More from the 3/7

Captain Mills from H&S updates us on life in Iraq:

“Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor to also the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same cause – honor to him, only less than to him, who braves, for the common good, the storms of heaven and storms of battle.”

- President Abraham Lincoln

I know that some of the news that is written about in these letters is some times not new to some of the families who have already been informed. My goal with these newsletters is to ensure that the entire family of Headquarters and Service Company, those deployed and those supporting us back home, is aware of our experiences. Hopefully, no day will ever be darker for 3d Battalion, 7th Marines than 17 April. On this date, the battalion lost five outstanding Marines in actions against the enemy. One of those fine Marines was Captain Richard Gannon. At the time he was serving as Commanding Officer for Lima Company, but during Operation Iraqi Freedom I, he served as the Commanding Officer for Headquarters and Service Company. Many of you may remember reading his newsletters from last year.

Rick was a true professional and a brother to us all. There are many Marines and sailors serving today who owe a lot of thanks to him for his steadfast leadership and courage. I often consulted with him and sought his advice in how to better execute my duties. He has left our side here, but will always continue to be with us.

Over the weekend of 17 and 18 April, the battalion took to the streets of the town of Husaybah and swept enemy forces out of that area. There are still certainly dangers present and the enemy is still working to disrupt our mission of peace, but things have settled down considerably over the past month to allow somewhat more routine things to take place. The Marines and sailors at Camp Al Qa’im now have three basketball hoops located around the base. Almost immediately upon their receipt, competition amongst base personnel started. There have been two tournaments held thus far and many more are expected in the future. Athletic competition is always great to keep the time moving and the camp is hoping to have more such events with softball and flag football in the future. A battalion soccer team is being put together under the guise of First Lieutenant Michael Kaniuk to play some local Iraqi teams. The battalion was soundly beaten last year in Karbala, so we hope to perform a little better this time around.

The personnel of Headquarters and Service Company continue to perform exceptionally well and are properly being awarded for their efforts. Lance Corporals John J. Frawley III, Robert J. Millar, and Brian A. Bova were awarded Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals for their continuous and untiring efforts to support the Battalion Operations Section. Petty Officer Demetrius M. Hartsfield, for his superb actions in supporting the Battalion Aid Station’s mission during our short stay in 29 Palms after the last deployment, and then-Corporal Robert J. Matthews, for his initiative in preparing vehicles to support the battalion’s operations in Iraq, were also awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Two Staff Noncommissioned Officers were awarded medals for their inspired efforts with their previous commands. Staff Sergeant Omar Mombille was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Gunnery Sergeant Timothy Perez was presented the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Much deserved promotions were given to a number of Marines. Robert J. Matthews’ dedication to mission accomplishment resulted in his meritorious promotion to Sergeant on 15 May (his date of rank will be 2 May). New Corporals as of 1 May are Eric R. Holomon and Pablo Deleon Jr. Also on that day, Jason R. Barter, Justin S. Holt, Michael A. Ordonez, and Lonnie F. Vega were promoted to Lance Corporal.

Last year when the battalion deployed, the Marine Corps had put into place the policies of Stop-Move and Stop-Loss. These policies meant that Marines who had orders to report to new units or had reached the end of their obligated service were required to remain with their current units and deploy to support operations. This time around, those policies are not in effect. Each month we will begin to say goodbye to a number of Marines as they depart to start a new phase of their life. The command’s goal is to get these individuals back to 29 Palms at least one month before they are scheduled to move or depart the Marine Corps. I’d like to extend my appreciation to Staff Sergeant Tylon L. Wilder, Sergeant Michael K. Podbevsek, Corporals Jimmie B. King and Daniel Ramirez, and Lance Corporal Gerald M. Cobian for their service to their country as United States Marines. Staff Sergeant Wilder was a recent addition to us from Lima Company and was instrumental in improving convoy execution for the Logistics Section. He will be departing the Marine Corps after eight years of dedicated service in order to look after his two young girls. Sergeant Podbevsek is looking to get back on his farm and get a job at the county jail. Corporal King will be looking to transfer his skills from working with 7-ton trucks to working on Caterpillar Engines. Corporal Ramirez is looking forward to going to college part-time while working as a welder for an oil company in Texas. Lance Corporal Cobian is excited about having a little more freedom in what he does and enjoying life with his wife. Good luck to these warriors and a special thanks to their families for allowing them to be a part of the finest military unit in the world.

I would also like to say a fond farewell to Gunnery Sergeant Jimmy Cortez. Although, I guess it’s not that much of a farewell. He is still living in the room next to mine, but he has now been assigned as a Platoon Sergeant with Weapons Company. He has replaced Staff Sergeant John W. Kelley who is now a welcome addition to the Battalion Operations Section. Another new addition is Captain Rory Quinn. Captain Quinn is an Infantry Officer who just finished a tour as an instructor at The Basic School. He is currently serving as a Watch Officer in the Battalion Operations Section. Without a doubt, the most significant addition to our company is Staff Sergeant Kevin F. Kersey. Staff Sergeant Kersey is an electrician on loan to us from Okinawa. Since his arrival, many potential electrical hazards have been fixed and many Marines and sailors now have lights and air conditioning to boast of because of his tireless efforts.

