Absolutely devastating news today about US marine and volunteer medic Pete Reed being killed in #Bakhmut. His ambulance was apparently hit by #Russian shelling as he evacuated civilians. Pete was one of the most remarkable humans I have ever met in my years on the road. #petereed
2. I met Pete in Mosul in 2016. The Iraqi govt had banned civilian cars due to ISIS car bombs. NGOs were miles from the front. Injured civilians had nowhere to go. Pete set up in a house and got donated med equipment, treating soldiers and civilians alike. He was 27 years old.
3. Pete ended up offering triage to many Iraqi soldiers who had poor medivac facilities for troops, training many of them too. In one day on the front with him I saw him treat several children. Him and his team saved dozens, perhaps hundreds of lives.
4. I was fortunate enough to profile him for @pbs @NewsHour. Here he is treating a child shot in the head by an ISIS sniper as her and her family fled.
5. Pete also treated this little boy. His father brought him in after they made it out of ISIS territory.
6. Pete was incensed that civilians were targeted. At just a young man in his mid twenties he had seen a lot and reflected on it deeply.. “They are purposely trying to kill these people,” he said.
Pete in his own words on how the work impacted him….
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.