![]() 3/5 was set to invade the city of Fallujah and the unit prepared stateside by training in urban warfare, close quarters battle (CQB), and security and stability operations. I had just gotten off of a two-year stint in security forces at the special weapons facility in Kings Bay, GA, and made my way to one of the US Marine Corps’ most decorated units. I was an infantry corporal in 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment (3/5), Kilo Company, 1st Marine Division. SIDE BY SIDE BLOCK BY BLOCK HOUSE BY HOUSE Because until December of 2004 Fallujah was enemy-occupied, the enemy had months to prepare defensive positions, place improvised explosive devices (IEDs), learn the terrain, and work on plans to disrupt our advances. Fallujah now has a mythical name to it that was built on the blood and sweat of those who served there between Jan 2004–March 2005. Although tens of thousands of Americans cycle through the desert each year, some on multiple tours, only 15,000 saw action during the two battles that took place in Fallujah. It remains to this day the bloodiest battle of the War on Terror. ![]() It was said to be the fiercest urban combat the US had fought since the Battle of Hue, Vietnam in 1968. The Battle of Fallujah was codenamed Operation Phantom Fury/Al-Fajr (the Dawn) and it played out very differently than other battles of the war. None of the Marines in my unit knew that on this day we would encounter the fiercest combat we were to face in Iraq. The press had lost interest by this point and moved on, leaving the events of this day mostly unreported. The intense, daily fighting of the battle calmed down as we were re-clearing houses and mopping up the little resistance that remained. I Fought in the Fiercest Urban Combat the US had fought since the Battle of Hue, Vietnam in 1968Īs I sit back and reflect on my time at war, no combat experience sticks out more clearly than the combat we saw on 12 December, 2004. OPERATION PHANTOM FURY/AL-FAJR From the OCT 2010 files of SOF ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |