"He told me I needed an operation to remove the disc because if I knocked it even during a mundane activity around the house it could kill me, " said Thompson.

BBC: Injury forces Thompson to retire

My cameraman blasted me, reminding me in the darkness when someone is trying to kill you, everything, even the group all knowing the same location of a household item, or a map or a helmet may just save your life.

FORBES: Remembering the Road to Baghdad