Last year in Karbala, the battalion did not have any air conditioning. This year everyone is much better off. We recently purchased 98 window units and are in the process of getting almost 200 more. The temperatures are now starting to top 120 degrees, but it is a dry heat and has not become unbearable, yet. Recently, some Marines and sailors had a chance to beat the heat when an unplanned pond appeared on the camp. Somewhat funny story: The Marine Corps has a very large armored bulldozer that is known as the D-9. Some of the engineers on our camp were using the D-9 to loosen up dirt that was used to fill protective barriers. The wrong place was picked for digging. The D-9 broke a water pipe that supplies our camp with water, but no one knew this because we were having problems with getting the water on a regular basis at that time and no water was flowing. Once we finally fixed the problem with getting the water sent to us, we still weren’t getting much water and swore that we were getting played with by the local water plant. Turns out the water was coming to us. It just happened to be collecting where the D-9 had previously dug and not in our water tank. A pond the size of a Winnebago was created and Marines like Staff Sergeant Joseph Mallicoat and First Lieutenant David M. Casey were brave enough to test it out and let everyone know that the water was fine. Once the problem was found, we set to drain the pond and have local Iraqis come in to replace the pipe. We are happily receiving our local supply again, although to the dismay of some recreational swimmers.

There are actually too many changes in the camp to address them all, but they are all for the better. The Marines of 8th Engineer Support Battalion that are attached to our battalion have built a small village of long sea huts (made out of 2x4s and plywood) where tents used to be. The Post Office and Post Exchange are moving into their permanent homes (sea huts) as well. Life keeps getting a little better here and a lot of it is directly due to the continued great support from all of the families and friends. I can never say it enough. Your support is a combat multiplier and makes it much easier to accomplish and enjoy mission success. Keep up the good work on the home front. . . .

It is a true honor to serve your sons, husbands, and fathers as their Commanding Officer.

– Captain Barron Mills

P.S. Rumor has it we are getting ice cream tonight for the first time, chocolate and strawberry.

Posted by Deb at 09:15 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

". . . So they are never forgotten"

Cpl. Paula Fitzgerald is a combat correspondent with the 1st Marine Division. Here's her view of her part in honoring fallen Marines.

I’ve been in Iraq for three months and reported on a handful of memorial services. They never get any easier to cover, and I never want them to.

There’s a misconception about Marines in mainstream media. They know our Marines die. Press agencies report the names, ages and hometowns. They clamor to the families’ homes and get the quotes of the bereaved.

They make it in by deadline, and it’s off to cover the next firefight. What they
miss is the humanity. That’s what I’ve seen. That’s what I’ve reported — too many times.

After the fighting ceases and the adrenaline rush is over, the surviving Marines are left to mourn their losses and pick up the pieces. That means tending to wounds, cleaning weapons and refitting for combat. It’s also the time to honor the fallen.

That’s where I come in. As a combat correspondent, it is my duty to tell the Marine Corps story, good and bad. Many of my stories are less than hard-hitting news stories and border on fluff . These stories are welcome breaks for deployed troops’ family members and friends who spend much of their time watching civilian news network’s coverage of the killing that goes on here.

My stories help remind America that Marines are not the killing robots the media builds them up to be. They are human beings. They have names. They have friends. And they bleed and sometimes die.

Their names are printed and wire services up the body count. News agencies read their names, calling it “patriotic,” reminding America of their sacrifices.
It makes good headlines. It gives them a reason to sell their stories.

But what they don’t see is the quiet dignity of their fellow Marines. They don’t see how Marines honor their fallen, simply, without fanfare or chest thumping. These events are solemn, noble ceremonies for Marines who didn’t die fighting for patriotism. They died fighting for each other.

Every service follows the same regimented display: an M16-A2 service rifle topped with a helmet and adorned with identification tags, placed bayonet-down into a box or sandbag behind a pair of combat boots. The memorial symbolically represents the contribution the Marine gave to the Corps. It represents his fighting spirit and how he gave his life for all that we stand for in the Corps and America.

First, the National Anthem is played followed by the chaplain’s invocation. A close friend speaks about his relationship with the Marine. They are haunting words. Men this young shouldn’t know these horrors, but they do. They know them without shame or pride, without boast or reservation. They know them so others may never understand.

Most of these Marines have seen hell at an appalling young age. Some were even there when their 19- and 20-year old buddies were killed. Some might have held them as they died. Some might have known they couldn’t help them in time.

These men don’t try to hide their pain. No one does. For that brief half-hour ceremony, no one is trying to prove anything.

During all of this, I’m moving in and out of the crowd trying to capture the images and scribble the notes that will best tell this story. Marines, for the most part, understand my mission. They tend to be wary of the media, but the fact I wear the same uniform as them puts their minds at ease.

Still, there are those few who look at my camera and me with contempt. They view these ceremonies as private affairs, something the outside world couldn’t possibly understand. Anyone who hasn’t called their Marine “friend” and isn’t silently honoring the sacrifice of their Marine is an outsider.

There’s not much I can do to change their views of my fellow combat correspondents and me, so I go on about my business trying to get unnoticed.

All I can do for these Marines is make sure America knows their names, so they
are never forgotten.

They are quiet, somber and proud affairs, these memorials. The wounds are
still raw. The emotions run high. Capturing it takes a certain amount of connection and detachment at the same time. Telling the world about the contribution of one Marine in a short news story is tough.

