From MHS grad to seasoned Marine

Posted: Aug. 26, 2010

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READY TO ROLL - Marine David Nelson from Mukwonago carries an extra 50 to 60 pounds of weight when loaded with his pack and all his gear.

Submitted Photo

READY TO ROLL - Marine David Nelson from Mukwonago carries an extra 50 to 60 pounds of weight when loaded with his pack and all his gear.

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When David Nelson finishes his time with the Marines in January, he's looking forward to having a place of his own, going to school and getting a job.

After four years with 2nd Marine Division, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, Charlie Company weapons platoon from Camp Lejune, N.C., two tours of duty in Afghanistan, 140 degree heat, loosing two of his platoon buddies and getting shot at, he's hoping for something a little quieter.

"I'm looking forward to boring," said Nelson, a 2007 Mukwonago High School graduate.

Nelson recently came home on leave after his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Two days after graduating from MHS, Nelson was on his way to boot camp. Although boot camp was tough, he got through it and did many things he never thought he would be able todo.

"There were times I didn't want to do it; I just wanted to drop the pack," said Nelson.

However, dropping the pack would require doing everything all over again in order to complete the Crucible, the final test a recruit faces to earn the title of Marine.

First tour

The training and discipline of carrying an extra 50 to 60 pounds for miles, standing for three to four hours for battalion inspection, working on drills, classes and more drills, were essential in preparing him for his first tour in 2008. Nelson's platoon was part of the troop search in Afghanistan to help NATO clear out the Taliban stronghold in Garmsir. The Charlie Company moved through, secured the area and helped re-establish NATO and the Afghanistan government in that area, Nelson said.

However, two hours after pushing into the area, the weapons platoon took Taliban fire.

"The rounds were coming pretty close," Nelson said. "The Taliban knew what they were doing."

With air support, Nelson's company pushed up, and the Taliban backed off. They rolled through the area in about eight hours with no injuries to U.S. troops.

All-around bad day

In mid-December 2009, Nelson and his platoon headed back to Afghanistan to eliminate Taliban around Marjah and put the area back in Afghan control. They sat outside the city for a few weeks trying to get citizens out of the city and get established. However, the Taliban was well-organized, and the Marines took heavy fighting. The group lost two Marines while trying to establish the unit in the area. Zachary Smith from New York and Daniel Angus from Florida were killed by IEDs (improvised explosive device).

"It was an all-around bad day," Nelson said, recalling the difficulty the Marines had in gaining a foothold in the area.

Nelson said the Taliban would watch troops closely and close in when the Marines were most vulnerable, forcing them to pull back to avoid losing people. However, a few more Marines died in the city. Trucks hit a few IEDs and one man was shot during an ambush. They went through six hours of fighting. Nelson's shoulder was grazed by a bullet.

While Nelson's training taught him what to do in battle, it didn't teach him how to deal with the loss of a comrade.

"When something like that happens, we look to each other," said Nelson.

Ready for boring

Dealing with extremes in Afghanistan gave Nelson an appreciation for simple things.

"There is no nice phase in Afghanistan. It's either brutally cold or ungodly hot," Nelson said. "Even a bottle of cold water out there was gold."

Temperatures got as high as 140 degrees, hot enough to melt a plastic spoon. Air conditioning took the form of shaded cover with wind blowing into it. The troops got used to drinking one to two cases of water a day. Nelson quickly learned to ask for the night post. He wouldn't get to sleep, but it wasn't hot.

As Nelson looks forward to a shower with running water, having his own place where he can do things the way he wants to when he wants to, he will take with him 14 months worth of stories from his two tours of duty and the satisfaction of knowing his platoon was effective in Afghanistan.

"I could see the people talking to us," Neslon said. "People started helping us."