Per Cod

NO NOBLE DEED

Quana: Lebanon

“what do I do ‘ere?”
the blond soldier blue
sittin’ on the floor
a head in his lap
a boy, a child, a mother’s son
“what do I do, doc?”

the medic could see
a gaping hole in the head
hopeless, as good as dead
“lay him, hole down
that he don’t bleed his brain”

soldier blue put him down
wiped a tear and moved on
through the blood and the gore,
the smells and the sights and the sounds
of another hundred and one

©Copyright August 30, 2004 by Per Cod

Author’s Note: On April 18, 1996 Israel’s “Grapes of Wrath” offensive in Lebanon took on a new phase, and indeed a new face, as artillery shells started exploding in the Fiji Battalion (FIJIBATT) compound at Quana. The 17 minute, proximity fuse barrage left 102 people dead (later adjusted to 106) and many more wounded.

16 Norwegian UN soldiers stationed a few hundred meters away arrived just as the last shells exploded and immediately started treating the wounded. In addition to the 16 Norwegians, the rescue team also included 6 Fijians, 3 Irish, 2 Finns and a Nepalese. The 16 NORBATT soldiers were all recommended for the “Edel Dåd” (Noble Deed) medal, but none has been awarded.

This is an eyewitness account by a man who wasn’t there