Understanding that a life given for a cause greater than oneself is never easy. I hope it never is.

This editorial was originally printed in the Chevron at MCRD San Diego.

Posted by Deb at 08:54 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

An Iraqi's view on why this war is good for America

Ali provides a great perspective on "occupied" Iraq.

Some people think that the American officials didn’t expect such fierce fight from the Islamic groups that keep flowing into Iraq from almost all directions after toppling Saddam. They say that the American army have fell into a trap in Iraq. I want to say that I agree on Iraq being a trap, only it’s a trap for the terrorists not the Americans.

Given their belief in that the war on Saddam and establishing democracy in Iraq was the key stone in combating terrorism, the American administration surely had expected (not planned) this situation as a result of freeing Iraq. The American administration said it more than once that it’s better to fight terrorism outside America than wait until being forced to fight it inside her borders.

This war is good for America in many ways; it eliminated a potential danger, it gives America a good and very much needed ally in the heart of a hostile area, one that is a ‘member of the family’, unlike Israel and Turkey, it secures American interests in the region and makes America safer by attracting the main efforts of the terrorists away from her borders and by building a sort of a nucleus for a democratic Arab Muslim world that will surely diminish the dreadful threat of a combined terrorism and WMDs.

Read the rest here. His walk-away line is worth reading twice:

We didn’t take the decision of the war, that’s right, but we’ve accepted it with full knowledge of the consequences and that’s why you cannot see one large demonstration asking the coalition to leave. We gained our freedom, after Saddam’s fall almost for free, as most of the enormous losses we suffered before that time were not the result of real attempts to gain freedom; they were in most times the result of mere disapproval with the Ba’athists or were part of the systematic killing to maintain the paralyzing fear at a maximum. Maybe it’s time to pay and this time we are ready because we are free from that fear after seeing the weakness of our enemies and we have seen what we were missing and are not ready to lose it no matter what happens. We will pay the price and we will not surrender or compromise, we will fight and we will win.

Posted by Deb at 08:17 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 17, 2004

Unfair and Unbalanced Reporting

Here's an editorial written by LCpl Oscar Gonzalez for the Chevron at MCRD-San Diego:

If you haven’t heard about the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, then you must have been in a cave for the past month and just recently emerged. Unless, of course, you shared that cave with Osama bin Laden.

It seems that these days all the media giants ever talk about is how bad things are going for the military in Iraq. The media have framed events in ways to make the American public feel like things in Iraq are going terribly wrong. Every time the president or the defense secretary speak about developments in Iraq, the media emphasizes on negative quotes and keeps repeating the same thing, over and over. But the most disturbing thing of all is that we never hear about service members going above and beyond the call of duty, performing incredible acts of heroism, and putting their lives in harm’s way to protect their fellow troops and accomplish the mission.

In a recent article by John D. Banusiewicz from the American Forces Press Service, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said, “I suppose that for whatever reason, people seem to think that news isn’t news unless it’s bad news … because that’s essentially what’s getting reported.”

That is exactly what’s happening right now; the media is painting a biased report of the war while ignoring other sides deserving of national attention. Recently, two Marines from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, received the naval service’s second highest award for heroism. Capt. Brian R. Chontosh and PFC Joseph B. Perez were awarded with the Navy Cross; the last Navy Cross awarded was during Desert Storm in February 1991. To earn a Navy Cross, a commendable act must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and must be performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly conspicuous among others of equal grade, rate, experience, or position of responsibility.

Another thing most people haven’t heard about is the story of Cpl. Jason Dunham, a Marine from Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, who was recently nominated for the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award for heroism. If awarded the medal, Cpl. Dunham would be the first service member to receive it since it was last awarded posthumously to two soldiers in Somalia in 1993. But apparently this doesn’t deserve national media coverage; after all, the only thing Dunham did was jump on a grenade so his body would absorb the explosion and save his fellow Marines.

There are countless more newsworthy stories of troops who go above and beyond the call of duty and more stories concerning the construction of new hospitals and schools. All of these things are examples of what we as the public are not hearing about from the media giants.

Whatever the reasons the news media have for keeping the public in the dark should not excuse them from showing the American public another set of pictures: those of their fellow Americans who gave more than demanded for
their country.

Posted by Deb at 09:41 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 16, 2004

In the Line of Fire - More From Robert Kaplan

Here's an interview with Robert Kaplan who wrote Five Days in Fallujah in this month's Atlantic Monthly. It's an excellent look at his journey through a war zone with the Marines - and there are a number of interesting questions with illuminating answers. Here are two.

How did the Marines among whom you were embedded respond to your presence in the battalion?

The particular Marine grunts with whom I was embedded had the impression at first that journalists are violent people. I'm not kidding. After all, two reporters who had been embedded with them in 2003 during the war had gotten into a fistfight over a satellite phone, and a Marine captain had had to break it up with a body block. Aside from that, it was a typical situation for me. I've had long embedding experiences before with the Army Special Forces and the Marines. In the first few days you go through a sniff test, where the guys try to figure out whether you're an asshole or not. Once you're pronounced okay, the bonding can get intense. I email all the time with soldiers and Marines I've met in my travels. If you spend several weeks in close quarters with a bunch of guys under awful conditions, there is something deeply wrong with you if you don't make fast friends. Whereas Army Special Forces guys are in their thirties, Marines are a decade younger, so that makes it a bit more challenging for someone in his early fifties like me. The trick is to ask them nuts-and-bolts questions about what they do, not about how they feel. Profound, touchy-feely questions get you nowhere.

and

You describe much of the strategic planning for the Marines' attack on Fallujah as having been undertaken at the Abu Ghraib Combat Operations Center. Since then, the problem of detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison has emerged as a major scandal. At the time you were there, did you have any inkling of what was going on?

