There is no doubt that the vast majority of the citizens of Ramadi hated us. I think they were trying to kill us with their minds every time we drove by. They evil eyed us constantly which made it pretty comical when we were ordered to wave.

Smiling Marines driving down the road in death mobiles smiling and waving at obviously hate filled men who were not afraid to stare back at you.

Driving through crowded areas made me nervous. I had a TOW missile launcher and an M240G medium machine gun. The Iraqis knew our hands were tied and that we wouldn’t just spray into the crowd without warning so they lined up and mean mugged. Everyone was terrified about causing “collateral damage”, i.e. dead women and kids. Kids and sometimes the younger men would show us the bottom of their shoes. I always thought that was funny. It’s supposed to be super disrespectful. It does look kind of weird.

I quickly learned that hateful stares got a little less hateful and shoes tended to get heavier when I pulled out my pistol. I did this to discourage potential attacks, not to be a dick.

I think they understood my body language when I would unholster my M9 and casually held it, pointing it up at the sky as if I’m being safe on the range. What I was saying and what I think they understood was, I can’t shoot this missile at you and you know that, and I can’t just open up with my 240 and you know that, but I can point my Beretta at you specifically, and kill you specifically if you piss me off…and you know that.