A US Marine officer described how it felt to he a casualty in the Kabul suicide bombing last month, which took the life of thirteen US servicemembers.
Major Ben Sutphen, who was assisting in the evacuation from Afghanistan at the time, had been warned ahead of time that a suicide bomber was coming but were unable to spot him.
“We brought a truck with a loudspeaker down to try to disperse the crowd. I was standing right by that truck when it happened,” Sutphen said.
In an interview with CBS News, the major noted that he was likely saved by the vehicle.
“The truck shielded you?” asked CBS News’ David Martin.
“I’d say so,” Sutphen replied.
Following the blast, gunmen opened fire on the Americans. Amidst the chaos, the major turned his focus to a brave Marine corporal.
“He’s blown off his feet and still has his wits about him. Shot through the shoulder. Immediately recovers his weapon and puts the opposing gunmen down,” he said.
Sutphen also described a critically wounded Marine putting himself second in order to save a wounded comrade.
The major went into detail about “another corporal with substantial blast injuries to his lungs and internal organs” still had “enough grit and courage at, at risk of his own life to drag another injured Marine out of harm’s way.”
Sutphen was the operations officer of his battalion at the time of the incident.
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