The way we fought not just to survive but to protect each Once the smoke started to clear, only two of us were what remained of a seven-man machine gun squad. "We had these artillery rounds landing in the street in front of us," Lt Ackerman told the BBC last week. The Battle of Fallujah was the biggest battle of the Iraq War yet many don't know about the battle itself, let alone a significant day in this battle. A. Lance Cpl. Like Workman, Edwards leaned on his family. The outcome: Both sides lost. A fourth insurgent then emerged from a closet in the bedroom, yelling and firing his weapon as he leaped over a bed trying to reach Bellavia. Workman detailed his struggles in his book, "Shadow of the Sword: A Marine's Journey of War, Heroism, and Redemption." After deadlifting an armored truck, Hertz suffered a herniated disc and nerve damage and had to be medically evacuated. All rights reserved. The stories that emerged from that battle are the kind that legends are built on. I started the battle with an entire machine gun squad, until mortars rained down on a street where were pulling security. In October 2004, journalists came to Camp Falluja to "embed" with the force that would shortly try to retake the city. Shortly after the CSM died, we completed night operations with the company and found ourselves surrounded by insurgents in an open city square, just steps away from our operating base. He is currently serving as the operations sergeant major for the Chicago Recruiting Battalion. U.S. Marines encircled Fallujah on April 5 and have fought an estimated 1,500 guerrillas in repeated battles as cease-fires unraveled, killing hundreds of Iraqis, including many civilians,. He trained with him, helped him focus and said he always told Marines it was OK to ask for help. It turned out to be the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War and is notable for being the first major engagement of the war fought solely against insurgents rather than the force of the former Ba'athist Iraqi government, which was toppled in 2003. We had to climb a rope to even get to it. The city had been a stronghold for insurgent forces since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The owners had left behind Baath party membership cards and pictures of Saddam Hussein. He previously served as the first sergeant for the Charlotte Recruiting Company in Charlotte, North Carolina. My squad leader and I stacked to breach and entered as two insurgents fired at us at close range. Many Marines of 3rd battalion 1st Marines engaged in grueling house-to-house fighting. American military advisers are back in Iraq but the US is not about to refight the battle of Falluja. The day before Lima Company and the rest of the battalion pushed into the city, one of the tires on the commanding officers Humvee popped. Now a crisis trainer for a Virginia school district, Edwards has been on a mission to bring Phantom Fury vets back together. U.S. Army Soldiers rush a wounded soldier to a waiting U.S. Marine CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter during the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004. New York, NY: Free Press. He also wanted to create a landing force for some of the most intense battles in the Revolutionary War. 1st Lt. Carin Calvin, a weapons company platoon commander, was atop a roof directing fire from his 60 mm mortars section when he found himself in an enemys sights, according to Sgt. Why send in men when a single good Bangalore can do the job? Task & Purpose spoke with six Marines who served with 3/1 during the battle and asked them to share the most unbelievable things they witnessed during the operation. His plans to make a lateral career move and become a human intelligence Marine began to fade. The interesting thing here is that my squad leader and I crossfired and shot the insurgent diagonal from our respective positions we were more concerned with saving each other rather than protecting ourselves. The 10th of November was three days into the second battle. "And the marines said, in a polite way, 'Do you know what it takes to seize a city of 300,000?'". A. He shared his thoughts about the battles during an interview here on Nov. 5. Last winter, when the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was tapped to replace the Armys 82nd Airborne Division in Fallujah, Marine officers boasted that they knew how to run the occupation in smarter, subtler ways than the ham-fisted Army. He didn't want Fallujah vets to have to spend a bunch of cash to be involved, so he got donations and help from the Semper Fi Fund, Azalea Charities, Reunite the Fight and others. Once we entered the city, we turned our focus to urban warfare and house-to-house combat. He attended the 2006 State of the Union address as an honored guest. Our job, I think as leaders, is to man, train and equip our young Marines to make them successful in the fight. This time of year