Life Saving Day
By Spc. Tim Grooms, 29th MPAD
March 18 turned out to be a memorable day for three Soldiers of the 2-135th Infantry. What started with them holding back rioters in Vitina/ Viti ended with them saving a man’s life from a violent beating at his house on the outskirts of the town.
“Thanks to [the Soldiers] I have my life back,” said Predrag Kulic, the ethnic-Serb the Soldiers saved from a beating that could have possibly killed him.
During mid-afternoon, the Soldiers noticed a group of about 200 rioters heading to the north end of town toward the local hospital. What the troops didn’t know was that five Serb homes were located at that end of town and were targeted by the rioters, said Lt. Col. Paul Zimmerman, commander of 2-135th Infantry. The crowd attacked the first home it reached, which was Kulic’s. The rioters pulled him out and began beating him, said Zimmerman.
“We heard glass in the house start breaking and noticed they pulled Kulic out of the house,” said Sgt. Garth Carlson, a driver with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-135th Infantry.
When the Soldiers saw the attackers surround the helpless man and begin battering him, they forced their way through the group by shouting and pushing rioters away with their rifles until they reached Kulic. Once they reached him, the beating stopped and Kulic was pulled out, said Zimmerman.
Once to Kulic, the Soldiers thought he could be past saving.
“When we got to him we thought he was dead,” said Carlson. “He was covered in solid blood.”
After getting to the wounded Kulic and halting the battering that was happening to him, helpful local citizens took him to the hospital.
“I was in such a mess I could not see anyone. So I didn’t know who took me to the hospital,” said Kulic.
After seeing the violence that was inflicted upon Kulic, Sgt. Douglas Weigel, a mechanic with HHC, was disturbed by what he witnessed.
“[I was] extremely upset it happened and that people could do that to someone because of their ethnic background,” said Weigel, who also helped saved Kulic. “I have never seen people do that and I was extremely upset.”
Once they saved Kulic and an elderly woman who had been inside the house and who was untouched, said Zimmerman, Weigel and Carlson had the crowd turned around and headed back into the city. The rioters made one last push to cross the bridge near the Vitina/ Viti Church that evening at 5 p.m. They were held back and eventually dispersed.
The events of March 17 and 18 were largely regarded as a setback to the progress of Kosovo. During that time some were not as fortunate as Kulic and they lost their lives. The American Soldiers that saved Kulic’s life made it possible for him to enjoy his life with his wife and two young children.
“They saved my life and I am very grateful,” said Kulic. “Not just me, but in the name of my wife and kids.”
I posted a reply awhile back on a similar thread that thank God our soldiers prevented others from being killed. Hopefully good PR will come from this story over there.