High Hopes for Jesse

Atkinson Expeditions is proud to shake hands with and share the Kansas woods with this man Staff Sgt. Jesse Hernandez, below is the story of why we are so proud.

Thanks to Marty Edwards president of the Heartland QDMA for taking the time to tell the story.

Last September (September ‘08) The Heartland branch held its inaugural REACH Banquet. During the banquet we held a special fund raiser with the goal of raising enough money to take a wounded Iraq war veteran on what we hope will be the deer hunt of a lifetime. With such generous folks in attendance that evening we raised $2800.00 towards accomplishing our goal. Then all we needed to do was locate a wounded veteran with whom we could share some good news. When our Regional Director, Chris Blackledge, called and said, “I may have a line on a good candidate for the vet’s hunt” we were elated! After several phone conversations, planning, contacting state wildlife agencies, logistics issues, finding a suitable hunt location, rounding up a qualified video camera crew, and on and on, we finally got everything locked down.

US Army Staff Sgt. Jesse Hernandez and I first met over the phone in early 2009. Since then I feel like we have kind of become pals. Jesse’s light-hearted nature and positive outlook on life always makes him a pleasure to talk to. I am always incredibly humbled, and it seems like I’m always in a better, more grateful mood when I hang up the phone. Even after 13 surgeries due to his massive injuries, his enthusiasm and energy are contagious. When I told Jesse he had been selected to go on the wounded veteran’s deer hunt he was ecstatic! He “couldn’t believe he had been given this incredible opportunity!” I couldn’t help thinking, there is no way Jesse could ever know how grateful my family and I, and all of the members of the Heartland branch of the QDMA, and everyone in the crowd that night that reached into their pockets to help out…there’s no way he could know how grateful we are for his service and sacrifice for our country and our freedom.

Joint Provincial Headquarters, Karbala, Iraq - January 20th 2007; Staff Sergeant Jesse Hernandez was up late talking to his wife via Internet instant messenger. Jesse and several other US Soldiers at the HQ were training Iraqi police and security forces. Our troops’ mission was to teach, mentor, and train Iraqi soldiers to take over security as US troops scaled back in certain areas. Until the night of January 20th, things were going exactly according to the US Army’s plan.

When Jesse first heard the three round burst of gunfire, his experience and training instantly told him it was AK-47 fire and it was close, very close. Almost immediately after hearing the first rounds go off, all hell broke loose. The January night air erupted in explosions and automatic gunfire, both inside as well as outside in the courtyard area. Since it was after dark, and a soldier’s work day is long, many of our men were sleeping. The room Jesse shared with four other soldiers seemed to be targeted in the attack from the very beginning. It was almost like the commando insurgents knew the only radio communication our troops had to any backup support was inside that very room, and they were determined to kill every soldier inside to cut off radio communications. In the confusion of enemy fire, then return friendly fire, and multiple grenade explosions, many of our young men scrambled to the roof top of the headquarters just as they were trained to do. It was not uncommon for our bases to be attacked by mortars and most of our troops were assuming they had been awakened by incoming mortar fire. As our soldiers converged on stairwells and scrambled to the roof to defend their position, they were unaware of the life and death struggle taking place just a few floors below them. Several of their brothers were engaged in a fight for their lives against Iraqi commando insurgents hell-bent on killing as many of our brave young men as possible.

When the barrel of the AK-47 came through the slightly cracked door it got real bad real fast. As bullets ricocheted around the inside of the bunker-like room, there were five US soldiers that were prepared to die before they would let go of that radio. In the end one of them did, falling on a grenade that had been tossed into the room, saving the lives of his four fellow soldiers, Staff Sgt. Jesse Hernandez being one of them.

Jesse and I haven’t talked a lot about that day and I can’t say for sure what goes on in his mind when he does talk about it…what does he see, hear, smell, remember about that day? I can tell you that when I talk to him about it, I have to hide the lump I get in my throat, because anyone who knows me knows I’m a “tough guy” and real men don’t cry. I can’t seem to help it, when someone who doesn’t even know me is willing to travel halfway around the world and die for my freedoms. Well if that don’t get you feeling just a wee bit humbled, then I feel sorry for you.

In the melee of gunfire and explosions, Staff Sergeant Hernandez realized that he had taken a grenade blast to the stomach. Still, he soldiered on, like good soldiers do. Shrapnel had ripped through his stomach and intestines, more was stuck in his spine and he had a wound in one arm that shattered both lower arm bones and left a hole big enough to see clear through to the other side. Jesse grabbed his 9mm side arm and braced himself to continue the fight to death if necessary. It was several months of knowing Jesse before he mentioned having been awarded the Medal of Valor for guarding that door to protect himself and his fellow soldiers inside that room while being so severely wounded.

As the insurgents retreated back to their vehicles, they had managed to take four of our soldiers hostage; under gunfire, the commandos disappeared into the night. Our four brave men were found on the side of the road several miles away from the compound. With obvious evidence the men had been shot execution-style; three of them were already dead and one of them would die en route to the hospital. In total we lost 5 American soldiers during that Iraqi-orchestrated act of betrayal.

On behalf of the Heartland Branch of the QDMA, to the men who lost their lives that January night in 2007, to their families, and to all the brave men and women of our armed forces, I would like to offer a very humble, very respectful, “Thank You” for your service. And, to SSG Hernandez, soon to be “Drill Sergeant Hernandez”, it’s been an honor so far, sir, and we’re looking forward to an awesome time this December chasing big whitetails in Kansas!

The Heartland Branch of the QDMA would also like to offer a special Thank You to the following for making this all come together:

Atkinson Expeditions
Kansas Dept. Of Wildlife and Parks
Big & J Industries LLC
Those who donated to this fund raiser at our REACH banquet

US Soldiers Killed in Action during the attack were;
Pvt Johnathon M. Millican from Alabama
1st Lt. Jacob N. Fritz from Verdon, Nebraska
Capt. Brian S. Freeman from California
Pfc. Shawn P. Falter from New York
Spc. Johnathan Bryan Chism from Louisiana

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