marks the anniversary of one of the most storied battles in recent Marine Corps history: the Second Battle of Fallujah. Commemoration of the Second Battle of Fallujah, Operation AL FAJR, Early career airmen will soon have an easier time finding a new job, Meet 12M+, the new community app for military spouses, Kansas man upset he cant buy mini Toyotas like the Taliban and ISIS. One rifle company would take the main road into Falluja. The marines wanted journalists there to witness that. "But I think just getting together is going to be powerful for a lot of people.". The plan was for Death Platoon to breach one side of the city while the Marines breached the opposite simultaneously, but like most things in war, things did not go according to plan. Meanwhile, Col Brandl strode around like a Hollywood version of what a Marine Corps officer should be, cigar stuck between his teeth as he dished out orders. By 2009, it was relatively quiet, and we left and turned Fallujah over to the armed forces of Iraq. Bradley Kasalrolled over to shield a wounded Marine from a grenade blast, absorbing the brunt of the explosion himself. When we came back with the 5th Marine Regiment in 2006, we started to see a lot of dramatic change in terms of Iraqis taking responsibility for their own security. U.S Marines from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, sit in the street they are patrolling during an offensive November 11, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq. They were probably killed when their armoured four-wheel-drive vehicle was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade. Bellavia left the service after six years in 2005 as a staff sergeant. After that, Falluja became a safe haven for al-Qaeda. It may well be that this destructionand the prospect of moreaccelerated negotiations, which were also proceeding, between some insurgents and tribal elders. I can appreciate now the lessons Like us, he had left the roof, the danger all too apparent. Attendees will range from four-star generals who led the battle to junior enlisted troops who cleared rooms. In a race to get the wounded man to the care he needed, an Army National Guard unit loaded the Marine into a M113 armored personnel carrier they were using as an armored ambulance. While Kilo Company was advancing south, Capt. (2004). I saw veterans . This is what I want for my young Soldiers now: The city became the scene of brutal urban combat when American, Iraqi, and British forces launched an all out assault on Nov. 7, 2004, to seize it from Iraqi insurgent hands. Colonel Ahmed told us they never really went away. Matthew Mardan and his fellow snipers took an overwatch position on the buildings top floor. As the battle for the city raged on, the resiliency every Soldier needed to keep picking themselves up, house after house, and continue the mission came from months of crucial team building. We brought three mine-clearing line charges (MCLCs) with M113 personnel carriers to penetrate the enemys minefields. Strict sharia [Islamic law] was enforced. His parents and siblings helped, he said, but he began making real progress when his uncle, who'd seen combat in Vietnam, began talking about his own experiences. But families weren't told for years it was "friendly fire," a tragic accident, despite regulations. Seven Marines died in their first 10 days of deployment. Phantom Fury veterans have until Saturday, Oct. 19, to register for the reunion. "They were down, but I said, 'We've got an enemy that's desperate right now. Human Rights Watch, which inspected the area after the incident, found no physical evidence of . "If you don't come together and gather, and then healing is limited -- especially with those you bled with.". I dont want to condemn what [Army] people are doing. Pablo Villa, NCO Journal, Why The First US Jet Fighter Pilot Wore a Gorilla Mask During Test Flights, The World's Foremost Sex Therapist Is a Holocaust Survivor and Former Sniper, 6 Minor Leaguers Who Gave Up Baseball Careers to Become Heroes of World War II, A Poor Kid from Milwaukee Became the First Man to Fly to the Moon Twice, 1st Woman to Take Top Enlisted Job at Army Special Ops, Some Private Companies Charge Hefty Fees to Help Veterans With Disability Claims, 'I Let Down the Combatant Commander': Marine Leader Regrets His Forces Weren't Available for Recent Crises, Female Commander Investigated over Alleged Sexual Assaults of Male Subordinates, Pattern of Harassment. Falluja was Sunni - and it had done well under Saddam Hussein's Baath party rule. Operation Phantom Fury, the second chapter of the fight to retake Fallujah from Iraqi insurgents, will forever be known to Marines. The Vietnam-era vehicle, which was designed to move through contested and rough ground, raced 60 miles an hour through the rubble-strewn streets of Fallujah before arriving at the train station where the battalion was headquartered. I think that they