Been There, Done That

Monday, November 06 2006 | Send to a friend

Been There, Done That

Bud at work in Fallujah, Iraq

When you think of dangerous jobs in Iraq you might not think of civilian contract truck drivers.  Thousands of them have been driving all over the country, including to the most dangerous areas.  Unofficial trackers are now calculating that of the sixty-two drivers killed, twenty-five are Americans.  This is the story of one trucker who survived, David (Bud) Meredith. 

Civilian truckers don't carry guns. They have minimal protective gear on their trucks. They go to Iraq for a variety of reasons. Bud went to get enough money to buy a home. His handle was "Scout", short for Boy Scout.

Bud recalls one day, when he was in a truck convoy which included a driver they called "Crop Duster".

When Crop Duster's truck stopped, it blocked the whole road.  And you did not want to leave the road because there could be land mines, IED, you didn't know.  There was a lot of chaos on the radio. Someone had already looked in Crop Dusters truck and said he was dead and my CC said "Scout, get up there and get Crop Duster." 

The view from Bud's truck

All that I remember was seeing his arm laying on the console.  I was stunned. All I could think is, "Where is he?  Where is he?"  There was nothing there.  I remember back-stepping out of the truck, and standing in middle of the road. I can say now, looking back with a little humor, it's a good thing the insurgents weren't good shots, because I was just standing there.  Then the tank rolled up and soldiers jumped out and that's when I came to. 

My truck was off the side of road so I radio'd other trucks to stay in my tire tracks.  I didn't want anything happening to anyone else.  Before I left I turned and looked at two soldiers on the ground, They were using Crop Dusters's truck as a shield.  One soldier's face was dirty and black, but you could see the tear tracks on his cheeks. And he turned and saluted me.
- Bud Meredith

Bud's daughter Hannah

Bud is now home with his wife Abbi. He has a new job, but is dealing with post traumatic stress from his time in Iraq. He is also preparing to see his daughter Hannah off. She's headed to Iraq. She'll be there as a soldier, with a gun.

• Watch a video of the incident Bud describes
• Read the statement from Bud's insurance company