These images come from British war photographer Jerome Starkey while attached to a U.S. Army Medevac team. He captured this powerful moment of Specialist Jacob Moore from the 101st Airborne while in Afghanistan. This is the story that led to one photo titled the “Million Mile Stare”.
While the men of Army’s 101st “Screaming Eagles” were on patrol with members of Afghan Army soldiers (ANA), they were hit by two IEDs. The first explosion was about 60 feet from Spc. Jacob Moore. This blast hit ANA sergeant Abdul Razak. A group of men from the 101st immediately raced to the Afghan soldier with a stretcher. In their rush, they missed another buried pressure plate which detonated the second IED.
Spc. Jacob Moore was only 18 when he joined the Army. He had already deployed once to Iraq but at the young age of 20, he was faced with the true horror of war. In his words:
“When I got here all I wanted was to get into a firefight but getting blown up is sh*ty.”
Shrapnel from the second IED ripped into his face and the shockwave threw him on his back.
“I remember seeing dirt, the explosion. I opened my eyes and it was dirt everywhere. There was a whine in my ears. I couldn’t hear sh*t. I rolled on to my stomach, I stood up and started screaming.”
As the dirt settled and Mr. Moore’s vision returned, he realized that his friend and old mentor Sergeant Sean Flannery had been hit.
“I saw the crater (from the IED blast) and Sgt Flannery’s hands,” Moore said. “He was in the crater, lying on his back. I was flipping out. I was trying to get him to say something. His eyes were open, looking around, but he wasn’t saying anything.”
Mr. Moore’s best friend Adam Broel was a medic from a quick response team. Photographer Jermome Starkey was in the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with Mr. Broel when he began capturing these images.
As they flew in to pick-up the first IED wounded soldier, Mr. Broel witnessed Sgt Flannery dive onto the second IED. He said Sgt Flannery saved five men’s lives by being on top of that IED. Broel said: “It’s the equivalent of falling on a grenade. I thought I knew what it was all about, but I had no idea.”
Six injured soldiers were loaded and flown by the Medevac team.
Part of the 101st group that raced to the aid of the Afghan Sgt. Razak was Kyle Middleton. When the UH-60s landed at Kandahar airfield, Mr. Middleton was pronounced dead.
As for Sean Flannery, the man known as the “big brother” of the platoon…he would take his final breath while holding Jacob Moore’s hand.
That is the story of one photo, the “Million Mile Stare”.
From us here at theChive to all the Veterans today, “Thank You”.
To best explain who these men and women Serving our country really are, I’ll leave with one last simple detail. Jacob Moore recovered from his injuries and reunited with the “Screaming Eagles” for a 3rd deployment to war in Afghanistan.
Learn more about Photography from Jerome Starkey here
Check out more Photography from Jerome Starkey here