The Abu Ghraib Combat Operations Center, at the Abu Ghraib Forward Operating Base, is a completely different place from the Abu Ghraib prison, which is some miles away. I did visit the prison a few times, however. A good part of the prison grounds is not a prison at all, but a base for Marines who help the Army's 1st Cavalry patrol the town of Abu Ghraib, which is one of the most crime beset in Iraq. The Marines I was with had no contact with the prisoners. They were told in no uncertain terms by their commanders that they shouldn't. I did see some of the living quarters where the Army units who did have contact with the prisoners lived. They had been defaced by soldiers' graffiti, and there was garbage and old food lying all around. A Marine commander ordered the place whitewashed before any Marines moved in, intimating that you can tell the character of troops by the way they live. He then berated what he called "the non-infantry part of the Army." His point was that the Army has great fighting divisions with real espirit de corps, like the 82nd Airborne, 10th Mountain, 1st Cavalry, etc. But the Army is vast, and there are all these units that fall between the cracks, like those later implicated in the prison scandal, which at the time we had little inkling of.

Read the rest.

Posted by Deb at 09:48 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Ahoy from the 11th MEU

On board the USS Belleau Wood:

11th MEU Families and Friends,

Today is June 15. Our destination gets closer every day and every Marine and Sailor is staying busy. There is a lot of training going on in preparation for the challenging months ahead. Every morning there are countless Marines on the flight deck exercising, most in full combat gear. Marines also continue to brush up on their combat skills with live fire exercises, immediate action drills, vehicle and aircraft maintenance and a variety of other things Marines do.

During this leg of our journey, life aboard ship is becoming somewhat routine, but we're not losing sight of the importance of our mission. Morale remains high. We will not become complacent. Our resolve remains firm and true. We will go, do our job, do it well, take care of ourselves and take care of each other, then return to our families safe and sound.

Photo by Cpl. Daniel J. Fosco

Lance Cpl. Billy J. Clark, flight equipment operator with Combat Cargo, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), passes the time in troop berthing by watching a movie on his personal laptop computer here, June 14.

“Marines have to get used to living in close quarters with very little personal space,” the Savannah, Ga., native said. “CDs, books and DVDs are a must have for any Marine living down here.”

Posted by Deb at 08:09 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Update from the 3/7 Marines

3/7 Marines: Corporal Cervantes and Corporal Bill Riecke

Update from Lt.Col. Lopez, up by the Syrian border.

Greetings from Al Qaim,

The Marines, Sailors and Soldiers of Task Force 3/7 are doing an incredible job establishing security and bringing a better life to the people of Al Qaim. We have seen a very violent and dangerous area develop into a relatively peaceful area where governance, Iraqi Security Forces and a blossoming new freedom have been born. This is still Iraq, so we will still face danger and uncertainty in the months to come, but we are well on our way to accomplishing our mission.

On Memorial Day, we were able to pause for a short memorial service held at the 7th Marines Headquarters at Al Asad. We paid tribute to those brave Marines who have been killed in action. We said a prayer for the families and loved ones back home. We asked God’s blessing for our continued mission and safe return.

I cannot express in words the absolute dedication and professionalism that the Marines and Sailors of this Task Force have demonstrated over the past four months. The ability to go in harms way on a daily basis yet maintain the compassion and integrity of our values has been truly awe-inspiring. The performance of the individual and small unit leaders has been superb. The ability for the Marine, even while being shot at, to provide security for the children and noncombatants has been the bedrock of our success. The people of Al Qaim know they have no better friend than the Marine. Those that want to disrupt freedom know they have no worse enemy.

I am very proud to be a part of 3/7.

As rumors of our return abound, I assure you - we will keep you informed. All indicators are still pointing towards this being a 7-month deployment. We are still planning our return for mid to late September. Our return will always remain mission dependent!

The highlight of the week is still mail call. It is a little like having Christmas once a week. Everyone seems to know when the convoy roles in with mail. We all appreciate the packages and letters from home. Now that we have been eating tray rations for 4 months, many Marines subsistence comes in those boxes from loved ones.

Congratulations to all of our newborn! Many of our proud new fathers have been busy showing off pictures.

Until our return!
God, Family, Country And Corps
M. A. Lopez
“Blade Six”

There have been reports that the current length of deployment for Marines (7 months) may be extended to one year. General Hagee opposes this and I hope he prevails over Rumsfeld.

Posted by Deb at 07:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 15, 2004

Kids in Al Kaladiyah

Photo and report by Sgt. Jose Garcia

Sgt. Brandon Kovach, a Civil Affairs Group team leader with the 2/7 Marines, pushes kids higher and higher during a groundbreaking ceremony in Al Kaladiyah held June 9. The 2/7 Marines arranged for a new playground with monkey bars, swing sets, balance beams, see-saws, and a merry-go-round. The CAG team delivered pallets of bottled water, toys, clothes, and Spirit of America bags with school supplies and refreshments for the children and parents of the city.

