Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:17 | Mark Zambon recounts his 2008 tour to Afghanistan with his close-knit unit and the new challenges that they had to face in transitioning from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Keywords : IED(Improvised Explosive Device) Afghanistan British Special Forces bomb disposal time fuse igniters under fire camaraderie frag fragmentation humvee Bomb disposal technician
Mark Zambon tells of his first experiences with combat in Iraq. The gradual nature of his experiences made it easier for him when he ultimately lost his legs.
Mark Zambon recounts coming back home from his first combat tour for 10 months in Iraq. He talks through his preconceived notions of war during his first tour and mentions the feeling of coming home.
Mark Zambon recounts his family's upbringing and the other events that prompted him to want to join the military, from growing up playing outside with his brothers to seeing the World Trade Center be hit while in high school.
Mark Zambon talks about day-to-day life for his Bomb Disposal Squad as they came across various types of IEDs across all types of terrain in Iraq. He remembers a particularly close call that happened with an explosive device right near where his squad had set up camp for the night.
Mark Zambon recalls some of the robotic technology that he and his bomb unit had at their disposal while clearing IEDs. Mark remembers the sacrifice that his colleagues made and, in particular, remembers his friend and teammate Mike that he lost and how the memory of him still sticks with him to this day.
Mark Zambon recalls the lessons that he and his unit took away from losing his friend Mike. They developed a much more effective strategy of recognizing how the enemy thought that they functioned and used it to their advantage.
Mark Zambon discussed the various infrastructural and logistical issues that they faced as they traveled across Iraq and Afghanistan disposing of bombs and the ways that the two countries changed in those manners over time.
Mark Zambon tells the detailed story of how he lost his legs during an IED explosion. He feels grateful for the time he had with his legs and looks forward to the new challenges he is able to overcome with his prosthetics.
