Jeff and Sandie Petee, parents of Stephen Phillips, said the message contained shooting, shouted profanity and calls for more ammunition, KPTV in Portland, Ore., reported Monday.
"His friend died a year ago in Iraq and I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, this may be the last time I hear my son's voice on the phone,'" Sandie Petee said.
"They were pinned down and apparently his barrel was overheating," said Jeff Petee. "It's something a parent really doesn't want to hear. It's a heck of a message to get from your son in Afghanistan."
The parents said they were eventually able to make contact with their son, who told them his phone accidentally redialed their number when it was pressed up against his Humvee during the battle. Sandie Petee said Phillips, who is in the Army's military police, is expected to come home at the end of his tour next month.