Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
8:13 | Authentic footage provided by Chris Tucker of the 3rd Infanty Division's assault into Baghdad, the Thunder Run. Hosted by DVIDsHub.net.
Keywords : Thunder Run 3rd Infantry Division Operation Iraqi Freedom Tank assault footage combat footage Baghdad Iraq Highway 8
Chris Tucker had a rough upbringing but, in middle school, he straightened his path with the help of some fine role models. The horrific attacks on Sep. 11, 2001 inspired him to enlist in the Army, so he could be part of the response.
He liked the idea of being a fighter pilot, but Chris Tucker did not have the academic background. An Army recruiter showed him a video of armored maneuvers and he was hooked. He wouldn't be flying, but he would have some awesome firepower.
The tough NCO's at Fort Knox pushed Chris Tucker to excel as he was undergoing armor training. He already had a strong work ethic and his dedication won him a spot on the crew of the commander's tank.
It was miserable in the desert in Kuwait. Chris Tucker gave an earful to a visiting general when he innocently asked, "How's it going?" His superiors got nervous, but he actually had a good conversation with the officer, who answered his probing questions.
The resistance was light and disorganized when American forces crossed from Kuwait into Iraq. Chris Tucker was a crewman on the commander's tank and he felt like he was playing Whack-A-Mole with all the random combatants who popped up everywhere.
They had trained for tank warfare in the open, but they were engaging small groups of attackers who were popping up everywhere. Chris Tucker describes the mad dash for Baghdad and how his unit tried to distinguish between enemy forces and innocent civilians. It was during this time that an NCO he idolized was killed.
Tanker Chris Tucker had a Hi-8 video camera with him on the push through Baghdad known as the Thunder Run. He sat it on top of the tank as he engaged targets while on the move, capturing the only footage of the battle. He'd been told that once the objective of Baghdad had been achieved, that would be his ticket home. It didn't work out that way.
The armored unit had a CNN cameraman embedded with them on their run into Baghdad. Chris Tucker was very impressed with him and loved that he had a satellite phone with him. This meant that they could call home, something that was not easy to do at the time.
Finally, Chris Tucker was going home. As the bus pulled into Fort Stewart, he noticed a woman running next to the bus, waving and shouting. It was his mother, who was overflowing with pride.
Chris Tucker went back to Iraq in 2005 and it was an entirely different war. Instead of reaching an objective, they were just there, riding around and getting blown up by IED's.
Before his 2005 deployment to Iraq, Chris Tucker went to a meeting and met a charming lady who would become his fiance. They were both deployed to Iraq and it was during this tour that he had to be evacuated with a serious injury.
Back in Iraq for a third time, Chris Tucker was stationed at an outpost with Iraqi police, who were notoriously unreliable. Health problems prevented him from finishing that tour and he returned home and left the army. After a time as a police officer, he began a new career in canine training.
1st Sgt. Robert Hay was a leader that Chris Tucker never forgot. He didn't just set a standard, he lived it. His lessons were the kind you would want to impart to your own children.
