Snowfight

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Snow Fight

1 - The first rule of Snow Fight is, you do not talk about Snow Fight.
2 - The second rule of Snow Fight is, you DO NOT talk about Snow Fight.
3 - If someone says stop, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over.
4 - Two teams to a fight.
5 - One fight at a time.
6 - No shirts, no shoes.
7 - Fights will go on as long as they have to.
8 - If this is your first night in Estonia, you have to fight.

That’s the National Snow Fight rules or the NSF, as the Estonians like to call it. In writing this blog I'm breaking rules number one and two. I would like to start by saying "it all started on a warm sunny morning" but the truth is it all started at about 4pm to an overcast cold -5c normal day. We were so under-prepared to what was about to happen.
So it was after 4pm on Wednesday, on Roosikrantsi Street in central Estonia, and the crack-crack of Snowball fire had been rattling since dawn. Around 8 Australian and Estonian civilians had come to see these mountains of high rise snow and shelters that would now become our home for as long as the fight decided to go for. Both teams were trying to disrupt the other army who were battling for control of the area.

The usual joint military effort and friendship that has always been between the Estonians and Australian’s was momentarily put on the line by what seemed to be a cocky outburst by a young and naive Adam Fairhead announcing to all Estonians in the hostel that Chris and himself would like to challenge a team of two Estonians to a Snow Fight. But this morning, in the dark, four-floor apartments on Roosikrantsi Street, that promise of safety on the streets seemed distant.

What was close, and painfully real, was the cost of an escalating street fight that trapped Australian soldiers and some Estonian bystanders between warring sects.
Both teams of two strong athletic men that resemble the bodies and courage that could only be described as "Spartan” went down stairs with no shirts and no shoes to set up their bases and form the ammunition. For both teams knew what was about to happen and what fire would rain down on them.
And as with so many days here, a single Snowball seemed to change everything.

It started at 4:15 p.m.

"Help!" came the shout. "Man down-Man down."

Sergeant Chris Dullroy, 21, got hit in the head by a packed in, rock solid Snow Ball, his piercing voice carrying into the hostel with the Estonian family. The soldier who challenged the fight rushed over from the sergeant's platoon to protect Sergeant Dullroy and do what he could to keep back the Estonian onslaught. The fire of Snowballs rained down and there was no way to protect Sergeant Dullroy without pulling him out of the Snow Ball-stricken Park. Then an un-expected snowball hits Sgt. First Class Adam Fairhead in the face, but the snowball not deterring his anger and willingness to fight.

In the narrow kitchen window of the hostel, a single mother, a young boy and other Estonians watch in anticipation to see this fight un-ravel. A single snow-bullet hits the window nearly shattering it but emotionally scaring the young boy. His scarred and little face could be seen in a tinted glass of the window-facing north.

The platoon's leader, Sgt. First Class Adam Fairhead, ordered the boy and his family to get down, away from every window, as he tried to pull Sergeant Dullroy out of the firing line to safety of a large tree.

"O.K., everybody, let's relax," Sgt. First Class Fairhead said. But he was shaking from his shoulder to his hand.

Relaxing was just not possible. Fifteen feet and a 6-cm-high snow stood between where Sergeant Dullroy fell and the raging and angry Estonian army. Snowballs still popped in bursts, their source obscured by echoes off the concrete buildings.

"Don't freak out on me, Doc," Sergeant Dullroy shouted to Sgt. First Class Fairhead who was frantically packing Snowballs and just as quickly shooting them across the park with no particular aim.

Two minutes later, another soldier Private Joel Dullroy rushed to help, dragging the injured Sgt. Chris Dullroy from the shelter of the tree. A medivac team then rushed in and carried him to the hostel, around 4:20. He moaned as they carried him away from the fight as his courage and adrenalin overtook the pain of that first Snow Ball.

A brave and strong Sgt. Chris Dullroy wanted to come back and fight for his countries pride and protect those two other soldiers that had saved him from the cold and solid Snow Ball artillery. Sgt. First Class Fairhead signals to Sgt. Chris Dullroy to get back as his brother Joel is now in this Snow fight and it could only resemble that of a Hollywood blockbuster called Saving Private Ryan, which is a brilliant movie with Tom Hanks that I would give 4 stars too.
Back to the Snow Fight: Together, alone, trapped in a dark place with the feeling of fear and uncertainty still lingering of their comrade, they tried to piece together what had happened. Maybe a Snow Ball sniper saw Sergeant Chris Dullroy's head pop up over the base and fired momentarily.

The Estonians were not supposed to even be playing yet. The plan had been for Sgt. First Class Fairhead's squad to work alongside each other making and packing the Snow Balls. But after arriving late to the fight, the Estonians jumped ahead to packing their Snow Balls and making their base. Sgt. First Class Fairhead's squad didn’t stand a chance to the accuracy and determination of the two Estonian soldiers who obviously had been playing Snow Fights and packing Snow Balls since they were little.

The Estonian family in the kitchen window had once again popped up to watch the Snow Fight. An Australian officer later said the Estonian family were brave to watch the most intense snow fire.

They were still not sure what Estonian soldier was responsible for Sergeant Dullroy’s wound, but they knew that the last thing they wanted was another casualty. In a moment of emotion, Sgt. First Class Fairhead said, " we give up, you win", a very demoralising and unsatisfying end to a scary fight.

Both teams walk away, Cold from no shirts and the feet, the feet my friends were so cold they started to turn to a off blue. Sgt. Chris Dullroy says, "That’s the price of war" and challenges the Estonians to come to Australia for a Sand Fight. Both the Estonian and Australian Army's head up-stairs to start drinking some beers and telling others in the hostel of their tales and heroic fight that had just occurred.

There are no winners in war!!