Hood County News – October 27, 2003

Lance Corporal Aaron Ball

“Running water” is what U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Aaron Ball missed most in more than seven months of combat and rebuilding duty in Iraq.” We went 36 consecutive days without a shower,” the Marine truck driver recalled. That was while his truck unit was supporting the Marines fighting toward Bagdad. Don’t confuse a combat support service Marine with someone far behind the lines. In Iraq, then Pfc. Ball was hauling everything from ammunition to water into the combat areas and was under fire many times.

He and his “brother” friend, Chris Osburn, a Navy Seal, told Chris’ mother, Judy Cline, who is like a mother to Aaron, he would be far behind the lines unloading ships.

On the day before the fighting started a television news crew interviewed Aaron waiting at the Kuwait border to support the first Marine combat troops.

After seeing the interview, Judy Cline called her son at his base in California. She told him, “Don’t you lie to your mother, again!”

“Oh, Mom! We told you that because we knew you would worry.”

Steve and Aaron have been as close as brothers since they were 14, Cline said.

Aaron is the son of Steve Ball of Granbury. Mrs. Cline said because it is just the father and son at home, Aaron spent lots of time in the Cline home.

So, even though his home is with his father, Mrs. Cline admits she “adopted” Aaron and did worry about him. She is just as proud of him as if she were his mother.

Aaron said his truck convoy was under small-arms fire numerous times and one grenade attack.

“We were not worried about the small-arms fire. Those people are poor shots,” Ball said.

There were a few times during combat that Ball thought he could possibly die.

Those were times when the Marines were in their “fighting holes” and knew the enemies were all around them.

Fighting holes are a Marine name for foxholes.

“We are not foxes. We fight out of those holes,” the Marine lance corporal declared.

Most of the time when the supply people were in the combat zones, Ball said the combat Marines gave them good protection.

He is sure that God protected his outfit once. The convoy was going to Nazarat when a sandstorm forced them to stop.

Iraq people said it was the worst storm in 50 years. The convoy had to sit all night. The storm was over by morning.

The sand was orange and Ball said 2 inches of the color coated the desert. It crunched like snow when one walked on it.

As the convoy moved on toward Nazarat, it passed an area with many dead Iraq soldiers.

“If the storm had not stopped us, we would have been ambushed,” Ball said.

Morale was good during the fighting, Ball recalled. “We were tight and knew we had a job to finish.”

When peacekeeping began, things loosened up and it was not as good, Ball commented.

Ball said his truck could pull 22 tons. The desert was hard on equipment. Ball said one could hear the sand in the brakes. Also, air filters had to be cleaned often.

Ball had never driven a truck when he enlisted in the Marines after graduating from Granbury High School in 2001.

Marines trained him as a driver and he is on active duty for five years. He will have three years in the reserve.

Did he have any idea he would go to war when he enlisted?

“I thought I would go to California, work hard for a few years and then go to college.”

He reported to Camp Pendleton at Oceanside, Calif., Saturday, missing a reunion with his “brother” by one day. Chris had shipped out from his base near San Diego, Calif., Friday.

2004 HOOD COUNTY TEXAS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY