died in Iraq, and the day our lives changed forever.

As I do each year on this day that @timnelson101 and I refer to as our “Alive Day”, I will share what happened on 12/2/2006 when we survived a 200 pound IED blast near Fallujah, Iraq that killed two of our brothers.

At around 3:00 AM our squad split into small teams to take positions in ditches watching a stretch of road that had been littered with IEDs by the insurgent cell operating in our area. Our goal was to catch them in the act and eliminate them.

Our small team comprised of @timnelson101, me, and three of our men. Our targets never showed up and we got spotted by a farmer so we were forced to abandon our position and walk back to Forward Combat Outpost Flanders.

Once we got back to Forward Combat Outpost Flanders we ate chow and grabbed some sleep. At that time our Platoon Leader was on the roof of our complex and noticed suspicious activity at a house to our south. He woke us up and asked for volunteers to go check it out.

Five of us volunteered to take an up armored HMMWV on the mission. Me, @timnelson101, McDonough, Rystad and Miller left the compound following 100 meters behind Everson, Gallant & Seed in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Little did we know it would be our last patrol together.

Bryan McDonough was driver, Corey Rystad was seated behind him. I was sitting shotgun, @timnelson101 was seated behind me, and Bruce was our gunner sticking out of the roof of the vehicle watching our rear with the .50 caliber machine gun.

We searched the suspicious house, property, people, in it and found nothing. We walked to get back into our vehicle and were told that a drone flying above us spotted someone digging in the middle of the road near Checkpoint 34 and we needed to go check them out.

We headed toward Checkpoint 34 in the same configuration as before, with us behind the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. I remember radioing in the Checkpoints as we crossed them. I clearly recall radioing in Checkpoint 31 then Checkpoint 32...

As our vehicle approached Checkpoint 33 we had to round a 90-degree turn left to head south for the last stretch of road before CP 34. As we rounded that corner, I remember hearing a very loud, metallic “CLANG” sound.

I don’t remember anything for a brief moment after the bomb detonated as I was knocked unconscious. I remember waking up to what sounded like a hailstorm of rocks falling to the ground.

I opened my eyes and saw our heavily armored 12,000 lb M114 HMMWV completely destroyed, laying on its side and facing the wrong direction. (The photo below was taken after it was tipped back on its bottom).

What happened was as we had rounded the corner at CP 33, our left front tire drove over a pressure plate that triggered 200 pounds of homemade explosives that had been packed into two propane tanks. That is what detonated directly under our vehicle.

I looked down and saw that my left leg above the knee was wide open with my femur broken in half and sticking out. My right leg below the knee looked like it had been stuck in a woodchipper and was filling the sand with blood. I was certain that this was where my life would end.

We didn’t have a medic with us on our patrol, but thankfully we all go through combat lifesaver training. Todd Everson, Adam Gallant, and Adam Seed rushed back to our location in their Bradley Fighting Vehicle and immediately radioed our headquarters to send a medivac helicopter.

Adam Gallant got out of the Bradley then ran over to me and said “Kries, I’m not going to lie to you dude. Your legs are really bad right now but we’re going to get you out of here! You’re going to be fine!”

He immediately put a tourniquet on my right leg. He tightened it down and told me he would be right back because he needed to check on the others.

Todd was the next one to get to me and in an effort to reassure me and keep me calm he said “Buddy, you look great! Everything is going to be great! You’ll be back home soon!” He put a tourniquet on my above-the-knee injury and after a few attempts got it tightened.

Near me, I could hear someone loudly gurgling and fighting for their life. It is an awful sound that I will never forget. I knew that I had to stay calm to prevent losing additional blood, so I didn’t look at him.

I could hear @timnelson101 who couldn’t walk because of his injuries yelling at me “KEEP FIGHTING BROTHER!!! YOU BETTER NOT QUIT ON ME!” Todd and/or Adam had to slap me a couple of times to get me to open my eyes as they were running around to check on the others too.

LCpl Miller had been ejected from the vehicle and kept asking the same questions over and over (due to a massive TBI). He wouldn’t shut up so they put him next to me and told him to keep me talking. Todd and Adam were busy providing first aid to the others.

He kept asking me the same questions over and over and over and he was annoying me. I said, “MILLER SHUT THE FUCK UP!” He did his job by keeping me awake and alert.

I remember a cold sensation running through my body. I knew that was not a good sign on a warm 80° day, so I was certain that I was dying. I grabbed Gallant and said “Tell my family I love them”... he said, “Shut up you’re going to tell them yourself!”

Shortly after that I heard helicopter rotors in the distance and prayed that it was coming for us. Gallant shot a star cluster into the sky to let them know that it was us that needed the help. I knew then that the helicopter was our medivac. They loaded us on and it took off.

Once in the air, I recall a flight nurse asking me my social security number (to check my consciousness). I was so exhausted that I couldn’t get the first digit out of my mouth. That’s the last thing I remember until waking up 8 days later at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC

When I woke up from my medically induced coma, I learned that two of our best friends had been killed in the blast. Corey Rystad from Red Lake Falls, MN, and Bryan McDonough from Maplewood, MN.

Words can't explain how wonderful these men were. We miss them every day. I am proud to be able to say that I was friends with two heroes.

Their deaths taught me that my injuries were insignificant and that I’d better not feel sorry for myself. I got a second chance at life, and I vowed not to waste it.

I will never know the reason why @timnelson101, Bruce Miller and I survived that blast when or friends Corey and Bryan did not. I know that there is nothing that I can do besides be thankful for this life and live each day to the fullest.

That is the reason that every year this day is an emotional tug of war. I am SO THANKFUL for my life, and @timnelson101’s life, but today the families of our two fallen friends are grieving.

Today, he and I will meet at the cemetery, have a beer at Bryan's grave, share some laughs and some tears. It hurts, as it should. But that pain is a reminder of how damned lucky he and I are.

I’m very thankful for everyone who helped me through the blast and recovery. My friends who saved my life, the care that I received at the hospitals in Iraq, in Landstuhl, and Walter Reed, and for the best friends I could ever ask for.

That horrible day gave me perspective that I never otherwise would’ve learned. I am thankful for each day I wake up. I’m thankful to have gained the most amazing best friend through this ordeal ( @timnelson101). It's a bond that can't be broken.

A big thank you to my friends at the @PowerTripKFAN for allowing me to be part of the fun since 2007 and being patient with me. They’ve stuck by my side through it all and gave me the confidence to chase my dreams. They have become family. I love you guys more than I can explain.

We rarely can control the things that happen to us, but we ALWAYS can control how we respond. Through this whole crazy ordeal I’ve learned that if you keep your head up, things work out. I cannot believe how my life has turned out and I am so thankful.

As awful as that incident and the recovery was, I made it through it because of a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and great people around me. 2020 has been difficult for all but keep your head up, try to laugh and smile as much as possible and this will soon be behind us.

Thank you for listening to me this morning. I appreciate all of the kind words more than you guys know. Life is good.