Self-defense is, by definition, lawful countervailing violence. Unpleasant as it is we have to confront it if we’re going to be prepared to protect ourselves and those within our mantle of protection. You can learn a lot about this from warfighters who have been in combat, up close and personal.

I recently re-read “House to House: A Soldier’s Memoir” by Medal of Honor Winner David Bellavia, a 2007 book about his time in Fallujah. In the course of his duty there, Staff Sergeant Bellavia killed many of the enemy, and saw many of his own comrades die. His observations are profound.

We see occasionally the dark humor that helps people in life-or-death professions keep going. In one chapter, an American soldier takes a bullet through penis and scrotum, and desperately asks the medic if he’s going to keep his manhood. The medic replies, “You’re hung like a Lincoln assassination conspirator.”

In one particularly bloody event in the house-to-house combat that gave the book its name, Bellavia recounts the barehanded battle to the death with an insurgent. His M4 carbine empty and useless he grapples with his opponent, literally biting and gouging. The enemy bites the American’s genitals. The American in turn gouges the man’s left eye out. Bellavia finally remembers that he has a Gerber knife on his belt, gets it into action, and slashes the other man’s throat. As the latter fades, dying, he reaches up and tenderly touches the face of the man who has killed him. This incongruous gesture will haunt Bellavia forever after.

In post-military life, Bellavia became an advocate for veterans and their families. His book brings home the ugly horrors of war and the sacrifices demanded by military life. It goes far deeper in exploring the concepts of duty and honor.

Powerful reading.

15 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks, Mas. Sounds like a great book. I’m so thankful that Americans have lots and lots of combat experience to share with us. Now it is time to take about fifty years off, and stop sending our young men and women to wars, especially wars on the other side of the planet. I know I’m dreaming.

    As to why the haji reached up and gently touched Sergeant Bellavia’s face, I can only guess that maybe he was relieved the fight was over, his suffering in this world was over, and he was looking forward to the Islamic Heaven promised to him. Just my guess.

    My understanding of the two battles for Fallujah is that we told the non-combatants to leave. They left, and so when the battle began, our troops just went house to house, fighting hajis, enemy combatants. Why was this strategy done? Why are we houseclearing with infantry? Are we trying to keep Iraqi houses intact? Are we trying to give our troops experience in close quarters combat? I would use air power, artillery or tanks to clear houses full of hajis just waiting to ambush our warfighters. I think houseclearing enemy combatants with infantry is being reckless with the lives of our men. I wouldn’t do it, and I wouldn’t allow anyone else to do it, if I was in command.

    I’ve heard David Bellavia speak, and he seems to be a fantastic individual. I have too many books, but I think I have to buy this one.

    • *I would use air power, artillery or tanks to clear houses*

      In the Pacific war, island by island, we bombed, shelled with everything up to battleships, and landed tanks and artillery. But clearing the Japanese soldiers took boots and bayonets. My father was Quartermaster Corps, running a truck company. Even after the Infantry took the ground in front of him, he got close enough to take a bayonet in the shoulder.

      In Vietnam we had complete air superiority and completely dominated the artillery battle. It still took boots and bayonets to clear the ground.

  3. Read it when it came out; easily one of the best books on the Iraq war and as you stated, a tremor is amount of humor throughout. Mr. Bellavia was on Jocko’d podcast -bout a year ago and it is a tremendous listen—I highly recommend it.

  5. Mas:
    Why do you still ssy MOH “winner”? Not any of them Won a damn thing!
    Awardee, fits much better.

  6. These are the conditions that our young men and women in the military may face and have faced countless times over the years. These experiences will stay with them throughout their lives and may claim their lives long after the combat is over. Whenever a politician advocates for sending our troops into harms way, they should be asked if they would risk their own children’s lives to achieve whatever objective they foresee. If not, then don’t send someone else just because you think they’re serving because they are too stupid or poor.

  12. I’m privileged to listen to David’s radio talk program on the local radio station, WBEN 930 AM 10 AM TO 2 PM. He has been on local radio for about 10 years. He’s a lifelong WNY resident from a rural county.

    His observations on WNY, NYS, National and World politics and society are thoughtful and intelligently presented; his debates with callers are first class. He started in radio shortly after he left the Army and “House to House” came out. Listening to his in depth dives in to why he wrote his books and incidents that he described are insightful. As are his analysis of our current social and political situations.

    He also is one of few people who can present a topic well enough to cause me to reconsider my thinking.

    WBEN can be found on an Audacy app if you don’t live in WNY. You may want to give a listen

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