Jimmyeatworld
Silver Member
This is something I got from a friend of mine. It's a first hand account from Fallujah, Iraq by LtCol Willy Buhl.
Mud Marine sends:
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 8:14 AM
Subject: UPDATE (UNCLASSIFIED)
Gentlemen, Forward to our 3-1 buddies as you see fit.
We put a whipping on a group yesterday that opened up on one of our
mounted patrols from India Company after detonating an IED. The IED
was a 155mm round that fortunately hit armor and tires on a 7-ton
truck. The Marines in all vehicles immediately returned fire,
dismounted and closed with the enemy. We killed three and wounded
four and captured a five more after a Sgt threw two frags in a room
and they came out with their hands up from another room. All but one
of the EPWs appeared to be workers caught in the wrong place at the
wrong time. Sure enough, however, we found over 300 155mm
shells buried on the grounds of this place. In the midst of the
action, Kilo Company's QRF arrived to join in the fight. Great
cooperation by all and we had a Harrier aloft with 500lb bombs and
his cannon itching for the go ahead. I strongly considered it as an
example and radioed to the ground commander not to take any undue
risks with his men but it all worked out. Our Marines were engaged by
at least four different weapons systems from this structure to
include two RPKs simultaneously. When we finally cleared
it after some minutes, killing and capturing as described, we could
not find any weapons or brass. The KIAs, however, all tested positive
for gunpowder residue on their hands, as did one of the EPWs.
Thorough search couldn't locate any spider holes, secret doors, etc.
There were quite a few "Jihad" graffiti notes inside the building
though, and some drugs and syringes. The Kharma Iraqi Police who can
never be found when there's a fight showed up immediately after
casualties were taken by the enemy. This continues to
reinforce to me that they are entirely embedded in the insurgency. The
Kharma Ntl Guard troops have a check point just down the hill in view
of IED and ran behind cover when the shooting started. We have some
good ones in another town that we're training but these troops are
dirty and well penetrated by the enemy. We cannot rely on them for
anything. Kharma is an evil suburb of Fallujah. Later in the evening
the enemy tried to attack Kilo Company with RPGs and small arms
without effect. We returned a heavy volume of fire and cleared
the structures where we took fire from to find no one, though we did
find brass this time! 122mm rocket landed outside the fence some
distance off as I am typing shook my hootch. We've begun to receive
our first combat replacements, with 14 arriving last night. SgtMajor
and I are going to visit our wounded in Baghdad today, see
how our Iraqi Ntl Guard troops and CAP Plt is doing in a neighboring
town,and then attend the memorial service for Sgt Juan Calderone,
Jr., of Lima Company, who was killed in an IED blast a few days ago.
We are hitting back hard when the opportunity presents itself and
yesterday was a celebration for all hands.
Semper Fi,
Willy
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
Mud Marine sends:
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 8:14 AM
Subject: UPDATE (UNCLASSIFIED)
Gentlemen, Forward to our 3-1 buddies as you see fit.
We put a whipping on a group yesterday that opened up on one of our
mounted patrols from India Company after detonating an IED. The IED
was a 155mm round that fortunately hit armor and tires on a 7-ton
truck. The Marines in all vehicles immediately returned fire,
dismounted and closed with the enemy. We killed three and wounded
four and captured a five more after a Sgt threw two frags in a room
and they came out with their hands up from another room. All but one
of the EPWs appeared to be workers caught in the wrong place at the
wrong time. Sure enough, however, we found over 300 155mm
shells buried on the grounds of this place. In the midst of the
action, Kilo Company's QRF arrived to join in the fight. Great
cooperation by all and we had a Harrier aloft with 500lb bombs and
his cannon itching for the go ahead. I strongly considered it as an
example and radioed to the ground commander not to take any undue
risks with his men but it all worked out. Our Marines were engaged by
at least four different weapons systems from this structure to
include two RPKs simultaneously. When we finally cleared
it after some minutes, killing and capturing as described, we could
not find any weapons or brass. The KIAs, however, all tested positive
for gunpowder residue on their hands, as did one of the EPWs.
Thorough search couldn't locate any spider holes, secret doors, etc.
There were quite a few "Jihad" graffiti notes inside the building
though, and some drugs and syringes. The Kharma Iraqi Police who can
never be found when there's a fight showed up immediately after
casualties were taken by the enemy. This continues to
reinforce to me that they are entirely embedded in the insurgency. The
Kharma Ntl Guard troops have a check point just down the hill in view
of IED and ran behind cover when the shooting started. We have some
good ones in another town that we're training but these troops are
dirty and well penetrated by the enemy. We cannot rely on them for
anything. Kharma is an evil suburb of Fallujah. Later in the evening
the enemy tried to attack Kilo Company with RPGs and small arms
without effect. We returned a heavy volume of fire and cleared
the structures where we took fire from to find no one, though we did
find brass this time! 122mm rocket landed outside the fence some
distance off as I am typing shook my hootch. We've begun to receive
our first combat replacements, with 14 arriving last night. SgtMajor
and I are going to visit our wounded in Baghdad today, see
how our Iraqi Ntl Guard troops and CAP Plt is doing in a neighboring
town,and then attend the memorial service for Sgt Juan Calderone,
Jr., of Lima Company, who was killed in an IED blast a few days ago.
We are hitting back hard when the opportunity presents itself and
yesterday was a celebration for all hands.
Semper Fi,
Willy
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
