America meet one of your soldiers, First Sergeant Charles Nye who lost his left eye to a VBIED while serving in Iraq with the 187th Infantry Regiment “Rakkasans,” 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division.
Nye’s injuries occurred after just returning from an all-night patrol in Tel Afar. He had been asleep for about 15 or 20 minutes when machine-gun fire rattled outside the window.
“I jumped up and started to get my boots on and then there was a flash across the room about 10 feet away,” Nye said. “I didn’t hear the explosion; I just saw the flash and hit the floor, and then I was blind.”
His initial thought was that they had been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. They soon learned that a car bomb had rocked everyone in the building.
“I never felt any pain, I was slurring my words and I could taste blood, but I was afraid to touch my face - I didn’t think I had a face to touch,” Nye said.
One can only imagine what might be going through 1SG Nye’s mind at that time…
Nye was later told that despite being one of the worst injured, he sat up and he tried to calm everyone else down, but he doesn’t remember that. He doesn’t recall much about his trip back to the U.S., because of shock and medication, except the plane ride with other wounded Soldiers. He remembers not wanting to look in the mirror on the plane for fear of what he might see.
“I was really scared of not knowing. I just didn’t know what I was going to see and that scared me,” he said. He eventually made himself look, but did not realize that he had lost his eye until he was in Germany. No one wanted to tell him, so he asked the doctor, who told him yes.
“That moment was so very hard for me,” Nye said. “I just laid for a while in shock, and then looked in the mirror again and told myself that I would get through this.”
I cannot fathom what it would be like to be told you won’t deploy with your unit…
When his unit deployed to Iraq for a second tour, it was decided that he would be better off leaving the unit.
“That upset me. It broke my heart because I was ready to go and I would go right now if they would let me,” Nye said. “I am what I am - I am a Soldier - that is what I do and I want to keep going.”
Becoming a first sergeant in a Basic Combat Training company was vastly different from what he used to do.
1SG Nye has not quit though, he’s preparing our young soldiers for the long fight…
“I must say drill sergeant duty is the hardest job I have had in the military and without 1st Sgt. Nye, I don’t think I could have made it,” said Sgt. 1st Class Evelyn Gunter, drill sergeant, Co. A, 2nd Bn., 60th Inf. Reg. “He brightens the day at physical training formation before the sun even comes up and he is a constant motivator throughout the day. He is my hero!”
Nye has been at Fort Jackson for two years and will retire in October. He has been awarded a Purple Heart and two bronze stars with a V for valor for his actions of bravery as a Soldier.
“Chuck Nye is the epitome of a warrior. He’s a living example of what we are trying to instill in the young Soldiers that we transform here in BCT,” said Lt. Col. Michael Minor, commander, 2nd Bn., 60th Inf. Reg.
His advice for his young Soldiers is, if they are going to go for it - go all the way and enjoy the whole adventure.
Rest easy America, we’re in good hands with the likes of First Sergeant Charles Nye. I’m proud of you top, thank you for your sacrifice and service. Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Heroes & The Soldier