are doing what they think they have to do. Maj. Gen. James Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Division, went further: If [the insurgents] choose to fight, they are going to regret it, but we also believe that part of the physicians oath that says, First, do no harm. If to kill a terrorist we have got to kill eight innocent people, you dont kill them., Speaking on background to the Washington PostsThomas Ricks, one Marine officer was blunter still: Im appalled at the [Armys] current heavy-handed use of air and artillery in Iraq. Edwards had his own struggles after Fallujah. Upon entering the city, we selected a house on the inside of the citys perimeter from which to base our operations and keep pushing forward. A noose was thrown around the city. Bellavia's men were mired in the opening stages of the Second Battle of Fallujah. CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. It has been a decade since Marines fought for their lives and their brothers-in-arms in Iraq's bloodiest battles, which would spark a turning point in the eight-year war. That kicked off a yearslong effort to combat ISIS, which ended when the Iraqis retook the city in 2016. After the battle, control was given back to the Iraqi government, but insurgent numbers in the city grew. And this article details the events that allowed He's in Falluja. Jeremiah Workman was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism in Operation Phantom Fury. Disabled Veterans Sign up for a Career Change. Everyone learned a few useful Arabic phrases. However, the views expressed therein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Army University, the Department of the US Army, or any other agency of the US Government. A year later, we went back to Falluja. "I let the darkness and the fears in my life take over," Edwards, who eventually transferred to the Reserve, said. I think this was one of those iconic and epic Corps battles; we knew exactly what we had to do. David Bellavia was awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions with 2-2 Infantry during the Second Battle of Fallujah (Medal of Honor, n.d.). But insurgent strength did not wane. Also called Operation Al-Fajr or Operation Phantom Fury, the Second Battle of Fallujah took place from November 7, 2004 until December 23, 2004. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. I remembered him as a quiet and thoughtful young officer who liked to play chess. Suddenly, they took fire from a 25 mm cannon as an Army Bradley fighting vehicle opened fire on their position. The US Armys premier multimedia organization that focuses on advancing the ideas and insights military professionals need to lead and succeed. By the time of the battle, a city of normally 400,000 people was just 10 percent of that, determined to be the elderly, the infirm and the enemy. First Battle of Fallujah, (April 4-May 1, 2004), also called "Operation Valiant Resolve," U.S. military campaign during the Iraq War to pacify the Iraq city of Fallujah, rid it of extremists and insurgents, and find those responsible for the March 31 ambush and killing of four American military contractors. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Fifteen years later, not a day goes by that he doesn't think of the Marines they lost, he said. Alternatively, if you are still experiencing problems please copy and paste this email address usarmy.leavenworth.tradoc.mbx.armyu-aup-nco-journal@mail.mil into the To: line of your email. Here are eight extraordinary moments from one of the most brutal battles of the Iraq War. His Soldiers had searched nine houses along the street looking for six to eight insurgents that intelligence reports suggested were in the area. From the vehicles vantage point, the gunner likely saw the three infrared silhouettes of men in beanies and buffalo jackets poking their heads over a window ledge and assumed they were enemy insurgents, and not in fact, Marines. They need to continue honoring those who didn't make it home, he said, and for those who did, they need to keep their support networks strong. The two battles for the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004 were turning points in Operation Iraqi Freedom. "The suicide rates are extremely high right now. Over the centuries, Marines gained status as their very own military branch and earned a reputation as one of the most hardened, violent, and distinguished fighting forces in military history. US Army. You were wounded right after you took over as head of 1st Marine Regiment. A sniper was in a minaret a couple of hundred yards away. All contents https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/bellavia/, Villa, P. (2019)). One lesson of Fallujah is that neither the Army nor the Marine Corps is particularly well-suited for counter-insurgency warfare. The death of a leader can be devastating to a unit. Disabled Veterans Sign up for a Career Change. On 31 