"These are darling little kids," said Sgt. Brandon Kovach, a CAG team leader. "This is what it's all about, seeing smiles on their faces."

There's been too many years of tyranny and suffering for them," Villa said. "It's a new beginning for the little kids as well, not just the Iraqi people."

The Marines will refurbish one school each week for the next twelve week. Last year in the An Najaf province, the 1/7 Marines opened 13 Marine Legacy schools. This legacy of education left by our Marines is in sharp contrast to the heritage of war and destruction left by Saddam.

Posted by Deb at 08:52 PM | Comments (346) | TrackBack

June 14, 2004

On this Flag Day

This memory by Army Cptn. John Rasmussen was original published in the Army Link News as a Memorial Day tribute 2002. It's new to me, and perhaps to you as well, and I thought it was also appropriate on this Flag Day.

It was raining "cats and dogs" and I was late for physical training. Traffic was backed up at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and was moving way too slowly. I was probably going to be late and I was growing more and more impatient.

The pace slowed almost to a standstill as I passed Memorial Grove, the site built to honor the soldiers who died in the Gander airplane crash, the worst redeployment accident in the history of the 101st Airborne Assault Division.
Because it was close to Memorial Day, a small American flag had been placed in the ground next to each soldier's memorial plaque. My concern at the time, however, was getting past the bottleneck, getting out of the rain and getting to physical training on time.

All of a sudden, infuriatingly, just as the traffic was getting started again, the car in front of me stopped. A soldier, a private of course, jumped out in the pouring rain and ran over toward the grove.

I couldn't believe it! This knucklehead was holding up everyone for who knows what kind of prank. Horns were honking. I waited to see the butt-chewing that I wanted him to get for making me late.

He was getting soaked to the skin. His Battle Dress Uniform was plastered to his frame. I watched as he ran up to one of the memorial plaques, picked up the small American flag that had fallen to the ground in the wind and the rain, and set it upright again.

Then, slowly, he came to attention, saluted, ran back to his car, and drove off. I'll never forget that incident. That soldier, whose name I will never know, taught me more about duty, honor, and respect than a hundred books or a thousand lectures.

That simple salute -- that single act of honoring his fallen brother and his flag -- encapsulated all the Army values in one gesture for me. It said, "I will never forget. I will keep the faith. I will finish the mission. I am an American soldier." I thank God for examples like that.

And on this Memorial Day, I will remember all those who paid the ultimate price for my freedom, and one private, soaked to the skin, who honored them.

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These Colors Don't Run

Honoring the American Flag

From a speech by Leo K. Thorsness, recipient of The Congressional Medal of Honor.

You've probably seen the bumper sticker somewhere along the road. It depicts an American Flag, accompanied by the words "These colors don't run."

I'm always glad to see this, because it reminds me of an incident from my confinement in North Vietnam at the Hao Lo POW Camp or the "Hanoi Hilton," as it became known. Then a Major in the U.S. Air Force, I had been captured and imprisoned from 1967-1973. Our treatment had been frequently brutal.

After three years, however, the beatings and torture became less frequent. During the last year, we were allowed outside most days for a couple of minutes to bathe. We showered by drawing water from a concrete tank with a homemade bucket.

One day as we all stood by the tank, stripped of our clothes, a young Naval pilot named Mike Christian found the remnants of a handkerchief in a gutter that ran under the prison wall. Mike managed to sneak the grimy rag into our cell and began fashioning it into a flag. Over time, we all loaned him a little soap, and he spent days cleaning the material. We helped by scrounging and stealing bits and pieces of anything he could use.

At night, under his mosquito net, Mike worked on the flag. He made red and blue from ground-up roof tiles and tiny amounts of ink and painted the colors onto the cloth with watery rice glue. Using thread from his own blanket and a homemade bamboo needle, he sewed on the stars.

Early in the morning a few days later, when the guards were not alert, he whispered loudly from the back of our cell, "Hey gang, look here."

He proudly held up this tattered piece of cloth, waving it as if in a breeze. If you used your imagination, you could tell it was supposed to be an American flag. When he raised that smudgy fabric, we automatically stood straight and saluted, our chests puffing out, and more than a few eyes had tears.

About once a week, the guards would strip us, run us outside, and go through our clothing. During one of those shakedowns, they found Mike's flag. We all knew what would happen. That night they came for him. Night interrogations were always the worst.

They opened the cell door and pulled Mike out. We could hear the beginning of the torture before they even had him in the torture cell. They beat him most of the night.

About daylight, they pushed what was left of him back through the cell door. He was badly broken; even his voice was gone.

Within two weeks, despite the danger, Mike scrounged another piece of cloth and began another flag. The Stars and Stripes, our national symbol, was worth the sacrifice to him.

Now whenever I see the flag, I think of Mike and the morning he first waved that tattered emblem of a nation. It was then, thousands of miles from home, in a lonely prison cell, he showed us what it is to be truly free.

Posted by Deb at 01:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Five soldiers awarded medals

The awards included two Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medals and three Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Each of the medals included combat "V"s for valor. And, BTW, they were Iraqi soldiers.

