American Bomber

---

This is from when he was

a cub scout.

All the kids loved him.

And he looked so smart

in his uniform.

Ironed it himself every

Wednesday before school.

Because he'd have scouts after.

He must have looked so fine.

Like a saphire

shining in the classroom.

We moved around a lot.

He never seemed to mind.

Made friends quick.

Always has.

Certain people, special people

are like that.

They have a way of just

attracting people to them.

John Hidell? Yeah.

Yeah, I vaguely remember him.

We went to school like 7th,

8th grade.

Most miserable kid I can

remember.

But he wasn't there

the whole year

He'd get into fights.

That's kinda the way it goes.

In gym class.

He'd be covered in bruises,

scrapes.

My friends did it.

He also had cigarette burns.

I don't know how he got those.

This is when we were

living with Phil.

JJ and him used to

get along so well.

I thought Phil was

gonna adopt him.

He didn't have a

taste for family life.

His loss.

Mr. Hidell?

Did I get that right? Hidell?

Yes, sir.

Have a seat, son.

You ever work in a

machine room before?

I took shop classes in high school.

Teacher said I did well.

High school.

Nothing professionally?

No, sir.

Any experience with

hand dyes?

No, not really.

You're a vet?

Yes, sir.

Hell, son.

You should've said so.

If Uncle Sam thinks you're

good enough to hunt Osama,

you can push a broom for me.

Any position you have

open would be great.

You see any action?

There were some moments.

Yeah.

Where were you? Iraq?

Afghanistan?

I got a nephew who's a

Marine over in Iraq

Maybe you know him?

Ben. Ben Engals?

I was in the Army, sir.

didn't get to meet many Marines.

Stupid of me.

Army and Marines being separate branches.

Says here you can start

ASAP?

Yes, sir.

Great.

How does next Monday sound?

That sounds wonderful.

That'll give us enough time to

run your piss test and

background check.

You won't have a problem

taking a piss test, will you?

I know when you guys get back

you need to

blow off some steam.

We can push this back to

a more convenient time

I'm clean as a whistle.

What's the background check?

It's just an insurance thing.

Criminal history,

that sort of thing.

Can't have any felons

working on the floor.

Nothing to worry about.

Welcome to the team, John.

Hidell. John W.

Shows up at 10:
30am ON 9/11.

Didn't call his sweetheart.

Didn't ask for two weeks

from his job.

Saw the t.v. and got

his ass down here.

Only asked one question

wanted to get assigned

the same Ranger unit as

his brother.

Yes, sir, Mr. Hidell.

Like I have control of anything.

That's Jamie. JJ's half-brother.

JJ's daddy, Will, had him

with Anne,

this piece of white trash he was

shacking up with before

he met me

God bless her heart.

Will would pick up JJ for the

weekends and take him and Jamie

camping or fishing.

When Will took off,

Jamie had just gotten his

driver's license.

he'd come up all the way from

Bowling Green to

spend time with JJ.

Hidell and I were deployed here

in the same unit together.

Good soldier.

Except for one little

bout of temper,

but in this heat who could

blame him?

I've been here almost 10years

now.

I like it. It's nice. Quiet.

The food's good.

Hell, I even met my wife here.

It's just the goddamn heat

you never get used to.

But that's Phoenix for you.

Bunch of keepsakes from

my time with Uncle Sam.

I haven't looked in this box

in forever.

I'm not gonna be able to

fit in this belt again. Ha ha.

I have a shot of Hidell.

Here it is.

We were assigned to guard the

nuke plant here in Phoenix.

Hidell was pissed about it

because he wanted to go to

Afghanistan,

I told him, better to be bored

at home

than dead in the ass end of

nowhere.

Radio Announcer:

This just in:
the White House is

reporting that after almost

10 years

Osama Bin Laden has been killed

during a U.S. commando raid in

Pakistan.

Remains have been postively

identified.

Once again, Osama Bin Laden

killed by U.S. forces.

We send our gratitude to all

troops who served abroad

and made this day possible.

Good work, fellas!

He kept getting these Dari

or Farsi or something tapes

he just listen to

'em over and over.

He read whatever he could

anything he could find on

Afghanistan.

One time he rented this godawful

documentary about Afghani

dirt farmers.

We gave him hell about

that for a month.

But we respected him.

He wanted to be in the fight.

Hardcore.

We were shocked when he put

Sergeant Reed in the hospital.

Dear PFC Hidell.

My name is Ed Martinez and

I had the honor of serving with

your brother.

It is with a heavy heart that I

inform you that your brother,

Jim

was killed in battle at about

0100 hours, GM on the morning of October 15

while engaged with enemy forces.

he was an exemplary Ranger.

He spoke of you often and

fondly.

Enclosed is his St. Christopher

medal.

I know he would want you

to have it.

I am sorry for your loss and my

condolences go out to you and your family.

Sincerely.

Captain Ed Martinez, U.S. Army

I don't know why he

attacked Reed.

It was like a switch was

flipped.

Sh*t just came outta nowhere.

Reed was in the hospital

for four weeks.

I never saw Hidell again.

After whatever happened

I know that sergeant had

to be outta line

for JJ to have to defend

himself like that

I didn't hear from him for six

or seven months.

I thought they'd shipped him

off to Iraq

and he might be, you know, hurt

or something.

When I found out where he was,

I was furious.

Here we are in the middle

of two wars

and you've got a nice

strong boy willing to fight

and what do you do?

Lock him in a box for

six months?

I was more mad about it than he

was.

I asked him about it

and he said,

It just don't matter.

He said he met a man

who helped him see the

world different.

And he told me,

In the end we all end

up where we belong.

You can make it tighter,

if you like.

While you are at it,

mind getting my cigarettes

out of my pocket?

Ta da!

Sure you don't want one, Mark?

Maybe later, then.

Hidell. J.J. He lost his

brother.

It is an awful thing when your

brother dies.

I've had many brothers here and I

have seen many of them die here.

Each one is a tragedy

who could know you more or love you

better than your own flesh and blood?

Once you lose that, what have

you got left?

And poor, poor JJ.

He lost the only person in the

world who understood him.

He needed someone who could help

him keep his chin above water

in the sewer they call the

world.

Someone to protect him and

teach him.

Someone to show him the way.

Show JJ the true nature of the rld

and where he might fit into it.

And now he's out there. Doing

his part.

We were watching this bomb

maker, Andrew Hall

trying to figure out where

he was getting his munitions.

We knew he'd been dishonorably

dischargedfrom Fort Garrett,

We're certain his supplier

was military.

We set up a surveillance team

at Hidell's mother's house

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