Follow-Up: Marine Narrowly Escapes Death In Afghanistan
Pregnant Wife of Marine Pictured in Taliban Firefight Says She Feared Labor
FOX:
The pregnant wife of a brave Marine — whose brush with death during a gun battle with the Taliban was captured in a dramatic photo — told FOXNews.com that she feared an early trip to the delivery room when she realized the leatherneck under fire was her husband.
“I’m over seven months pregnant, so I thought I was going to go into labor,” said Bobbie Bee, the wife of Sgt. William Olas Bee of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed in Afghanistan. “I knew automatically it was him.”
A Reuters photographer captured Sgt. Bee’s very close shave during a May 18 firefight in the Garmsir district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where U.S. and British troops have mounted an offensive since April 28 against a supply route used by the Taliban to funnel insurgents and weapons along the Pakistan border.
Bobbie, expecting her first child — a boy — said her 26-year-old husband is a “poker-face guy” who “lives for the Marine Corps.” She spoke with him Wednesday morning and he reassured her he was “perfectly safe.”
But she’s had sleepless nights since the photographs of her husband surfaced earlier this week and flashed around the world.
She saw her husband’s grimace in the photographs posted to a blog she reads, and though the captions of the photos said he was unscathed, she couldn’t buy it.
“I wouldn’t believe anybody saying he was OK until I actually spoke with him,” Bobbie, 25, told FOXNews.com by phone from her parent’s home in central Pennsylvania.
She quickly called the Marine’s relatives to spread the good news.
“He’s fighting to look out for the United States,” said his grandmother, Belva Bee, noting “it’s something that he wanted to do, and if something happens to him over there I’ll know he was doing something that he wanted to do.”
Sgt. Bee, an Ohio native and member of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment of the 24th MEU who has been a Marine for about nine years, has been deployed to Afghanistan since March. Though he’s been there before, this is his first deployment since he married Bobbie on April Fool’s Day 2006.
Bobbie credits the Marines’ Key Volunteer Network, a program that uses phone chains to keep families informed of their loved one’s status, with helping her through the ordeal.
“We’re taught the whole process, but when it becomes your own Marine, you lose all that,” she said.
Much was made of the photographs, which showed Sgt. Bee defending a mud wall without a helmet. Bobbie said her husband told her he was changing into fresh clothes when the company came under gunfire.
“He said he turned around and did what he had to do.”
I wonder if he had to ‘change into fresh clothes’ after the close call … Put your helmet on, babe! Get home to the wife and baby! STAY SAFE!
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They’re beautiful. I swear, I don’t know how these young people keep it together under that kind of stress. Wishing them the very best life has to offer going forward.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:16 pmHoly Shit Batman!! A-1-6 Ooh-Fucking-Rah!! My old outfit. Semper Fi.. Got goose bumps. 3rd Platoon. God bless this hard charging Grunt. Beer, 100’s of
May 21st, 2008 at 4:31 pmYou know he was tellin her it wasnt him.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:16 pmthe first thing that came to my mind when i saw this on the tube the other morning was where is his protective gear??? we had to wear it 24/7..
May 21st, 2008 at 5:34 pmGood luck to them both and come home safe
May 21st, 2008 at 6:00 pmDear God,
Thank you for giving us people like William Bee and his wife who are willing to sacrifice comfort and possibly their lives to protect and provide the comfort with which we live and that others may be able to aspire to. Bless those who protect and povide.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:24 pmThank you for your bravery Sgt. & Mrs. Bee. I hope you both enjoy many happy years together.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:00 pmDamn!!! oh311s have all the fun.
Semper Fi dude and have those photos mounted in the front room
May 21st, 2008 at 7:18 pmBlessings to their whole family. I am sure it was quite a shock for them to see those pictures especially his wife. They are a beautiful couple and they are one of many shining examples of those who are serving and sacrificing for our country. God bless them all.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:18 pmSgt Bee,
May 21st, 2008 at 8:50 pmStay safe, we need you and your wife to pop out more Bees for the good of mankind. Its your duty brother. Marines should get a “War Bunny” bonus for reproducing.
LMAO!!! I like that idea!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 9:32 pmHEY IF YOU KNEW THEM 2 LIKE I DO THEY ARE EVERYTHING TO EACH OTHER SRGT BEE IS HER EVERYTHING AND OURS MAY OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY LOVE BILLY AND BOBBIE AND BABY BEE
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 amCORRECTION LOVE YA BILLY, BOBBIE AND BABY BEE
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:53 am