March 2004, four American private security contractors were ambushed in the centre of Falluja. Compilation of US Marines fighting during Operation Phantom FuryThe Second Battle of Fallujahcode-named Operation Al-Fajr (Arabic: "the dawn") and Ope. It was Nov. 10, 2004, Bellavia's 29th birthday. All these years later, Kent is one of the Marines with whom Workman stays in touch. The Sons of Iraq was exploding all over Anbar, all over Iraq. Our platoon crashed through a door of a house and engaged in one firefight after another. What made the battles of Fallujah important, and why will they be studied by recruits and senior officers? "It will always be synonymous with an urban fight where small unit leaders won the fight.". "If they want to ask for ideas about how to get over the hump or how to get out of a rut in life, I'm more than happy to help anybody while I'm there. All rights reserved. Some of the wounded were never told. "You never, ever forget thepeople that you fought with," said retired Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton Kent, who served as I Marine Expeditionary Force's top-enlisted leader during the battle. Fallujah has been home to a brutal insurgency since the Iraq war. But Vietnam was a long time ago; the institutional memory has vanished, as has the necessary training. The second battle of Fallujah was the largest urban battle since Hue City in Vietnam, which was, coincidentally, also a joint fight with Marines and units from the 3rd Brigade of the 1st. Q. And that loss has continued to build in the 15 years since the start of the fight. But from almost the moment they arrived, the Marines in Fallujah came under fire. Excerpts, edited for space and clarity: Q. It seemed as if everyone was wounded from enemy small arms fire and indirect fire, like RPGs and mortars. It was very challenging for Marines going house to house to house to identify who was left. To make sure, small boys brought jugs of petrol and a crowd set the bodies alight. Also known as Operation Phantom Fury, the operation was a joint effort by American, Iraqi and British forces to drive out the Iraqi insurgency in the city. We would sporadically get news from command of the casualties they sustained and friends we would never see again. Wayne Hertz and Sgt. "I think Fallujah will always be remembered as that gritty, hard fought, room by room, house-by-house battle where our Marines and soldiers prevailed," Nicholson told Marine Corps Times. That's when many of us suddenly realized was it was the Marine Corps Birthday, "OUR" birthday. Ian Smith set the jack and began changing the tire, the soft dirt and the blast from a rocket propelled grenade that landed nearby caused the vehicle to fall atop him. James Clark Over the course of battalions eight-month deployment, 33 gave their lives and more than 400 were injured, confirmed Col. Willard Buhl, 3/1s commanding officer at the time. The resilience. The United States wasnt the first country to develop a jet-powered fighter aircraft, but it was definitely the first in Before Dr. Ruth Westheimer began teaching couples how best to shoot their shot, she was taking some shots of her own. It's really much harder for my wife. When Workman and his Marines made it out, they were devastated, Kent said. Marines hugged and shook hands, while others tore into MREs to pull out pound cakes, which they stuck matches in as if they were candles. And I think it's just important to be able to lean on your family and stay in touch with those Marines.". Just five years later, the Islamic State group is seizing portions of Anbar province. We all lay flat, an unseen force pressing down. Marines like Workman often had to get danger-close to the enemy when called on to clear rooms. The bodies of insurgents lay in the streets for days, being gnawed at by dogs. The First Battle of Fallujah, also known as Operation Vigilant Resolve, was an operation to root out extremist elements of Fallujah and an act of retaliation. A. "Raise your shirts", he shouted to the men. Workman said the reunion will be cathartic even if Fallujah never comes up. Falluja was never going to welcome the Americans as crowds of Shia Muslims did when US forces arrived in Iraq, in March 2003. Kidnap victims - Iraqi and foreign - disappeared there. United States Army Special Operations Command: April 26, 2004: Fallujah (First Battle) Defended position against enemy fighters during evacuation of wounded Marines in Fallujah. The insurgents hung their burned bodies from a bridge as a sign of their superiority (Getlleman, 2004). (You can find instructions on how to set Outlook as your default email application here.). The Battle of Fallujah A Reflection on Resilience By Sgt. The amount of trust and confidence and responsibility put on young lance corporals and corporals was phenomenal. When this happens, youll truly be ready to defend this great nation and make sure your brothers and sisters