It was a day like any other, errands to run, paperwork to be signed, time to burn to get this day over. So off I went with another carload of Marines to commando camp to do business.

Val was in the lead vehicle with another Marine from the CAG. I was not driving this particular day, which was unusual. The major drove. She was assigned to our unit as a historian.

So off we went on a 20-minute journey that took over six hours.

Val was in the lead vehicle and entered the gate at commando camp first. We followed. These days we know the war was about to start. We were not sure exactly when, but the stress of not knowing had set in.

As we sat at the gate awaiting our turn to clear our weapons and have our vehicles inspected, I saw a large bus in front of us -- much like a Greyhound bus -- it carried Marines from the airport. These were Marines from the reserve unit back home. They were all getting searched and it was taking quite some time.

As we waited that day, the major and I were passing the time chatting. All of a sudden, I heard a thunderous boom and my mind started to process. At first I thought it was unexploded ordnance that EOD had been blowing up outside the gate. It had come from that area.