How I lost my Youth

How I lost my Youth. I did not know how my last second decision to join the Navy would haunt me for the rest of my life. Where I went from being an innocent kid that was invincible to the world, to bleeding for my country and losing lives of friends. There were moments that led up to this unforgettable situation. It started with General Quarters, which means to man your pre-assigned battle stations, once at your battle station; you must look for all targets while preparing your weapon. Then after all is said and done, I had a point in my life that changed who I was as a person. I had to learn to cope with taking lives and the loss of my best friends. Each of these moments had a lasting effect on me. This situation happened in the Middle East and is where I felt I lost my youth and changed who I was as a person. The day was calm and peaceful in the Persian Gulf about 12 miles off the coast of Iran, when all of a sudden general quarters sounded. The Captains voiced echoed through the hallways, “Man your battle stations; this is not a drill.” In an instant adrenaline pumped through my body as I made my way to the armory. As I was issued my side arm, Kevlar vest, and helmets, I inspected each to make sure they would server their purpose. Once my gear checked out, I moved to the port side bridge wing, where my M60 awaited my arrival. Arriving to my station I had to become alert to my surroundings and locate all targets. Before fully engaging the target I waited for my orders from my commanding officer (CO). My loader and I noticed another target just behind our first target. We informed the CO; at that point he had us fire warning shots in the general direction of our marks. These targets were literally just pirates in a Bayliner boat set for the purpose of martyr. Their intent seemed clear as they headed full speed towards us. The CO issued the command “open fire”; at that point the nerves and adrenaline were so high in my body everything seemed to be