in uniform make it back home. The first Battle of Fallujah took place in April of 2004 when insurgents killed and mangled the bodies of four Blackwater contractors, capturing the events on video. Of that number, 23 were killed and 275 were wounded during 12 days of intense and unrelenting combat as the Marines fought to take Fallujah from enemy hands. The next day, Gen. Conway told reporters that he still wanted to pursue the soft approach but not until we can work the streets, feeling safe and not risk being attacked.. As the crisis unfolded, Mr West was at the headquarters of the marines' commander, Gen James "Mad Dog" Mattis. The night before everyone "stepped-off", Col Brandl explained the battle plan to his officers, using a mock-up of Falluja laid out on the dusty floor of a barracks. He also wanted to create a landing force for some of the most intense, The Army bought nearly $5 billion worth of rockets, Inside the stealthy defense budget of China, Army aviators are getting locked in for 3 more years on active duty, Geothermal engineers might have a hot future in the Army. Is climate change killing Australian wine? A. Thirty-five members of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, have died by suicide since 2003. In 2004, more than 100 U.S. Marines and soldiers died fighting the militants. The Army at the time was calling in airstrikes to suppress insurgencies in the Sunni triangle. The command sergeant major (CSM) of 2-2 Infantry exited his vehicle to help strategically park in front of the new operations house when an enemy sniper killed him, causing a ripple effect in leadership. But let's take care of you for awhile.". All rights reserved. Incredibly, they were able to take enough of the weight off of Smith that other Marines, who ran over when they heard screaming, were able to pull the pinned man to safety. A dozen civilians, men and women, were inching forward, waving a ragged white sheet. Giving that city back to the Iraqi people was critically important. The event will give Marines and other Fallujah veterans a chance to share what's on their minds or ask questions of leadership about what happened there, he said. The pair of hard-nosed contingents clashed immediately when the door of that 10th house opened. It's going to be therapy for those warriors to see those people after all those years.". Q. He had been awake nearly 48 hours, denied sleep by a cacophony of sporadic gunfire aimed at him and his platoon as they made their way through the streets of Fallujah, Iraq. The situation had taken its toll though. According to his Silver Star citation, Bellavia, armed with an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon gun, entered the room where the insurgents were holed up and sprayed it with gunfire, forcing the enemy to take cover and allowing the squad to move into the street. A second would go up that road to move into the complex of government buildings in the centre. He lied and said yes because he wasnt thinking about himself, he was thinking about his fellow Soldiers and the fact they needed him because they had to continue fighting. Despite the incredible efforts to save the critically wounded Marine, he died of his injuries. There weren't great formations of battalions or companies or platoons. Love your country and your fellow Soldiers above yourself. That was Lt Dan Malcolm. He followed the wounded insurgent's bloody footprints to a room on the landing and threw in a fragmentation grenade. Gettleman, J. Subscriber sign . He's one of eight Navy Crosses Marines earned in Fallujah, and what that young Marine did was so far above and beyond any reasonable expectation and is what helped characterize this as an iconic battle. But people were angry at the US. November then came, and the Marines were sent in again to liberate the city and eliminate the enemy from of every inch of it. Army.mil. It was more like feeling their presence. Still, we all continued the fight, clearing houses of multiple enemy occupants. How did your family take your return to Fallujah? The insurgents holding Fallujah were formidable. "You've got to have trust in other Marines. Conner dove behind the dead body of an enemy insurgent as Hanks hurled himself behind a lone tree in the center of the yard. Acting on instinct, the two immediately started trying to lift the vehicle off Smith, recalled Hertz, who retired two years ago as a sergeant major. He co-founded Vets for Freedom and served as vice chairman. Right there!" Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. While the Americans took fire from various vantage points inside the house, Bellavia called in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle to shell the houses. The fighting was at close quarters, with the two sides sometimes just a few yards apart. He was also nominated for the Medal of Honor. Falluja was Sunni - and it had done well under Saddam Hussein's Baath. It was slow at first, but as the activity and hostility of the conflict in Iraq increased, so did the number of names they passed down to us. When a Marine was shot between the eyes on Nov. 14, there wasnt enough time to wait for a helicopter to arrive at his location, explained Lt. Col. Patrick Gallogly, who was the battalion air officer at the time and was on the radio calling for a casualty evacuation. