This is one of those few war stories that have a happy ending – the unlikely friendship of between a US soldier and an Iraqi teenager.
Dylan was a soldier that had been deployed to Kirkuk, in Iraq, where he met teenage Brahim. Because the army was in need of Iraqi interpreters, young Brahim joined as one, even though it meant certain death.
Anyway, Brahmin would tell me about all the family members he lost in the conflict–brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, all of em.
— odp (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017
As Dylan explains in an emotive thread on Twitter that has moved thousands of people, Brahim was promised refugee status in the US for his services, even if he might get killed before his work was done.
And yet, he survived, and Dylan developed a friendship with him like that of two brothers. Knowing Brahim had very little, Dylan recalls how he gave some toiletries one day to the boy, and he reacted by crying with joy.
He spent the next year acting as our liaison, providing us with valuable intel, essentially saving our lives on a daily basis. At 16.
— odp (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017
Five years later, Dylan was on his way home in Arizona in 2013 to bury his little brother, when the most unexpected thing happened.
As he got in a taxi, he started the usual small talk conversation with the driver. As they spoke, Dylan revealed he had been to Kirkuk, where the driver was from. Suddenly, the driver stopped the car, looked at Dylan and identified himself as Brahim.
I tell him I just got out of the military and blah blah. He says "oh great. I love the military. You ever travel anywhere?"
— odp (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017
On a day when Dylan’s heart was broken after losing his brother, reuniting with this boy who had made it all the way to Arizona was a silver lining.
Lost one brother, and got another one back. #refugees pic.twitter.com/FDF6jVNBZf
— odp (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017
You can read about Dylan’s story on his Twitter.
The Incredible Story Of A US Soldier & His Iraqi Interpreter