(1/3) “I was inside an armored carrier with my platoon...

(1/3) “I was inside an armored carrier with my platoon commander. He tried to open a pressurized fuel container and it sprayed across the vehicle and hit a camping stove that he was using to make hot chocolate. It burst into flames. He dropped the fuel canister and fire covered the floor. Then he caught on fire. He grabbed onto the exit hatch and wouldn’t let go. I couldn’t pull him away. And he wouldn’t let go. And the vehicle is filling up with flames. It was so fucking hot. It’s like when your hand is on a stove except you can’t pull it away because it’s your whole body. And it’s so bright and I can hear him screaming. And the hood around my neck is shrinking and tightening. And my Gore-Tex uniform is melting and spreading and falling off my body. And I could feel myself burning and I couldn’t take it anymore. I gave up. I didn’t want to burn to death. I decided to take a deep breath to singe my lungs and close my throat. Then the hatch opened. Someone heard us screaming and opened the hatch.”