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. As combat engineers, we served as demolition experts since this was before the heavy use of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Soldiers. We moved to a house with one squad. The stories that emerged from that battle are the kind that legends are built on. After the city was cleared, it really began the awakening. It was the first time I felt a part of something greater than myself. Published Nov 8, 2021 11:07 AM EST. There was unrest among the Shia majority, not just among Sunnis. Retired Col. Mike Shupp and Sgt. But neither the U.S. Army nor the Marines will be the force that establishes the peace. What he unwrapped upon opening the doors to that 10th house would etch his name into history as a recipient of the Silver Star, the nation's third highest decoration for valor in combat. Along with the Silver Star, Bellavia also was awarded the Bronze Star, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross. Former Commandant Gen. Robert Neller started a reunion website in 2017 in an effort to address suicides. When he entered a bedroom, the wounded insurgent followed, forcing Bellavia to shoot him. "I think that that's the most important thing. Marines patrol the streets of Fallujah, Iraq during Operation Phantom Fury November, 2004. Both the Marines and the Army led coalition forces. Our mission was to kill, capture and eject the enemy from Fallujah, and that was accomplished. He is married and has three children. Different coalition forces tried to secure the city and bring order to no avail; coalition troops backed out of the city and it quickly grew into a bastion for all enemy fighters in the area. Bellavia chased the insurgent as he ran upstairs. Two 21-year-olds, Cpl. Post-Phantom Fury suicides have hit all the ranks, from enlisted to officer, he said. In the 24-hour period ending at 2 a.m.. We were united and faced every challenge together. When I talk about Marines about Fallujah, I think about the individual actions. The Fallujah killings of April 2003 began when United States Army soldiers from the American 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division fired into a crowd of Iraqi civilians who were protesting their presence at a school within the city of Fallujah killing 17 protestors. Click the buttons below to read articles about the Second Battle of Fallujah - Operation Phantom Fury and its implication on the Corps, yesterday and today. During the height of the fight, he was too anxious to eat. It would be tested and strengthened during the Battle of Fallujah. Editor's Note: If you or someone you know needs help, the Veterans Crisis Line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-273-8255, press 1. They also found 26 bomb factories, 350 arms caches, several chemical weapons labs and eight hostage houses and torture/execution chambers in Iraq's "City of Mosques." A second insurgent fired at him, and Bellavia wounded him in the shoulder. So as the sun rose a couple of days later, the US forces in the city centre buildings found themselves under fire from all sides. You couldn't see the bullets. 1st Class Johancharles Van Boers), As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, I By this time, the enemy inside began to mount a major defense a complex, formidable one. What a mix of emotions. Their relationship, which Workman refers to as like that of a father and son, dates back to a conversation they had on a road in Fallujah. Instead of getting drunk and eating lobster and steak, we were doing the one thing every Marine trains for, thinks about, and begs to do. As we packed our belongings, we couldnt help but be hopeful for better living conditions, but were instead greeted with cots on the desert sand and our vehicles in a circular security formation. As night fell, they fired rocket propelled grenades that made yellow streaks as they sailed over the house. When Kent became the sergeant major of the Marine Corps, he brought Workman onto his staff. I joined 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment - the 1/8 - led by Lt Col Gary Brandl. An enemy tracer round flew from the east and entered the left armhole of Calvins flak jacket, went into the flesh along his back, exiting his body through the opposite armhole. And if ever there was a validation of that, it occurred in Fallujah, where young lance corporals and corporals and sergeants were leading fire teams and squads and doing incredibly heroic things.
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