“I was walking beside the Marine, then we heard gunfire, and I saw that the American Marine was shot. Then I realized it was just me and him, so I quickly started shooting at the enemy." — Private Imad Abid Zeid Jassim, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps

Portions of Iraqi Private Imad Abid Zeid Jassim's citation for bravery reads: "...[A]s the firefight ensued, under a hail of enemy fire that was accurately targeted on the wounded [U.S.] Marine, and without regard for his own safety, Private Imad Jassim moved forward into the enemy fire and came to the aid of the wounded Marine. He dragged the wounded Marine out of the line of fire to a covered and concealed position...reengaged the enemy...aggressively pushed forward...dislodged the enemy fighters.... His efforts clearly saved the life of the Marine...."

On the evening of May 30, 2004, Jassim and his fellow members of 4th Platoon, India Company, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) were jointly patrolling the streets of Al Karmah, near Fallujah, with leathernecks from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. All at once, the patrol was ambushed from the rear by enemy insurgents. A U.S. Marine was instantly struck down with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Reacting as they had been trained to do by their U.S. counterparts, the Iraqis swung into action.

Jassim, who was standing closest to the Marine when the latter was hit, immediately returned fire.

Sergeant Abdullah Sadoon Isa, Corporal Eiub Muhamad Hussane, and Private Ahmad Lazim Garib raced toward-and-beyond the downed American. Constantly under fire and simultaneously returning fire, Sgt. Isa quickly positioned other members of his platoon between the wounded man and the enemy.

Jassim and another private, Kather Nazar Abbas, stopped shooting long enough to begin dragging the American to a position of relative safety. Bullets and at least one rocket-propelled grenade zinged past their heads as they managed to pull the Marine behind a wall. A U.S. Navy medical corpsman rushed forward to render first aid. The Iraqis and the Americans continued battling the enemy force.

The response to the ambush was textbook. "The ICDC ultimately assaulted through the enemy's position and pushed them out," said 2nd Lt. Charles Anklin III, of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines.

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Teen Spirit

This is an incredible tale of bravery on the part of an Iraqi who risked his life to provide information to the coalition forces. And he's only fourteen.

One day in December, a smooth-chinned 14-year-old approached American soldiers at a checkpoint here and asked surreptitiously to be arrested. He told the soldiers that his father, an Iraqi Army officer under Saddam Hussein, led a 40-man cell of insurgents, and he agreed to show the troops where to find the men and their weapons. . . .

With the handover of sovereignty to an Iraqi government less than three weeks away, the troops who have used and befriended the teen are desperately seeking a way to get him to the U.S. The soldiers aren't sure how they can legally take the boy -- who isn't an orphan -- out of the country without it looking like Americans are stealing Iraqi children while there is no local government to stop them. It isn't likely he would qualify for entry into the U.S. without special governmental dispensation. And even if soldiers get him to the U.S., they'd still have to find an American family willing to take in an illiterate, street-hardened youngster who speaks little English.

Insurgents in Iraq know the teen's identity and that he has provided information to the Americans, according to the U.S. military. While U.S. commanders asked that his name and tribal affiliation not be disclosed, they are eager for publicity that might help the boy gain entry to the U.S. His story has been pieced together from interviews with him and U.S. military personnel, and from military records. While aspects of his personal history couldn't be verified because people involved are either dead, in U.S. custody elsewhere in Iraq or have moved, soldiers and Marines who have dealt with the teen say information he has provided about the insurgency has been accurate. . . .

These days, he spends his time lifting weights, watching war movies or action films on DVDs owned by the troops, and hanging out with the seven Marines with whom he shares a plywood-walled sleeping area. He wears his hair Marine-style, tight on the sides and high on top, and sports a set of fatigues the Marines gave him. His bunk is curtained off by a zebra-patterned blanket, and he has wedged a stuffed bulldog into the metal footboard.

In a wooden ammo box, he keeps his belongings: an American flag folded with military precision into a triangle, deodorant sticks given to him by soldiers, a box of Crayola crayons, fingerless gloves for weightlifting, a digital camera and First Sgt. Hendrex's floppy hat. If all else fails, some Marines say, only half-jokingly, they will hand Steve-O a rifle and march him onto the plane when the battalion leaves Iraq, in late summer or early fall.

At night, the teen says he sometimes wakes up in tears, thinking about his mother. For comfort, he assures himself all that has happened has been God's will. "If they don't take me to the States, I'm definitely going to be killed," he says matter-of-factly. He says he would like to return to school and one day enlist in the Army or Marine Corps. "I just want to be one of the American troops," he says.

Read the full story here. And consider whether this is worth a letter to your congressional representative. Mine will be hearing from me.

UPDATE: The link to this article is no longer available online. It was originally published in the June 14 WSJ and I have a copy of the text downloaded that I will send to those who would like to read the rest of the story - e-mail me at deb at marinecorpsmoms.com. I've heard from quite a few readers who would like to help get this kid to the United States. We can start by making sure our Congressional representatives know about this situation. I'll cover Oregon - can we get at least one letter out to reps in every state?

Posted by Deb at 12:37 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

June 13, 2004

Winning Hearts

When the Marines returned to Iraq earlier this year, it was with the intention of winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. The tables have been turned. At Camp Al Asad, the hearts being won belong to the Marines and Navy Corpsmen and the attraction is a small girl with a heart that needs a bit of repair. Asma Muhana has a hole in the upper chamber of her heart and several heart valve defects, according to information from Sgt. Matt Epright. She needs surgery and while it cannot be performed in Iraq, there are plans to send her to the United States for treatment.

