Sabers Edge
A Combat Medic in Ramadi Iraq
from the Barre Times Argus
"It's a harrowing tale, seen through his unique perspective as a combat medic. Middleton doesn't present the story of one squad, but relates his experiences across a wide spectrum of the troops he worked with and treated. We meet not just Guard soldiers from detachments based in Rutland, St. Albans, Morrisville, Jericho, and Newport, but also those from out of state, as well as Marines and regular Army troops. The cast of characters . . . stories, triumphs and losses, and their occasional sense of futility, come through loud and clear. In straightforward prose, we get a glimpse of Middleton's world . . . graphic descriptions and wry gallows humor mixed with reflections on duty and wartime ethics." —The Times Argus (Barre, Vermont)
by Scott Ritter
A Review of “Saber’s Edge: A Combat Medic in Ramadi,
Iraq”, written by Thomas Middleton (University Press of New England, July
2009)
" There are very few people who can articulate, based on
first-hand experience, the similarities and differences between the roles
and mission of a firefighter and those of a soldier, sailor, airman or
Marine, especially during wartime. Thomas Middleton is one who can, and
has done so in his impressive wartime memoir.
I first met Tom Middleton during a visit to his hometown of Burlington,
Vermont. I was visiting with the City of Burlington Fire Department, and
Tom was (and is) a Burlington firefighter, serving as the Assistant Fire Marshal.
Tom was recently returned from a deployment to Iraq with the Vermont
National Guard. I had served in the Gulf during Operation Desert
Shield/Desert Storm in 1990-1991, and later spent nearly seven years as a
United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq (including some time spent in and
around the town of Ramadi, where Tom had served), so we had quite a bit in
common. Tom and I spent several hours talking about our shared experiences
as firefighters and military veterans, and I was struck by his
intelligence, courage and humanity.
Tom’s life is built around his commitment to his family, faith and
community, and this commitment oozes from his every pore. His quiet,
unassuming nature masks an individual capable of actions few outside the
fire service or military could imagine, yet alone accomplish. Not one
given to bragging about his own exploits, Tom recounted his experiences as
firefighter and soldier from the perspective of the team, proud of the
role he played but never detracting from the contributions made by the
others he worked with.
As I listened to Tom (and later, as I read his words), I recognized an even deeper aspect to the stories he told. As a firefighter, Tom was committed to the mission of saving lives in the community he was sworn to protect. Tom had joined the US Army National Guard as a young man, driven by a desire to serve his country. He trained as a Medic/Nurse, perfecting the skills he would use as a firefighter/EMT responding to emergencies in Burlington.
from the Associated Press
"Middleton's book gives readers a glimpse into the world that few people outside the military know: The horrors of combat, the emotional struggles of trying to balance the need to kill with the Christian admonition of "thou shall not kill," and the emotional acceptance of the ultimate reality of war. . . Middleton, a lifelong Catholic, acknowledges he killed people in Iraq. He also talks about the spiritual journey he went on to reconcile the commandment against killing with warfare and protecting his country, his fellow soldiers and himself."—Associated Press (picked up by several newspapers and Stars and Stripes magazine)
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Tom had always prepared himself for the mission of saving lives, either as a firefighter in Burlington, or as an Army medic helping to tend to those in need. But the reality of war is that nothing is ever as it really seems, and the lines that separate combatant from non-combatant quickly become blurred. Far from simply tending to those injured by the meat-grinder of combat, Tom found himself thrust into the role of combatant, operating in a kill-or-be-killed environment which did not distinguish between those who saved lives, and those who took them. Tom’s unit suffered numerous casualties, and Tom was called upon to treat many of them, including several who subsequently died. Tom was also called upon to tend to the enemy wounded, several of whom Tom himself had shot during the hellish confusion of combat where his role as life-saver and life-taker melded into a singular entity.
Switching back and forth between these two roles created a conflicting situation for Tom, as it would any human worthy of the name, and it is this aspect of Tom’s outstanding book that I find of particular value, both as a former Marine and as a current firefighter. There are many books in the market today about the war in Iraq, some great, some good, some not so good. Tom’s book happens to fall into the “great” category. It is an informative, and entertaining, account of Americans at war. But it is also the compelling story about the journey of a man trained in the traditions of the fire service, where firefighters are not expendable and only take risks when called upon to save the lives of others, suddenly thrust into the role of a soldier trained to kill, and to accept the inevitability that both he and those he serves with are expendable within the larger perspective of mission accomplishment.
Today Tom is back with the Burlington Fire Department, serving the community he loves as a member of the most noble profession in America. Both he and his family know that beyond the peaceful environs of Burlington, Vermont there exists the harsh reality that America is still very much a nation at war, and that there may come a time when Tom, and other citizen-soldiers like him, could again be called away from their homes and jobs to serve in harms way. Thankfully, Tom is prepared to make this sacrifice. But we as American citizens, and especially those of us who serve as firefighters, owe it to Tom and his fellow servicemen to try to better understand the sacrifice that is asked of him, and others, when called off to war. We must understand that there is a world of difference between the role played by a lifesaver, and that of one who takes lives, and that someone like Tom, called upon to serve as both, pays a price few are able to quantify or comprehend. I was able to get a glimpse into this dichotomy through my discussions with Tom. Now, thanks to his outstanding book, “Saber’s Edge”, Tom’s experiences and insights can be shared with many. While Tom might argue that we do not owe it to him or his fellow soldiers to read his book, I would argue that we owe it to ourselves, if for no other reason than to better understand the true price of patriotism paid by those called upon to serve."
Scott Ritter served as a commissioned officer in the US Marines for 12 years. From 1991-1998 he served as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq. Today he works as a private consultant on security and geo-political issues. He lives in Delmar, New York, where he is a Lieutenant with the Delmar Fire Department.