July 14, 2003 -- Monica Balderrama, KFOX News at Nine.

Those soldiers are now back in El Paso and for the first time, they're talking about what happened.

The 978th military police unit was deployed to Iraq in April. And during routine patrols, just days from each other, four soldiers were wounded in two separate attacks.

In an exclusive interview with all four, they talk about what happened to them and how they survived.

It was the night of June 4th. The 3rd squad of the 978th Military Police Unit was on a routine patrol outside Balad, Iraq, just North of Baghdad.

Specialist Alan Hill, "I heard some fire, we saw a flare go up, I yelled out we got a flare, we got a fire, we couldn't see where it was coming from we had pretty heavy vegetation to our left and right."

Private First Class Candice May was driving a humvee.

Pfc Candice May, "My initial instinct was to duck for cover." and get out of the way of fire."

Since Pfc. May was driving, she was exposed and hit several times. But something saved her.

Pfc. May, "My kevlar and my vest, without that I would have been hit, I probably wouldn't be here now. I'm a firm believer in that and it saved my life."

May took a bullet to the side of her helmet. Debris and more bullets hit her left hand. Specialist Alan Hill was manning the machine gun on top of the humvee, similar to these used in training.

Spc. Hill, "There were tracers lighting up the sky two of them went by my head, that's when I got on the SAW and began engaging at the Iraqis."

Hill was hit on his arms, legs and face with flying metal and debris.

Hill, "Next thing I know, I was hit in the arm, I remember that. It knocked me off the SAW, I got back on I kept firing and I was hit in the head, I don't remember a whole lot after that."

A little over 24 hours later, another attack near a water treatment plant. Specialists Pedro Rodriguez and Jeremy Bristol were sleeping.

Specialist Jeremy Bristol, "When I first woke up I heard something boom, I woke up looked out the window, saw something glowing on the ground by the gate, 50 yard from us. I knew something wasn't right so I got up."

The unit was being attacked with rocket propelled grenades.

Specialists Pedro Rodriguez, "I heard the first bang like he did, I put on my boot, I came up to him, heard the second bang, then 3rd bang, the explosion was 6 feet away from us."

Bristol, "That's the one I caught shrapnel from, and when it blew up the force of it through me against the wall and I just happened to stumble to the back room where there was another window and I crawled out the window."

Both soldiers crawled to safety. Bristol was hit in the neck, arm and back. This wound is an inch deep. Rodriguez instantly felt pain in his arm.

Rodriguez, "I didn't realize the severity of my injury until I picked up my saw and fired it, I couldn't grip it or didn't have strength in my arm, and I tumbled my SAW.

Members of the 978th Military Police unit are still overseas. But the four soldiers wounded were not gone long.

The 978th was deployed on April 7th. Their attacks happened in early June and the soldiers were quickly given medical attention.

They eventually made their way back to Ft. Bliss on June 13. All four soldiers are on convalesce leave which means they are still at the post receiving more treatment or therapy.

They say even though they're glad to be back, they can't shake off the feelings of guilt and wish they were back with the rest of their unit.

As we reported, all four soldiers have received purple heart medals.