Asma recently spent some time as an inpatient at Alpha Surgical Company as she battled pneumonia. While there, she learned about the tooth fairy when one of her baby teeth fell out. And a number of Marines from the 1st Force Service Support Group snuck in with gifts and candy during off hours to avoid losing their "tough Marine image", according to Cmdr. Rebecca V. Sparks.

Photo by 1st Lt. Catalina E. Kesler

Lance Cpl. Mariko A. Harman painted Asma's fingernails and toenails while they watched a Disney movie.

Posted by Deb at 09:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

D-Day, revisited

Via VodkaPundit, this D-Day observation in France:

On the eve of D-Day ceremonies, an association dedicated to the memory of Saint-Lô as it was before the destruction of the city organized a debate in the local theater involving two veterans, survivors of the bombing of the city and high school students aged 15 to 17.

The title of the debate, suggested by questions from the students, was "The Battle of Normandy, Invasion or Liberation?" It was the first troubling sign of the deterioration of the knowledge and understanding of the past.

The questions from the students were even worse. It was clear they were reading D-Day through the filter of Iraq. Their conversation with the survivors of the bombing of the city was most revealing. How could you welcome Americans as liberators, asked the young boys and girls, after they had reduced your city to ashes? Because "it was a sacrifice for France," replied their elders, shocked by the question.

Read the rest here.

Posted by Deb at 09:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Update from Major Dave

The Green Side has been updated:

Dear Dad -

The past week has seen both an increase in temperatures and an increase in violence here. Unfortunately, the violence has been particularly deadly for the Iraqi citizens who have not picked up arms against the coalition. It is pretty obvious here that the insurgents have determined that their best course of action is to kill any Iraqi who assists the coalition in any way. This means that even if a man hates Americans with every fiber of his being but takes a job pulling weeds around a US base, he is subject to be killed. The mujahadeen literally wait outside the bases near the highway and watch for Iraqis leaving a base. They either flag them down or they simply pull up along side of them and empty a magazine from an AK47 in to the vehicle. This occurs daily - many times a day here. Of course we are out there patrolling and trying to interdict these murders but it simply pushes the muj back and they wait further down the road. The amazing thing is that the Iraqis keep coming to work because they want to feed their families. Lately, the workers have started to arm themselves and there have been full blown shoot outs in the streets.

The following is a recap of events that have happened in our zone in the past week. Early in the week, one of our translators (Iraqi guy out of Baghdad) left one of our outposts and walked into a local restaurant to get some food. Three masked men came in to the restaurant and took him out. He has disappeared. We have made every effort to recover the guy but of course, no one knows anything.

Two days ago, a couple of boys that do odd jobs around one of our positions came in upset. They saw three dead bodies in Falluja on their way out of town that morning. We sent the Iraqi Police in to investigate and they brought the bodies out to our position. All three were Iraqi contractors who worked on American bases. One was a generator technician on our base. All three had their hands tied behind their back. All three had been beaten severely. One was shot in the face and another was shot in abdomen. The third was beaten and stabbed to death. Just like that, these criminals went out and picked up three men, all with families and then proceeded to torture and kill them, leaving their bodies in an alley.

What is even more outrageous is that no doubt that the people who are extolling the muj to go out and commit these crimes are the same ones who later in the day demand that we provide "more jobs." However, the jobs that they want are simply hand outs. They want us to give them large sums of money so that they can hire their own people. Of course, only a fraction of the money (if any) gets to the people. The majority go to the same band of criminals who have been running this society for decades. There is one local imam who is deeply involved with the insurgents who we suspect gets 30% off the top of all contracts! Again, the hypocrisy is astounding. This same guy will get up during Friday prayers and claim that we are trying to steel Iraq's oil and subjugate its people, meanwhile he is stealing a third of the money going into the town.

We have had some successes this week that you should know about. Earlier in the week, the muj mortared the same small town that I wrote about last week. Tragically some women and little girls were grievously wounded. As the Marines in the area responded to the attack, the mujahadeen attempted to ambush them. They set off a car bomb on the patrol and then opened up with RPGs and machine gun fire. Three Marines were wounded. All will recover. However, the Marines fought through the ambush and during a running firefight that lasted for hours and several kilometers, they hunted down and killed 7 mujahadeen and captured 2. That alone is another example of the heroics that the young Marines are executing daily. However, the truly encouraging element of the firefight was the response of a few Iraqi security forces guys who were operating with Marines in the area at same time.

At one point, the firefight was ongoing near an Iraqi Police station that was attacked at around the same time as the patrol above. A truck load of muj drove up and opened up on the police station. A small group of Marines were in the Police station in a joint position with Iraqi Police. The few Marines held firm and returned fire. Most of the Iraqi police fled. However, a handful stayed and fought with the Marines. While the Marines and Iraqi police held, the joint patrol of Marines and ICDC moved in to support. The ICDC soldiers did great and actually attacked a building where the muj were firing from. They are led by a Marine lieutenant who, along with his platoon has lived with them for months (another great story).

