It's surrounded by villages; this is the rear of that rock. It's really getting on everyone's nerves. This was stupid, to try and hijack or rather running off with a truck full of grain. We have done long distance training back in Malaysia, with rest stops and all. This really took the cake. Tempers were frayed, everyone was in no mood for this kind of a crap. Othman ordered one Condor to pursue and recover the vehicle.

The Condor took off, if all the Condors were ordered into the village, I am sure we would have run over some of the villagers and killed them, the mood we were in. I whipped out my pistol and fired a few rounds at one of the guys who looked like a leader, deliberately missing him. Another Condor (Infantry Fighting Vehicle - German make) trained it's guns on a group of the militia who were covering the "tax" collectors. They backed off and started removing the crude barrier.

My IFV and Crew L to R : Rgr Khairul, Rgr Michael Siam, LCpl Shamsuddin, Not my crew, Rgr Zaid

That was a relief, no one had to die. We stared those militia down as we passed them with all our guns trained on them. Near the barriers was a village as in most cases. The "tax" collectors feel that they have the right to collect "taxes" as we were passing near their village. Their villages are of thatched huts with mud walls. Most of them were very young women, will normally use sign languages to marry them and fly them off, those signs were meant for us. We only had pity for them. Yes, temptations were many and varied.... but we were the Rangers!

They had a life of misery and they were darned pretty. I always reminded my boys that way back home that their loved ones were praying and waiting for them, their wives, their children, their parents and siblings. I am proud to say that the boys from Bravo Company, commanded by Major Christopher Joseph, kept their faith, they went back to their families, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. All of them had no family issues under the most of trying circumstances. I am glad and proud that I was their Second In Command. After clearing off the village, when we were into a good two hours, I come upon another "tax" collection point.

I ask myself, will these never end? I call Lt Othman and tell him that I was going to dismount alone and ask them to remove the barriers this time without shooting at them. I give strict instructions that no one else was to dismount. That I, and I alone would negotiate and clear the barriers. I instructed Lance Corporal Shamsuddin to take my place in the turret. I also told him that if anyone fired upon me, I was going to let loose the M79, which fires a 40mm high explosive grenade. After which I will throw myself on the ground and hope for the best.

He was to, at that moment open up with all the fire power he had and decimate anyone still standing. This same instruction I gave to Lt Othman, who commanded 4 other IFVs'. Before I opened the door of the Condor, I cocked my pistol, my M4A1, put in a round of the 40mm into the M79, checked the M73 grenades, put another bandolier of 40mm rounds around my neck, checked my 4 magazines on my chest, the two more magazines on my thighs and my machete. Tightened the Velcro straps holding the 7.62 Nato defeating ceramic plates. Oh yes, I put on my Ranger beret with hackle and all, not the Kevlar helmet.

I was in other words "armed to the teeth". I was a virtual walking weapons system. I opened the hatch, one of the guys quickly shut it and locked it. I looked in front of me, there were about 15 Somalis, with weapons. I had my M79 in my right hand and my M4A1 in my left hand. There were another 20 odd Somalis further back, high probability of them being armed too. I walked towards the barrier. Something caught my ears.

A sound of people moving behind me. Shit and double shit! The Somalis were moving behind me to capture me alive to be used as a hostage for bargaining purposes. I would never live it down, being captured, I pivoted, ready to fire. No ! There were no Somalis but a whole section of my soldiers paper - potting in the the fire and maneuver formation, heavily armed. I was angry that my orders were deliberately disobeyed, I shouted at them :

"Hey you xxxxxxx (expletives), who asked you to dismount ?",(Dey xxxxx(expletives), siapa suruh kau orang turun ?). The answer I received from the youngest soldier, who happened to be a Malay in the platoon was : "Hey, sir, you don't want to die alone, do you ?" (Tak akan tuan mahu mati seorang ?) To this answer I experienced real goose bumps. I felt invincible. I have done many things, alot of crazy things. I was from the rank and file. I have been promoted so many times.

Did I have satisfaction? Yes! That day was a day of awakening for me. I felt goose bumps forming on my neck, in reaction to the answer given by a very young Malay soldier. I knew then and there that my soldiers accepted me as their leader and willing to do anything for me. Even die for me ! I knew from then on, that my soldiers and I could take on anything. Many an officer would give his all to experience a moment like that. I was elated. It was better than promotions. I approached the Somalis while a whole section of men were on the ground to support me, with others covering me from the Condors. All my boys meant business.

I walked up to the Somalis, pointed at their guns with my M79 and told them to lower their weapons. Which they did. Next I kicked over a few of the barriers, there was alot of talking amongst them, soon the Somalis joined me at my location clearing the barriers. I was on top of the world. Soon the barriers were cleared, my soldiers mounted up into their vehicles, the convoy continued on it's journey to Baidoa.

They were Ibans, Chinese, Malays and Indians, maybe you do not know them, they were warriors from Malaysia, Ranger Warriors. Put that thought in your thick skull! That was in 1994, in the month of April after the Americans had withdrawn. A cooler head prevailed, Othman's. The Condor charged in between thatched huts with mud walls and caught up with the truck.

The turret swiveled with the guns bearing on the driver in the cabin of the truck. He pulled up. Even as he pulled up, around 30-40 villagers were running towards the truck. The quick thinking Section Commander Corporal Shukri and his section of men dismounted.

He positioned his men well and blocked the crowd from the truck. He had his men fix bayonets. The crowd was getting bigger. This was not good. The Condor seeing the new threat, swiveled it's turret toward the crowd. The Section Commander approached the driver and gestured to him, to drive back and rejoin the convoy. I was watching this scene through my binoculars. I could see that Corporal Shukri was barely suppressing his rage and anger.

Corporal Shukri

Thankfully the driver obeyed. A bloodbath was averted, in reference to the crowd of villagers., not for the driver. I walked up to the Somalis, pointed at their guns with my M79 and told them to lower their weapons. Which they did. Next I kicked over a few of the barriers, there was alot of talking amongst them, soon the Somalis joined me at my location clearing the barriers.

I was on top of the world. Soon the barriers were cleared, my soldiers mounted up into their vehicles, the convoy continued on it's journey to Baidoa. The Somali Militia waved us off very respectfully. Somalis respect a show of force, if you can be taken out, they would not hesitate to do so.