The Marines captured an Iraqi on a nearby rooftop who was videotaping the attack on the police station so the muj could use it for recruiting purposes. Imagine that, they want to record and gloat over attacks that target innocent Iraqis who are trying to raise their country up and maybe make better lives for their children. Of course, they do not have the courage to acknowledge the mortar attack that hurt the women and children. Inevitably, they blame it on the US.

There is so much shame in this society that the people cannot believe that fellow Iraqis would do such a thing. The people simply deny such an attack occurred without bothering to reason through the facts. However, when their fellow countrymen respond courageously and with honor, the message resonates. On these occasions, the lights come on and people talk openly about how much they hate the muj. Maybe even for a little while they see that a better future is possible. Unfortunately, when this happens, the insurgents recognize it immediately and act out brutally against the people in order to re-install the atmosphere of fear and instability that is required for them to succeed.

Slowly but surely, it feels like we are gaining ground. The heat and environment take their toll but you would be amazed at what the young men and women are doing out there every day.

I am copying the text of an article printed in Baghdad that clearly illustrates the chasm that is the cultural divide here. We get a kick out of these incidents when they happen. Inevitably, we stand slack jawed during moments like this. Doubt that you get a chance to hear about them but they serve as good entertainment. Have a great vacation,

Love,

Dave

To read the article, check out his website.

Posted by Deb at 07:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

From the 1/6 Marines

Chaplain Hoke from the 1/6 Marines had this observation about life on board ship in the Persian Gulf before the Marines landed.

"Even the Navy-side of the 22MEU has been very nice to us in the BLT 1/6 these past few days. I said to some Navy folks the other day, ‘I guess you will be glad to have some extra space on the Wasp and be happy to see us get off.’

They responded, ‘No, I will miss the Marines and all I am concerned about is that they all come back in good shape.’ They also said they would be praying for us all.

Just a few minutes ago I was coming back from seeing those Marines who are scheduled to take off today. On my way back I saw a Marine trying to fight his way through a narrow passageway, he had gotten some of his gear stuck on part of the ship. Behind him was a Sailor who reached out to help him. I told the Sailor to stay with the Marine until he got all the way through the passageway.

The Sailor said with great sincerity, ‘ I will and I wish I could go all the way with him.’

Posted by Deb at 05:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Update from the 3/11 Marines

here's a semi-recent update from Lt. Col. T. J. Connally, Battalion Commander for the 3/11 Marines.

Dear family and friends of 3/11,

Today is Memorial Day, a day on which I have made a practice of wearing my uniform to church to commemorate our fallen service members of battles past. Inevitably I discover all of the veterans in the church as the uniform tends draw them like a magnet, and inevitably I learn something of their experiences in the service and sometimes a funny story. I've observed that they are proud of their service but humble about their accomplishments, even stoic when it comes to discussing the toughest battles unless around those with whom they shared the experience. These veterans often are of the "Greatest Generation" but all marvel at the level of training our Marines receive and they universally acknowledge that our Marines are carrying on the traditions of honor and courage passed on by them. After 20 plus years of service, I'm starting to understand, it is personal and familial. The men you fight with become your family, and the pain of loss is that of losing a family member. So while we each observe Memorial Day in our own way, it will always be personal but just as I tell our Marines, we remember and then we get back into the fight.

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day complete with barbecue and good weather. We didn't barbecue as missions continue, but I did see horseshoes being tossed and Marines going to church. It was a rather nice day despite the 110-degree heat. It has been rather warm of late, averaging 109 degrees the last week and cooling down a little in the evening. Most PT is now done in the early morning or early evening. Of course we are adapting to the heat, but it is still pretty uncomfortable riding in a Humvee wearing body armor.

Our support and morale service continue to improve. We now have several small washers and the laundry service is operational again. Some Marines still prefer to wash by hand for a variety of reasons. Our logistics shop has taken a bombed out building and turned it into our Morale Center. There is a room each for phones, e-mail, video games, TV and lounging. Our phones and e-mail will be operational in a few days. To top it off several Marines in the battalion, under the instruction of Chief Warrant Officer Habiger, built several Adirondack lounge chairs out of shipping pallets. It is a sight to behold and should improve our ability to call home. Additionally, we have procured another building in our area and some exercise equipment and turned it into a gym. These endeavors required a significant amount of effort by our logistics Marines, and they make a big difference in morale. Additionally, KBR contractors opened a set of 32 showers in our area that will make life easier and hopefully hot water more abundant, of course with the heat I don't hear many complaints about cold water.

Down in Mudaiysis life continues to improve with every passing day. All the work is done by the Marines and for the Marines. They have regular showers, and we are still pursuing a phone and Internet package for them. At Ar Ar they have a generator and air conditioning, and they continue to improve their own house. The border guards have almost adopted them.

Operationally, your Marines and Sailors continue to perform magnificently in all of our respective missions. I was at the division headquarters the other day, and people I didn't know were complimenting the battalion for the great job your Marines and Sailors are doing. Of course I am humbled daily at the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by all of the Marines and Sailors of 3/11.

Remember, if you have any concerns about your Marine or Sailor I encourage you to call our Rear Party Officer in Charge, and he will contact us directly to answer your concern. Of course, your best forum for information is your Marine or Sailor. I am very proud of these men, I am very proud of you all at home, our courageous families. Keep us in your prayers; I know St. Barbara is with us.

Semper Fidelis,
T. J. Connally
LtCol of Marines

Posted by Deb at 05:15 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack